She is one of the core members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and had expressed her support for the assaulted actress, also her close friend.
Though the glam girl of Mollywood has not been seen in Malayalam films of late, she has found a niche for herself in Tamil cinema. Recently, she also experimented with her musical talent by rendering the cover version of the song Yavvana from the film Sathya. The actress is also taking her singing prowess to another level with her music band Remya Nambeesan Encore. Remya opens up about all this and more in a chat with us...
You have been missing from Mollywood for a long time...
The last film I did in Malayalam was Saigal Padukayanu. Afterwards, I was approached by several filmmakers but none of the Malayalam scripts struck a chord with me, nor did my characters have much scope for performance. At the same time, I started getting a variety of performance oriented roles in Tamil, after Sethupathi. I could experiment with my acting skills there and also got recognition as an actor. So my focus is on acting, not the language.
I don't know if I have been sidelined for becoming a part of the WCC. I haven't received any touble directly from anyone in Malayalam.
So what are your next projects?
I have committed to the Tamil film Sathya and a few other projects in Kollywood. Sathya is a crime thriller, directed by Pradeep Krishnamoorthy.
The film features actors Sibi Sathyaraj and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, along with me in the lead roles. It is a performance oriented role and my character has two dimensions.
I have a Kannada project also, an epic war film, Kurukshetra, written by JK Bharavi and directed by Naganna. Actor Darshan plays Duryodhana and the story is told from his point of view. I play Bhanumathi, Duryodhana's wife and have a pivotal role in the movie.
The cover version of the song Yavvana which you recently released seems like an experiment...
Yes, it is a musical experiment. My voice was familiar to the Tamil audience only through folk or dappankoothu songs. My last Tamil song Fy Fy Fy from the film Pandiya Naadu was also an energetic number. So I wanted to try my hand at songs which require a different voice texture. When I first listened to the original version of Yavvana, sung by Yazin Nizar and Kalyani Nair, I sat so engrossed that I wanted to make my own version of it. I must also thank Pradeep, DOP of Saithan, for the great visuals.
I also have plans to launch my own music band titled Remya Nambeesan Encore. This cover song was a baby step towards the launch. As it is a new venture for me I wanted to know the public response. Thankfully, the song has received more than one lakh views since it was published online on Monday. That has given me the confidence to go to the next level. In our Malayalam industry there are a lot of beautiful film songs which go unnoticed because the films don't make it big in the box office. We plan to perform cover versions of the song with the band. We will also focus on independent music.
You have played a crucial role in supporting the assaulted actress and the formation of the WCC. Do you feel the assaulted actress will get justice?
As a common man, we have to believe in the judiciary and the police. But the conclusion of the case should be such that the culprit, or the one behind this heinous act, should not dare to repeat such a crime. Such a thought should never again enter a criminal's mind.
We feel such a thing will never happen to one of us but what if it does? Right now, a lot of people are reacting in egotistic and immature ways, forgetting to empathise with the victim. Let the judiciary and the police decide. We don't want to be affected by all the negativity.
How was the response of AMMA to your suggestion for a 50 per cent reservation for women in the executive committee?
I had verbally put forward that suggestion to AMMA in the last executive body. The aim was to ensure better participation of women in AMMA. And the association members had assured me that there will be a discussion about that.
Ganesh Kumar had told us exclusively that Dileep's expulsion from AMMA by Mammootty was meant only to please Prithviraj Sukumaran. Your views on it...
AMMA's decisions are not made by a single person, but by a group. The decision to expel Dileep was made by a group. The announcement was made by the core members of the executive after getting approval of all the members, including me, Prithvi and others. It was also mentioned that if Dileep is found to be not guilty, he would be taken back in the association after making an apology to him.
What are WCC's upcoming plans?
The idea of WCC was conceived a long time ago. But the incident involving our friend was the trigger to quickly formulate it. Right now our mission is to support the actress and be with her. Our vision is to create a healthier environment for the women in the film field to work in. We wish to make the industry a place to work for women, without feeling insecure and inhibited. We need to prepare a code of conduct. The work for it is still in process and it will take a month to complete it.
How do you intend to support the actress as a friend?
She will be back with a bang. Right now she is taking a break. She has her own plans for her future. I will always be by her side.
SOCIALIZE IT →