Actress Malavika Mohanan recently took to Instagram to share an update about her upcoming Malayalam film Hridayapoorvam, where she stars alongside legendary actor Mohanlal. But what was meant to be an exciting announcement quickly turned into a battleground for unsolicited age-gap commentary.
A social media user commented on the post, criticizing the casting choice. “65-year-old man playing the love interest of a 30-year-old. What is with these veteran actors desperate to play roles that don’t fit their ages?” they wrote, referring to the 33-year age gap between the two leads.
Malavika, however, wasn’t having any of it. Hitting back with grace and clarity, she responded, “Who told you it’s a love interest? Stop judging people and a film with your half-baked baseless assumptions.”
Her sharp response was praised by many fans who applauded her for calling out the premature judgment, especially in a time when actors are constantly subjected to scrutiny based on age rather than the roles they portray.
As for Hridayapoorvam, the film is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sathyan Anthikad and the cast also includes Sangita Madhavan Nair, Sangeeth Prathap, Siddique, and Janardhanan, with production by Antony Perumbavoor under the Aashirvad Cinemas banner. The film is set to release in theatres on August 25 and promises a heartwarming narrative—one that fans hope will speak louder than assumptions. While the storyline of Hridayapoorvam remains under wraps, Malavika’s sharp retort makes it clear that assumptions about the film’s narrative are premature—and that age-gap discourse in Indian cinema remains as heated as ever.