Saritha & Udayadevi: 'Driving force' behind Malayalam film stars

Saritha and Udayadevi, the first women drivers appointed by the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEKFA), are no strangers to the physical demands of working long hours or dealing with little sleep while driving passengers to their destinations. FEFKA looked for women drivers as concerns arose over the safety of women in the Malayalam film industry following the attack on an actor in 2017 and the findings of the Hema committee. Driving around actors, directors and crew across locations has its share of charm and challenge.

Saritha, who owns a Maruti Suzuki Dzire, recalls her first film-related assignment. "This was for the movie Bazooka and I had to drive film director Ajay Vasudev to the sets of the movie. It was an interesting experience," she said. She also particularly remembers taking Prayaga Martin to the sets of Sohan Seenulal-directed movie 'Dance Party' in Kochi. "Prayaga was interested in knowing why I decided to become a driver. I generally had pleasant experiences with all the film crew," said Saritha, though she now limits her drive between Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram and occasionally Ernakulam, due to commitments at home.

While the FEFKA duty time is 6am to 9pm, the actual working hours get stretched as the shooting progresses. "There were days we had to wait extra hours because most film shoots end up quite later than the expected time. However, we get paid for the extra time," she said.

When Keralites in the Gulf started returning home following the Covid outbreak, Saritha was part of the taxi drivers who would ferry them home, even while being wary of health hazards. "I still remember the huge risks we took, taking people who arrived at the airports to their home towns. But those experiences helped shape me, giving me the strength to continue with my work," said Saritha. She and Udayadevi are adept at handling all kinds of cars.

Udayadevi, who is currently on a short break, said she became a full-time driver after purchasing a car as part of the government-backed 'She Taxi' project. Though that project failed, she didn't give up and became a round-the-clock driver after securing a permit.

During that time, she chanced upon an advertisement by FEFKA seeking women drivers. Both Saritha and Udayadevi met during that time. Soon enough, they were inducted into FEFKA as the first women drivers of the 550-member union. "We received the FEFKA drivers' union badge on the same day that actor Mohanlal was inducted into the directors' union. That was such an honour," said Udayadevi who drives an Ertiga.

Both Udayadevi and Saritha don't prefer stayback packages at film sets. "Recently, I received work from Mammootty Kampany for their 20-day schedule, but I did not take up the project as I had to spend 20 days at the film sets. I still go for other rides and there are chances I might lose those customers if I stay away for long periods," she said.

Anish Puthenpura, who is the general secretary of the Cine Drivers' Union, said some women crew and cast directly approach FEFKA general secretary B Unnikrishnan for women drivers. "Otherwise, we have a schedule. We include Saritha and Udayadevi as per the schedule," he said.

Udayadevi, meanwhile, said more women should join FEFKA. "I have had many makeup artists tell me they feel secure riding with me. Many women are equipped to drive but are unable to pursue this job because they don't have the means or the vehicles," she said.

Though a few women from Fort Kochi had initially expressed interest in joining the FEFKA drivers' union, they backed out after the recent Hema committee expose. "However, we are positive more women will come to the field. We recently started the Safe Journey initiative. Under this, every vehicle will be equipped with a QR code, which will display the driver's details and member ID. We will also be alerted about their whereabouts. This will ensure the safety of both the passenger and the women drivers," said Anish.