Jyothika: “Leaving Tamil industry was necessary to secure a diverse role”

Meanwhile, she recently elaborated on her film choices and asserted that there are a lot of offers she says no to, while maintaining that even amidst all this, she rarely received genuinely diverse characters in Tamil industry.

“As far as women are concerned, it’s a different battle altogether, especially down South. As you turn 35-40, there are fewer options. If you’re doing well, then you are typecasted as well. In my case, I did a lot of good roles. I was a crusader who ran a government school in one film and a housewife in another. I did everything good there. But there was no room for grey. So I opted to do a Malayalam film instead, and that brought me here,” she said while taking part in Film Companion Actors’ Adda.

“For women, you have to say no to a lot of things, especially in the realm of popular cinema because 90 per cent of the time, it doesn’t make sense what the girls are doing there. So, I have consciously taken this decision that when women come out after watching my films, they should have their heads held high. It’s a journey. It has its ups and downs, but your choice is what determines it,” she added.”