Rekha Nambiar
19 October 2025, 09:09 PM IST
The actress, who first gained recognition with Premam in 2015, shared her excitement and optimism about this new chapter in her career.
Anupama Parameswaran | Photos: instagram/ anupama
Ten years after making her mark in Malayalam cinema, actor Anupama Parameswaran recently returned to the industry with JSK: Janaki V vs State of Kerala. She is now back with Pet Detective, produced under Sharaf U Dheen Productions by Sharaf U Dheen and Gokulam Gopalan, and directed by Praneesh Vijayan.
The actress, who rose to fame in the Malayalam industry with Premam in 2015, spoke about the challenges she faced in her career.
1) This Diwali, you have Pet Detective in Malayalam and Bison in Tamil. How did that happen?
It happened unexpectedly. Both films were shot simultaneously, but we didn’t plan for them to be released together. They feature completely different characters. Pet Detective is a fun, light-hearted film. Interestingly, the crew includes many people I worked with in Premam a decade ago— Sharaf U Dheen, Vinay Fort, cinematographer Anand C. Chandran, music director Rajesh Murugesan, and Vishnugovind. At the same time, I was also working on Mari Selvaraj’s sports drama, Bison.”
2) How was your experience working with Mari Selvaraj?
He had earlier called me for his film Periyerum Perumal, but I couldn’t take it because I was busy with Telugu films. Later, his team reached out again for a kabaddi-based story where Dhruv Vikram plays the lead. Pariyerum Perumal and Vaazhai are all among my favourite films. I really admire his storytelling and filmmaking. From the release of the poster to every update leading up to the film’s release, I used to follow everything with great excitement and anticipation.
I liked the story of Bison so much that I wanted to be part of it. Even if I hadn’t liked the story, I would still have acted in the film—it’s been my dream to work under Mari Sir, and I wanted to learn from his direction.
3) You are juggling multiple films like JSK and Pet Detective. Are you preparing to be more active in Malayalam cinema?
I believe everything happens in its own time. None of this was a planned decision. Sometimes scripts come to me simultaneously, and films end up releasing together. I am always ready to work in Malayalam cinema; I only avoid projects if suitable roles aren’t available or if scheduling conflicts arise.
The truth is after Premam, I hesitated to do Malayalam films because of trolls. I was scared. Many people in Malayalam cinema had sidelined me, saying I didn’t know how to act. At 17, that took a mental toll. But she (referring to myself) continued dreaming, worked hard, and made the most of the opportunities she got. Today, when I think about her, I feel proud. Her struggle is what drives me forward.
At that time, I also had offers from Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada films. Today, I don’t live based on others’ opinions or social media comments. I trust myself. I am very happy that I’ve been able to portray strong characters in recent films like Tillu, Paradha, and JSK. Now, I am working on two films simultaneously in Malayalam and Telugu. My acting career is entering a new chapter.
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