Actor Parvathy Thiruvothu bravely shared her childhood and teenage experiences of sexual abuse, highlighting how fear was taught as safety. She recounted disturbing public encounters and a painful realization that life’s lessons on sexuality often came from negative experiences. Parvathy emphasized the constant vigilance women endure and the importance of therapy for healing. TRIGGER WARNING: This article includes references to sexual abuse.Actor Parvathy Thiruvothu has spoken openly about her childhood and teenage experiences that left deep marks on her mind and heart. She shared moments that were painful, confusing, and scary. These were not small memories. These were moments that stayed with her for years. She spoke calmly but clearly. Parvathy said these things not for sympathy, but because many women have lived the same life. Parvathy spoke in a recent interview about an incident at a railway station. She was standing with her parents. She was very young. Suddenly, a man came, hit her on her chest, and ran away. The actress said it was not just a touch. It was a hard hit that caused pain. She was a child and did not understand what had happened. But the fear stayed. The shock stayed. The mental pain stayed.
A mother teaching fear as safety
In an interview given to Hauterrfly, Parvathy spoke about her mother. Her mother used to warn her while walking on the road. She was told to watch men’s hands. She was told to be careful all the time.Parvathy asked people to imagine this. A mother teaching her daughter how to stay safe, not how to dream freely. She said, “Think about a situation where a mother has to teach her daughter like this.”She also shared many experiences where men exposed themselves in public places. These were moments she did not understand as a child. She only felt fear and confusion. Later in life, she understood how wrong it was.
Learning about life through bad experiences
Parvathy spoke about how she first understood love and sexuality. She said, “My first understanding of sexuality came from the film ‘Titanic’. That kissing scene. For many of us, it is the same, right? I had a purple Titanic T-shirt with Jack and Rose on it. I liked Jack a lot. At that time, I didn’t even know what a ‘kiss’ meant. Before going to sleep, I used to kiss that T-shirt.”She remembered watching the film with her cousin sisters and saying, “Now the scene will come, now it will come.” Parvathy said when she turned around, her aunts would be watching her.Parvathy then said something very painful. “If you ask where I really learned about these things from, honestly, it was from very bad experiences. I learned from my own life, but most of them were painful experiences.”She added, “Unfortunately, there is a common thing that happens to almost every girl. We are born, we grow up, and then we are abused. If you ask whether all girls go through such experiences, the answer is yes.”The actor spoke about being pinched in autos. She again spoke about the railway station incident and said, “Someone came and hit me on my chest and walked away. It was not even touching. It was a hit. I was a child then. It was very disturbing.”The ‘Ullozhukku’ actress also said she saw men lifting their mundu and exposing themselves when she was a child. “At that time, I had no idea what was happening or what they were doing,” she said. Parvathy said only when girls grow older, around 16, 17, or 19, they look back and understand how deeply these moments hurt their body and mind.Consent, anger, and finding healingParvathy spoke about another experience when she was 17 years old. “The physical touch from someone who was not from my family was an assault. It was from someone I knew.” She explained how young girls can be trapped emotionally. “When we are in school, we may have a crush on someone. That person may abuse us in a private space. They normalize it by saying that if you love them, you should allow it.”Parvathy said clearly, “This person was someone I had a crush on. He did not know what consent was.”The actress said it took her thirty years to understand and accept what happened. “This is not something I should feel ashamed about,” she said.Parvathy then spoke about a lift incident when she was 19 or 20. “I was in a lift. A man standing behind me was trying to press himself against me. I could feel his touch.” She said she slapped him after getting out and asked, “What did you do?”Security came. Police came. But there was no CCTV.“The police said, ‘You already hit him, now leave it.’ That was when I understood what justice means in this country.”The man later begged her and said, “I just got a job in the Gulf. My marriage is about to happen.” She questioned this deeply. Parvathy said when people praised her for hitting him, it did not feel like victory. “Having to protect yourself is not something great.”Parvathy said, “Men, please listen. You walk with your shoulders wide and full of confidence. You will never understand the condition of women.” She explained how women are always alert. Always careful. Always adjusting clothes. Always watching.She ended by speaking about therapy. “After understanding your own body, the most important thing is therapy. Thank God, therapy brought big changes in my life. I love therapy. But finding a good therapist is not easy at all,” Parvathy Thiruvothu said.