“Watching Tessa Gave Us Permission to Follow Our Hearts”: Parvathy Thiruvothu on 10 Years of Charlie

As Charlie completes ten years, the film’s enduring legacy is inseparable from its leading lady, Parvathy Thiruvothu. Directed by Martin Prakkat and headlined by Dulquer Salmaan in the titular role, the adventure drama is especially remembered for Parvathy’s performance as Tessa — a role that earned her one of the most prestigious honours in Malayalam cinema, the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress. A decade on, Tessa remains one of Parvathy’s one of the most iconic performances, redefining the female protagonist in mainstream Malayalam cinema and firmly cementing her reputation as an actor of depth. 

Released on 24th December 2015, Charlie went on to win eight awards at the 46th Kerala State Film Awards; Parvathy’s win stood out as a defining moment both for the actor and for the kind of female characters Malayalam cinema was beginning to embrace. As Tessa, a young graphic artist who refuses to be boxed into convention, Parvathy became the film’s emotional and narrative compass.

Tessa is the one who sets the story in motion. Fleeing an arranged marriage, she rents an apartment once occupied by the elusive Charlie. When she discovers his sketchbook filled with unfinished stories, curiosity turns into purpose. What follows is not a love story in the traditional sense, but a journey of Tessa tracing Charlie’s past through the people he touched, while carving out her own sense of freedom along the way. It is her gaze, her questions, and her choices that guide the audience through the film.

Looking back at the role a decade later, Parvathy says, “Tessa wasn’t super rebellious, or trying to prove a point. Her strength lay in her curiosity, her gentleness, and her refusal to live a life that didn’t feel true to her. She was just simply choosing herself, and that's a privilege for so many women out there. Tessa’s journey was as inward, emotional, and human as it was loud and colourful and flamboyant and the fact that it was celebrated meant a great deal to me. Even after ten years, the love for Charlie speaks to the fact that honesty in performance always finds its way to people. Tessa changed me as an actor, and the audience’s response assured me that it’s okay to trust something that feels unconventional but true to you. As important as the awards are, the best feeling is still when people come up to me and say that watching Tessa gave us permission to follow our hearts.”

As she continues to expand her repertoire, Parvathy’s recent and upcoming projects include I, Nobody (directed by Nissam Basheer, co-starring Prithviraj Sukumaran), Prathama Drishtya Kuttakkaar (directed by Shahad), a film with Don Palathara, and the HRX-backed series Storm.