She named her film character 'Kerala': How a Canadian actor seized a chance to honour her roots

On 1 November 1956, Kerala was born as a state, bringing together Malayalam-speaking regions like Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar. Kerala Piravi celebrates this historical coming together, but the bond of shared language and cultural roots extends far beyond geographic borders. Thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, Kerala-born Canadian actor Suleka Mathew carries this connection close to her heart. With a career spanning three decades in television and film, Suleka once found a unique way to celebrate her heritage on screen. When given a rare opportunity to choose her character's name in the 2022 movie That's Amor, she chose 'Kerala'.

A rare chance to honour her roots

In an interview with Mathrubhumi English in 2023, Suleka shared the story behind that choice. Her friends, John Ducey and his wife Christine Moore, wrote and produced the film. They asked Suleka to play Carol, the wife of John’s character, Frank. However, everyone agreed Suleka did not look like a Carol. When the filmmakers asked what name she would prefer, Suleka seized the opportunity. It was only the second time in her thirty-year acting career that she was allowed to choose her character's name. "We chose Kerala. Because maybe one shouldn’t ever forget where one comes from!" she recalled.

Born in Maramon in Pathanamthitta, Suleka moved to Canada as a child. Although she has visited India half a dozen times, work commitments rarely allow long stays in her homeland. Yet, she maintains a strong link through Zoom calls with her extended family. She admits that while she understands Malayalam far better than she speaks it, the language fascinates her. Reflecting on family banter, she noted, "My sisters and I argue about who speaks Malayalam the best. Truthfully, it is definitely not me. Njaan kurachu samsaarikkunnu, pakshe athrayeyullu!"

Bringing Malayalam to screen and paper

Her affection for her native tongue also found a place in another project. On Anne Rice’s television show Mayfair Witches, showrunner Esta Spalding asked her to speak a few words of Malayalam for a healing spell. Suleka turned to her friend Mani Pulimood for the exact words, preferring human help over digital tools and remarking that Google Translate misses the nuances of the language. She also said Malayalam alphabets “almost looks like tiny elephants at play."

Suleka credited her Kerala heritage for instilling a strong emphasis on knowledge and learning, shaped by her mother who worked as a librarian. Though living abroad, certain sensory moments bring home closer. "Some days, the wind hits a certain way, and the smell of the jasmine, the petrol, with the beating sun - you get a sense of Kerala," she reflected.