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Indian Express

Malayalam cinema's ‘Marilyn Monroe' launched #MeToo against industry bigwig decades before the movement; ‘died by suicide' at 21

From the legendary Silk Smitha and National Award-winning actor Shoba to Bollywood stars Sushant Singh Rajput and Jiah Khan, the list of Indian celebrities who allegedly died by suicide is, unfortunately, long. The price many have paid for the fame and fortune that show business offers is their mental health, and, at times, even their lives. While conspiracy theories and investigation reports continue to speculate on what drove them to take the extreme step, we may never know the real reason. Only they could have revealed what truly pushed them to the edge. Vijayasree, known as the 'Marilyn Monroe of Malayalam', was one such actor who ended her life at the peak of her career. In a short span of just five years, she appeared in over 60 films, winning audiences over with her breathtaking beauty and acting skills, though the latter was largely underutilised as she was typecast as a 'sex symbol' early on. Half a century after her tragic death, the world still doesn't know what drove the young actor to end her life at just 21. Born on January 8, 1953, in Manacaud, Thiruvananthapuram, to Vasu Pillai and Vijayamma, Vijayasree made her acting debut at the age of 13 in the Tamil film Chitthi (1966), starring Padmini and Gemini Ganesan. She soon began receiving offers from Telugu and Kannada cinema as well. As she was slowly carving her space, Vijayasree got her first offer from Malayalam, to play a small role in Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair's Prem Nazir and Sheela-starrer Poojapushpam (1969). It didn't take long for the industry to notice her striking beauty and stellar potential, and she quickly began landing lead roles. In 1970, she starred opposite then-superstar Prem Nazir in Rakthapushpam, directed by 'Hitmaker' Sasikumar. The Nazir–Vijayasree pairing became an instant favourite, opening the floodgates to numerous opportunities. 'She is the most beautiful woman I have ever met,' legendary filmmaker Bharathan once told his associate Jayaraj, who himself later became a renowned director and paid tribute to Vijayasree in his movie Naayika (2011). 'People went to the theatre to see her, and that is something that has not happened before (her time). She was as much a crowd puller as a hero,' Jayaraj told The Hindu in 2016. Despite successful screen pairings like Nazir–Sheela and Nazir–Jayabharathi dominating this era, Vijayasree's chemistry with Prem Nazir became a hit. In most of her Malayalam films, she was paired opposite Nazir, and almost all of them became hits. From Othenente Makan (1970), Marunnattil Oru Malayali (1971), Lankadahanam (1971), Taxi Car (1972), Aadhyathe Katha (1972), Pushpanjali (1972), Postmane Kananilla (1972), Maravil Thirivu Sookshikkuka (1972), Manthrakodi (1972), Aromalunni (1972) and Thaniniram (1973) to Pacha Nottukal (1973), Thenaruvi (1973), Thiruvabharanam (1973), Ponnapuram Kotta (1973), Pavangal Pennungal (1973), Veendum Prabhatham (1973), Padmavyooham (1973), Ankathattu (1973) and Ajnathavasam (1973), all their films earned massive reception. She also appeared alongside other stars like Madhu and Raghavan, achieving immense stardom at a young age. Tragically, she was found dead at her residence in Madras (now Chennai), reportedly after consuming poison. On the day of her death, a producer had visited her to finalise her next film. She was reportedly cheerful not just on that day, but for several months. No one suspected she was struggling with anything grave enough to prompt such an act. After the producer left, Vijayasree went to her bedroom. When she didn't come out for a long time, her mother went in and found her lying on the bed, with blood and froth at her mouth. Though rushed to Madras General Hospital, she was declared dead on arrival. The post-mortem revealed that a large amount of poison had been ingested. A container with the poison was later found in the family's prayer room. Her final hours puzzled many. She had spent time chatting with neighbours' children — she loved kids — in the garden and seemed genuinely happy. Could someone so visibly joyful take their own life all of a sudden? That was the haunting question. According to Manorama Online, Vijayasree appeared mostly happy during that era, particularly because her marriage had been arranged with a doctor settled abroad. For someone eager to leave the dark world of cinema, this was a hopeful turn. But behind her glowing smile, she had been hiding a bleeding heart, deeply scarred by exploitation within the industry. Her beauty had become a commodity. Producers and directors saw her body as a ticket to boost their films' sales. In one movie, a molestation scene involved an actor nearly tearing off her clothes. A still from that very scene was prominently displayed in the film's poster as well. This had caused her significant distress. But the incident that reportedly broke her heart the most occurred during the filming of Ponnapuram Kotta, directed and produced by Kunchacko, then a major figure in Malayalam cinema. In the period drama, there was a scene where Vijayasree was shown bathing in a stream. Since set in a bygone era, she was portrayed wearing only a white, transparent mundu with no undergarments. The makers allegedly ensured the scene was shot in a tasteless way that gratuitously highlighted her body. In the middle of the shoot, her garment accidentally came undone and fell into the water. Instead of helping her save her dignity, the makers took advantage of the opportunity and captured her complete nudity on camera. Upon realising this, Vijayasree sobbed her heart out, begging the director not to use those shots. Although he agreed, she was extremely stressed, knowing well the industry's dark side. No Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) came to her rescue, and the visuals were approved. The film was released with the shots that she had clearly asked not to use. This became a good selling device, and people thronged to the theatres to see Vijayasree's nudity, contributing to Ponnapuram Kotta's massive success. Meanwhile, after it became a controversy, the filmmaker slowly withdrew those shots. But the damage had already been done. The scar that it left on a 20-year-old Vijayasree must not have been small. Although she knew very well how powerful those who wronged her were, Vijayasree was not ready to let things slip by like that. Later that year, she reportedly gave an explosive interview to a major film magazine, detailing the exploitations she faced. She named people and spoke of her trauma in what could be seen as a #MeToo moment decades before the movement actually happened. The interview hit the industry like a storm. The producer responded by filing a defamation case against the magazine, painting himself as the victim. Vijayasree, aware that she couldn't match his power and resources in court, chose not to file a counter-case. Was this the incident that shattered her completely and drove her to suicide? Nobody knows. At the time of her death, she was at the height of her stardom. Her two unfinished films, Youvanam and Vandikkari, were later merged and released as one movie posthumously. Starring Raghavan as the male lead, that film too became a success. But Vijayasree's story didn't end there. Kunchacko's production empire soon collapsed, with his films failing one after another. His family allegedly incurred debts amounting to crores. The once-mighty banner slowly disappeared. Many referred to this downfall as 'Vijayasree's curse'. Some even believed her spirit haunted the studio, according to filmmaker Alleppey Ashraf. Even after his death, the debts lingered, haunting subsequent generations too. Though his successors tried to sell the studio to repay the debts, no one came forward. Even five decades later, the building lay abandoned, consumed by wild vegetation, like a ghost house.