Actress Andrea Jeremiah, who stars alongside Kavin in the upcoming film Mask releasing on November 21, has stirred discussion in the South Indian film industry with her recent remarks praising Malayalam cinema. Speaking at a promotional press meet, Andrea said that Malayalam films offer deeper, more meaningful characters compared to Tamil cinema.
“I would have settled in Kerala if I knew Malayalam,” says Andrea
Andrea highlighted that Malayalam films consistently present well-written roles with emotional depth. She explained that the sincerity in storytelling, the respect given to artistes, and the culture that values performance over image makes Malayalam cinema stand out.
“The quality of characters written in Malayalam is extraordinary. If I knew the language fluently, I would have gone there, acted, and settled there,” she said.
‘Pisasu 2’ release depends on ‘Mask’ box office success
Andrea, who has produced Mask, said she is ready to take full responsibility for releasing her delayed film Pisasu 2 if Mask performs well. She spoke confidently about her growth as both an actress and producer.
Taking a stand on industry terminology, she added:
“It is wrong to say ‘character artist’ in cinema. They are actually ‘supporting artists.’ The definition itself needs to change.”
Hollywood and Malayalam actors show versatility, she says
Andrea pointed to Hollywood and Malayalam cinema as industries where actors freely switch between lead and supporting roles based on the strength of the script.
“If they get a character they love, they don’t worry whether it’s lead or supporting. A film with a budget of just ₹4 crore can earn ₹100 crore purely because of content. This is only possible in Malayalam,” she said.
Andrea calls for greater focus on story and character in Tamil cinema
Andrea praised Tamil cinema for its advancements in technology, visuals, and sound design, but stressed that Tamil filmmakers should focus more on writing powerful characters and stories.
“We need to strengthen character depth and content confidence. Technology alone won’t sustain a film—its people and their journey will,” she added.
She concluded with hope that Tamil audiences will embrace more female-centric and content-driven stories in the future.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
