Kochi: Popular Malayalam actress Kavya Madhavan, once hailed as the beloved heroine of Malayali audiences, has finally addressed why she stepped away from the film industry after marriage. In a recent public appearance, Kavya clarified that it was her personal decision to take a break, not something forced upon her by her husband, actor Dileep, as some had assumed.

A video of her statement, shared by one of her fan pages on Instagram, has since gone viral on social media.

“It was never Dileepettan who asked me to stay home. It was completely my decision. I wanted to experience that phase of life directly, to be there for my daughter. That’s why I took the break,” said Kavya in the video.

The statement comes as a direct response to ongoing public speculation that Dileep influenced her decision to leave acting post-marriage. The fan page that shared the video captioned it with a message aimed at her critics, “To those who comment without knowing the full picture — it was her own choice. Respect that. Everyone has their own views and preferences. And yes, we too hope for her return someday. We’ll always be with Kavya.”

Kavya and Dileep got married in 2016, marking the second marriage for both. Dileep's first wife, actress Manju Warrier, also stepped away from films after marriage and made a successful return to cinema post-divorce.

Kavya’s last appearance was in Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s film Pinneyum. Ever since, fans have been eagerly waiting for her comeback.