Jyotika interview: Diya and Dev were my first audience for ‘Kaathal - The Core’

Actor-producer Jyotika, who completed 25 years in films this week, talks about playing the role of Omana in Jeo Baby’s recent family drama, sharing screen space with Mammootty, and why her children come into play when she chooses projects today

Jyotika has had the same phone number for over 20 years.

“That’s true. It’s quite a task for me to keep changing it often, so I don’t even attempt it,” she says, shaking her head.

“Moreover, all my near and dear ones, my relatives and the people who mean the most to me, have this number. It’s also the same number on which Suriya and I first started texting, when we met and began dating,” she grins, when I ask her how she’s managed to retain it for so long.

But her mobile number is the only thing that has not changed about Jyotika. Earlier this week, the actor-producer completed 25 years in films — her first project, the Hindi film Doli Saja Ke Rakhna, directed by Priyadarshan, was released in November 1998 — and looking back at her journey makes for quite whirlwind reading. From Kushi and Kaakha Kaakha, to Chandramukhi and Mozhi, to 36 Vayadhinile and Ponmagal Vandhal, the 45-year-old’s repertoire of work reads as a masterclass for female leads in the industry to stay relevant over decades.

Then again, Jyotika has never been one to rest on her laurels, as impressive as they may be. After moving to Mumbai last year — in a move that surprised many — she is now preparing to make her second coming in Bollywood with a line-up of intriguing releases slated for 2024, even as she balances her commitments in the south Indian film industry.

But right now, our focus is on her latest release, the Malayalam film Kaathal - The Core, which hit screens last week, in which Jyotika shares screen space with Mammooty for the first time. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jeo Baby, the drama follows a long-term marriage between a couple coming to a standstill, when the wife unexpectedly files for divorce claiming that her husband is a gay man.

In what could be her bravest role till date, Jyotika shines in the character of Omana, as she matches Mammooty on-screen in a searing yet vulnerable performance arc, that culminates in one of the best-filmed emotional confrontations in recent memory.