Anna Ben, Leading The Way For Women-Centric Roles In Malayalam Cinema

Anna Ben, daughter of screenwriter Benny P Narayambalam and Fulja, is a promising young actor, who is responsible, for bringing in a new wave of women-centric content to the Malayalam movie Industry. With her choice of movies, Anna Ben is questioning the patriarchal society, every step of the way. Here is more on who is actor Anna Ben:

Anna took to Instagram to share a glimpse into her new movie – Night drive, co-starring Roshan Mathew. The video shows her, questioning a police officer, “Is there a rule, that states women cannot be seen on roads at nights?” after she is stopped and questioned by an evidently judgemental Police officer.

Driving from reality, this is the state of every woman, in the wee hours of the nights, stopped, questioned, and often ridiculed and conditioned, in the name of her safety.

Who is actor Anna Ben?

Anna Ben, who has previously stated in one of her interviews, that she is a proud feminist, has been making some unconventional choices, right from her debut in Kumbalangi Nights. Anna who played Baby mol, a rooted in a traditional yet opinionated young girl, in the first movie, set the bar on the kind of roles we can expect of her. She has since played characters, ranging from a naïve young girl, who sets off on a journey to meet a man she knows nothing about to A 25-year old assistant director, with dreams of making her own films, and a decision of not embracing motherhood.

Anna Ben, who started her journey in the industry in 2019, is only five movies old, yet has been a part of four women-centric movies, clearly showcasing where she stands on the portrayal of strong women characters. Her movies Kappella and Helen were critically acclaimed, and Anna was praised for her strong on-screen presence. Anna is often praised for how she manages to stand out, even with a cast full of season performers. In a short span of time she has bagged several awards as well.

The need for strong-women-led movies is now more than ever.

The portrayal of women, not just as damsels in distress, in need of saving by a hero, but as strong individuals is very important. Movies have a deep impact on the audience, and the right representation of women is thus crucial.

Actor Anna Ben through her roles as questioned a lot of baseless societal conditioning, such as, not embracing motherhood in her previously released Sara’s, or her fight for survival in Helen, proving that not all damsels in distress need saving by a man. Anna Ben, in her own choice of movies, has been a reason for a new wave of feminism in the Malayalam industry. We would love nothing more than to see more actors take up unconventional movies and more representation of strong female characters. We also hope to see well-established actors, be a part of women-centric movies.

Women need to be seen as more than just an accessory in the movies. Anna Ben has been taking a step in the right direction, we hope that it turns into a movement, across all the movie industries, in the years to come, Anna Ben will soon be hitting the screens, consecutively on March 3, 2022, and March 11, 2022, with Naaradan and Night Drive respectively.

Suggested Reading: Anna Ben Wins Kerala State Film Award: What’s Her Journey Been Like?