'If you don’t compromise, you lose opportunities' - Actress Suma Jayaram shares painful memories

Malayalam actress Suma Jayaram has opened up about the dark side of her acting journey.Speaking candidly in a recent interview, Suma said that despite her dedication, her roles were frequently trimmed down.“Whenever my scenes got longer, they would be cut. So, what I performed for several scenes would end up being reduced to just two. That’s how I was pushed into smaller characters,” she revealed in an interview with Milestone Makers.

How Suma lost the role in Mohanlal's 'Bharatham'

She recalled losing prominent opportunities, including her role in Mohanlal's 'Bharatham', which was later played by actress Suchitra. “I stayed at the location for four days, but after Padmarajan uncle passed away, I returned home.

A week later, I found that Suchitra was playing the same role,” she said, adding that similar disappointments followed, such as being replaced in 'Sooryaputhrikku'. 'If you don’t compromise, opportunities go away'Reflecting on the challenges faced by actresses in earlier decades, Suma noted that the industry lacked support systems that exist today. “Things weren’t like today — now we have MeToo and awareness.

Back then, one had to make many sacrifices. If you didn’t compromise, opportunities would disappear,” she said.She why many women who faced such harrowing incidents decide to stay silent. “No one spoke up because everyone had families. Even today, those who speak out often lose chances,” she added, highlighting the continuing stigma around women raising their voices.

'He was drunk and knocking on the door'

Suma then shared a disturbing memory from when she was just a teenager. “I once went with my mother to act in a film directed by a big director. One night, around 10 PM, he came to our room and started knocking on the balcony door. He was completely drunk. I was only 16 or 17 — I was terrified,” she recounted. The next morning, the director verbally abused her on set. "Incidents like these made everyone afraid to speak up,” she concluded.