Our Lady of Defiance: Manju Warrier

In 2021, audiences saw a new avatar of Manju Warrier when she made her debut as a producer for the critically acclaimed techno-horror thriller Chathur Mukham (2021). Warrier, 44, is as famous for being one of the few women actors to thumb her nose at cinema’s obsession with nubile youth, as she is for her personal life choices. After retiring from the industry in 1999 following her marriage to actor Dileep, she made headlines when the couple separated, and she made her comeback in Malayalam cinema with Rosshan Andrrews’ How Old Are You? (2014). Later, Warrier became one of the founding members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) in May 2017, in response to a case of kidnap and sexual assault that would later be revealed as allegedly masterminded by Dileep (he would be arrested in July that year). To say Warrier sets tongues wagging is an understatement and it takes very little for her naysayers to pipe up. During the promos of Chathur Mukhan, Warrier sported a youthful look in a black skirt, white shirt and white sneakers. She also had a new haircut, with bangs that made it look like she’d reversed the clock. While fans were thrilled with Warrier’s new look, the misogynist corner of the Malayalam internet slammed the actor because she simply did not fit their idea of a divorced woman in her 40s. 

None of this has deterred Warrier. When 'Kannilu Kannilu' released in October last year, the song from Warrier’s upcoming Malayalam film Ayisha saw her in a red top and colourful skirt, dancing to Prabhudeva’s choreography. For Ayisha’s director Aamir Pallikal, Warrier was the only one who could be the lead in his film. “I wanted someone who is a good artist and has star value. The role demands someone like that, and I couldn’t think of anyone in Malayalam cinema other than her to play Aiysha,” said Pallikal. His film is a family entertainer, set in Saudi Arabia in the Nineties and is expected to release on January 20. Aside from Warrier, all the other important roles are played by foreign actors from countries such as Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Nigeria and Sudan. The film will be released in six languages, including Arabic. “I’m sure this will be among her best characters after her comeback,” said Pallikal. 

Warrier is among the few women stars from the Malayalam film industry to enjoy such longevity, an actor who still plays the lead despite taking a 15-year break in between. Before Ayisha, Warrier will be seen in Thunivu. Not much is known about her role, but fans have high expectations after she posted pictures of her bike tour with superstar Ajith in Ladakh. The film, which will be released for Pongal on January 11, revolves around a bank heist and is among the most anticipated movies of 2023. The trailer shows Warrier riding a jet ski in the ocean and wielding guns – a clear departure from all the roles that she has done so far. She will also be making her Hindi debut with R Madhavan in the upcoming film Amriki Pandit. 

In 2014, Warrier, who quit cinema in 1999, made a powerful comeback with How Old Are You? (2014), which is about a 36-year-old Nirupama Rajeev ( Warrier) who put her family above her professional ambitions, only to realise they neither value her contributions nor respect her. “Who decides the expiry date of a woman’s dream?” – this is the film’s central question, and in addition to the several parallels between Warrier’s own life and Nirupama’s story, there were many dialogues from the film that resonated closely with many women in the audience. Warrier herself was 36 at the time incidentally and How Old Are You? inspired another actor to make her comeback in a remake – Jyothika from the Tamil film industry who had also quit her career when she got married. 

Warrier made her debut in Malayalam cinema in 1995 with the family drama Sakshyam. She was 17 at the time. Between 1995 and 1999, she acted in a whopping 20 films, including blockbusters such as Aaram Thampuran (1997) and Kanmadam (1998) with superstar Mohanlal. The actor became a favourite with directors not only for her natural performances, but also her dance skills (she’s a professional Kuchipudi dancer). She did several films like Sallapam (1995), Kaliveedu (1996), Thooval Kottaram (1995), Irattakuttikalude Achan (1997), Summer in Bethlehem (1998) and Kanmadam (1998) where she proved her versatility, playing roles that ranged from a lover and mother of twins to a free-spirited brat and a blacksmith with an acidic tongue. She won a special mention from the jury at the National Awards for her performance in Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu (1999), a revenge drama in which she plays a woman who uses her sexuality to seek justice for the murder of her parents. That same year, she married her co-star Dileep and at age 21, when she was at the height of her career, she bid goodbye to films.

A tumultuous marriage and highly publicised divorce later, Warrier made her comeback and went on to star in several big budget films such as Odiyan (2018), Lucifer (2019), Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham (2021) and The Priest (2021) opposite the reigning superstars Mohanlal and Mammootty. Her solo leads in films such as Udaharanam Sujatha (2017) and Prathi Poovankozhi (2019) won Warrier much critical acclaim. She’s among the few women stars in Malayalam to have films written for her, and is said to be the top paid woman actor in the industry.

Warrier isn’t combating only ageism in the Malayalam film industry. When her ex-husband Dileep – a prominent and influential actor in the industry – was named the mastermind and chief conspirator in the actor assault case that shook Kerala, she helped to found the WCC, which stands out as the only institution of its kind in the Indian film industry. The survivor in the case is a close friend of Warrier’s and though Warrier isn’t an active member of the WCC anymore, she has continued to stand by the survivor and cooperated with the investigation and the court proceedings. None of this made life easier for Warrier, who has nevertheless continued to rebuild her career in a film industry noted for being male-dominated and patriarchal.

Warrier has been unapologetic about how much she’s enjoying her second innings and continues to post stylish pictures of herself from film shoots and celebrating life. “Manju chechi is always so positive on the sets. The ‘Kannilu Kannilu’ song has her energy and Prabhudeva’s distinct signature all over it. It’s a deadly combination. Of course, some trolling happened, but I have to say that it has been received very well generally. There are so many people who made reels with it on Instagram. It’s after a long time that such a dance song is coming out in a Malayalam film,” said Pallikal. 

In 2019, Warrier made her Tamil debut with Vetrimaaran’s Asuran (2019) in which she co-starred with Dhanush. Warrier was born in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, and speaks Tamil fluently. Asuran, based on writer Poomani’s Tamil novel Vekkai, is about the land rights of marginalised castes and Warrier played the role of Pachaiyammal, Sivasaami’s (Dhanush) fiery wife. Speaking about working with Warrier, actor Dhanush said, “Veteran actor Nagesh once told me that if you can see clearly that someone is acting, they’re doing a mediocre job. It’s only when you can’t tell at all that they’re acting that they’re great. Manju Warrier is one such actor that you need to be afraid of because she’s just so good.”

As someone whose personal life has been dissected to such an extent in the media, Warrier is understandably guarded in her interviews and hardly ever opens up, choosing instead to focus on her work. But the cryptic social media posts that accompany her confident photos, speak a lot about what’s on her mind. Perhaps this statement – posted in November 2022 – best encapsulates her attitude that has helped her survive and thrive amid the noise and clamour: “Don't ever let your head down, unless it's to admire your shoes.” Now who can argue with that?