Suma Jayaram recalls facing harassment in film industry as minor, says ‘prominent director kept knocking on my door drunk’: ‘Those who speak up lose opportunities’

Although Suma Jayaram is a name familiar to Malayalam audiences, having appeared in several beloved films, her career never truly took off owing to the lack of substantial characters. Despite notable roles in movies such as Mammootty’s Kuttettan and Mazhayethum Munpe, Mohanlal’s His Highness Abdullah, Amala Akkineni and Srividya’s Ente Sooryaputhrikku, Suresh Gopi’s Ekalavyan, and director Sibi Malayil’s Ishtam, she never received opportunities to portray central characters or ones that made significant contributions to narratives.

In a recent interview, Suma revealed that back in the ’90s, female actors often lost out on opportunities if they weren’t willing to make “compromises” (a term widely used to imply sexual favours). She also shared how her roles were often slashed or