Why Rima Kallingal hates an overdose of testosterone

By John Cheeran/ The Times of India Crest Edition

Rima Kallingal says she is proud to be seen as the brave new female face of Malayalam cinema. “I do feel proud about it. I am happy that I had the guts to make a choice, when it came to doing films such as ‘22 Female Kottayam’,” she says.

Kallingal, however, is cautious about being typecast. “I don’t want to get stereotyped with the bold and beautiful tag. I’m looking for diverse roles and balance while doing more films.” She is aware that she could be seen as a role model and that her unconventional characters could change something in society. “But I’m an artiste still. I have to challenge myself,” she insists.

It is tough being the brave, new heroine, she admits. “After doing ‘22 Female Kottayam’ in 2012, I had to wait for another four months before I could get another role. Nobody else could see any other facet of femininity in me for a long time,” confesses Kallingal. But she is generous enough to point to other strong heroines in the past. She cites P Padmarajan’s Desadanakilikal Karayarilla, where actress Shaari played a lesbian character.

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