Malavika Mohanan slams male co-stars for misogynistic behavior

New Indian Express

25-04-2025

Actor Malavika Mohanan has spoken out again about the unfair treatment of women in the film industry. In a recent interview with
Hauterrfly
, she said that many male actors are pretending to be feminists in public, but their real behaviour tells a different story.
Malavika said that even though people talk about change, the gender gap in the film industry is still very real. 'I don't think this disparity has ever ended in the film industry,' she said. 'Men have gotten smart. I've seen many male actors, especially in the last five to six years, who know how to act woke.'
She explained that these actors know the right things to say in public to seem like they support women. They talk about treating women equally and being progressive. But behind the scenes, she has seen these same people behave in a completely opposite way. 'They become the most misogynistic person ever,' she said. 'It's hypocrisy.'
Malavika's words point to a serious problem where some men in the film industry wear a mask of feminism for the public but don't actually practise it in real life. According to her, this kind of fake behaviour is harmful and dishonest.
In the same interview, she also spoke about how female actors are judged for their looks. She said that in the South Indian film industry, there's a strange obsession with showing the navel, and people often comment on her body. 'I used to be very confused at first because I grew up in Mumbai,' she said. 'It was very new to me that people were so focused on the navel. You even see photos online where they zoom into a woman's body. The navel obsession is real.'
She said she often gets comments about her weight whenever she gains or loses a little. This shows how much pressure women face to look a certain way in films, rather than being valued for their talent.
Despite all this, Malavika continues to focus on her work. She is seen acting alongside Mohanlal for the first time in
Hridayapoorvam
, a film directed by Sathyan Anthikad.