“I became their mother”: Parvathy opens up about her transformative incident on the set of ‘Thangalaan’

In a recent roundtable interview with the cast and crew of “Thangalaan,” actress Parvathy Thiruvothu shared profound insight into her transformative experience portraying Gangamma. Thiruvothu described how she connected with her character on a deeply personal level during the second part of the interview, reshaping her understanding of motherhood through her role despite not having experienced motherhood herself.

Parvathy Thiruvothu recounted, “I don’t think Gangamma became Gangamma when I got Thangalaan to play that role. I became their mother.” This moment marked a turning point in her portrayal, as she immersed herself in the maternal aspects of her character.

She elaborated on the incident, “One day, I was with my character’s youngest child. His actual mother had brought a feeding bottle for him, but he would cry when he saw her, so I would give him the milk.” This act of nurturing was a key moment that deepened her understanding of Gangamma’s role.

Parvathy continued, “Later, when Ranjith (director) and I were talking, he said, ‘This is Gangamma, his mother.’ After that, I never bothered him with any questions because I understood what I was playing—she is a mother.”

Reflecting on the experience, she concluded, “And I don’t know what that means since I am not a mother and don’t have any idea what that is like, so that was quite an experience.” Despite her lack of personal experience with motherhood, the actress deeply immersed herself in the role of Gangamma, resulting in a transformative experience on set.

“Thangalaan” is set to be another cinematic spectacle from the South. It tells the real story of the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) during the time it was discovered by the British, who exploited and looted it for their own gain. The film continues the trend of the South Indian film industry in bringing unique concepts to the audience. It’s another film from the South with an unusual and intriguing concept.

Directed by Pa. Ranjith, “Thangamagan” stars Chiyaan Vikram and Malavika Mohanan in prominent roles. The movie is scheduled for a worldwide release on August 15, 2024, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. The music for the film is composed by G.V. Prakash Kumar.