Cinema isn’t just about the stories being told on screen. It’s about the voices that shape it, the courage that fuels it, and the politics that seep through it. It is the intersection of art and activism. There is a need for workplace rights, and concern around the culture of silence and shadow banning in the industry, and the pressure on women to appear strong. 

These are some of the themes discussed during the session, ‘On and Offscreen: The Politics of Performance’, at The Media Rumble 2025, which took place in Bengaluru on October 3 and 4. The panel was moderated by The News Minute’s Pooja Prasanna and comprised of actors Ramya and Parvathy Thiruvothu. 

Parvathy lamented Malayalam cinema industry’s fear of politics, while both highlighted how women face shadow bans and societal suppression.

“Shadow bans are just one little cog of the many things that is suffocating us,” said Pavathy. 

On the role of activism, Ramya said, “Being political... started at home and as a woman... you ask why, but never get answers. I started making up my own answers.” 

She emphasised the evolution from personal struggle to a wider responsibility: “When you stand up for yourself all the time, you stand up for everyone else.”

Parvathy echoed this sentiment about the challenge of visibility, saying, “There was always a counterintuitive space when you become an activist... I can’t be invisible anymore. I have to speak up.” Both echoed the pervasive fear within the film industry, with both affirming their commitment to speaking out: “I’m scared sometimes when I speak, but there’s no other way,” said Ramya, while Parvathy added, “If I’m still existing here in 20 years, my existence itself is a revolution.”

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