How a Kerala University officer landed Mammootty’s wife’s role in ‘Kalamkaval’

The life of Seema Sindhu Krishnan, an assistant section officer at Kerala University, changed course during the Covid lockdown, thanks to a few TikTok videos shot to break the monotony of everyday life. With no prior link to cinema, the Thiruvananthapuram native quietly worked her way through auditions. Just four films in, she has landed a role many actors wait years for. In ‘Kalamkaval’, Seema plays the wife of Stanley Das, the character portrayed by Mammootty.

In an interview with Manorama Online, Seema speaks about the nervous excitement of acting alongside Mammootty and how her command over the Thiruvananthapuram slang became her biggest asset on screen.

A slang that opened doors
Seema currently lives in Kaniyapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, though she hails from Nedumangad. Interestingly, every film she has acted in so far required someone fluent in the Thiruvananthapuram slang. While she doesn’t heavily use the dialect in daily life, slipping into it for cinema comes naturally to her.

During ‘Vyasanasametham Bandhumithradhikal’, the makers were particular that the slang be pitch-perfect. ‘Kalamkaval’, however, demanded a different register, a dialect closer to the Tamil Nadu border. Shot in sync sound, the film did not give her many dialogues. Her role was largely about presence, standing beside Mammootty’s Stanley Das as his wife, with only a few brief lines.

A performance few recognise
Despite acting opposite Mammootty, Seema remains largely unrecognised. Most people don’t know she was part of ‘Kalamkaval’. Even after the film’s release, strangers rarely identify her. Some track her down only after spotting her name in the title card.

There’s a reason for that. The roles she has played so far make her look older than she is. Cotton sarees, muted colours, and dull makeup have been a constant across her four films. The contrast between her on-screen appearance and real life is stark enough that people fail to make the connection. Seema sees this anonymity as a blessing, especially since it doesn’t disrupt her university job or daily routine. Her daughter, however, is less convinced, often asking why no one recognises her mother after watching her films.

From TikTok to movies
Cinema was never part of Seema’s plan. She was juggling her university job and household responsibilities when she downloaded TikTok during the lockdown, purely to kill time. When her videos began drawing messages and attention, she started wondering if acting was a real possibility. That curiosity led her to auditions.

Her first break came with ‘Vaashi’, where she was cast in a courtroom scene alongside Tovino Thomas and Keerthy Suresh. She informed her husband only after getting the role. There were no objections. Both sides of the family backed her decision fully. After ‘Kalamkaval’, that support only grew stronger, especially with the joy of seeing her share screen space with Mammootty.

The call she never expected
After completing ‘Mura’, a co-actor, Ratheesh, informed Seema that a Mammootty film was looking for women fluent in the Thiruvananthapuram slang and asked her to send a self-introduction video. That video led to a call from Mammootty Kampany.

Initially, Seema assumed it was a minor role. Even when told the shoot would last just two days, she didn’t think much of it. It was only later she realised that all the female leads in the film had similarly brief schedules. When production controller Aroma Mohan finally revealed that the role was Mammootty’s wife, she was stunned.

Doubting whether she could hold her own opposite Mammootty, Seema requested an audition. The team declined, saying it wasn’t necessary. She insisted again, worried about wasting the actor’s time, but they assured her that a look test would suffice. For Seema, getting such an opportunity in just her fourth film felt extraordinary. When the call came, she was at her office. Her colleagues celebrated the news and urged her not to hesitate.

Meeting Mammootty
Seema was called for her look test only after the shoot began. On arriving at the location, she spotted Mammootty speaking to a group from a distance. The sudden sight left her unsure whether to approach him. Moments later, he called her over. He already knew she worked at the university and spoke to her with the ease of an old acquaintance. The nerves disappeared instantly.

She didn’t have much to perform in their scenes together. Sitting beside him was often enough. The first sequence she shot involved Vinayakan and a Tamil actor. Seema remained anxious about making mistakes and costing Mammootty time. Watching him patiently guide the Tamil actor through her lines only put her further at ease. Any tension she felt melted away in his presence, helped by his ability to make co-actors feel instantly comfortable.