In her incredible acting career spanning almost 37 years, award winning actress Pauly Valsan had portrayed some amazing roles in the theater before making her silver screen debut. Hailing from Vypin, Pauly wowed the audience as the grieving Pennamma in the super hit movie Ee.Ma.Yau, for which she won this year’s state award for the best supporting actress. Acting is not just a means of livelihood for Pauly, instead, it is a mode to express her unique stands and opinions.
Pauly is continuing her winning streak with ‘Koode’ which is running to packed houses and garnering positive reviews from all corners. She talks about her latest release and about her dreams and hopes.
Working with women
“When we work with women, it feels as if we have got a special freedom. I felt such an incredible freedom when I acted in Anjaly Menon’s ‘Koode’. The movie was mostly shot in Ootty. Even if we make a mistake, Anjaly would try to correct us in the friendliest manner. This gave me confidence. So we feel at ease when we work along with women,” says Pauly about the ‘Koode’ filmmaker.
Pauly says that she felt free to ask anything to Anjaly because the latter too is a woman. She doubts whether she could have enjoyed such freedom had a man been the director of ‘Koode’. “There were lots of girls on the sets of 'Koode,' and they were all like my kids. We had so much fun on the sets,” says Pauly with a smile.
About the women’s organization in cinema
The veteran actress is of the opinion that there should be an association exclusively for the women in cinema. She says, “There is a sense of security when we have an association of our own. I believe that women get more freedom to express their opinion in such an association than the ones in which men are also members. Organizations are necessary, be it AMMA or WCC. One shouldn’t separate itself from the other, instead, they should work together. Both men and women are members of AMMA and I understand that it is like a family. I realize that the WCC actively involves in various issues of women in cinema industry. It would be easier for us to raise our issues in WCC than approaching AMMA. Women would be more at ease in such a space. So in my opinion, it is necessary to have a women’s organization in cinema.”
Support for the assaulted actress
Pauly says that since she is not a member of AMMA, she cannot comment about the stand taken by AMMA in the infamous actress attack case. She admitted that she is aware about it only from the media reports. “This issue is still under the consideration of the court. Maybe, the accused person is really innocent. But we should also consider the plight of the survivor of the attack. Both are from the cinema industry. So let the truth come out. It is not right for me to say an opinion before that,” the award winning actress makes her stand clear.
More women in the cinema industry
Pauly says that more women should enter the cinema industry, especially in film making. She adds that women have already made their mark in all other areas, and that it makes her happy to see more women in cinema as well. Pauly says, “The sets of 'Koode' gave me such an incredible experience. It was directed by a woman and the actors were also mostly women. It was really a ‘women’s world’. More women should come to the technical field of film making. It is not an easy job to make a movie. But if you give it a try, there will be more female filmmakers like Anjaly Menon. It will make us proud as women to see more women making a mark in films.”
Hopeful about ‘Lucifer’
Pauly Valsan confesses that she had wished to do a movie alongside super star Mohanlal. “The pooja ceremony of ‘Lucifer’ directed by Prithviraj took place recently, and I came to know that I too have a role in it. I had waited for a chance to act with Mohanlal. They have called me for 6 days of filming. I pray that I get a chance to say at least a dialogue in a scene with Mohanlal,” smiles Pauly.
