Malayalam's beloved actor Jayaram celebrated his 60th birthday on Tuesday, marking a journey that began with his debut film, Aparan, and has flourished through iconic performances, including Abraham Ozler. Over the decades, Jayaram has become a cherished figure for Malayalis, not just for his on-screen roles but also for his inspiring off-screen love story with actress Parvathy. 

Jayaram first met Parvathy on the set of Aparan, his debut film. Their bond grew over time and culminated in marriage after four years. Today, their love story is as celebrated as his illustrious film career.

One of the most interesting anecdotes about their love story comes from the sets of Thalayana Manthram. After Aparan, Jayaram and Parvathy acted together in several films, sparking rumours of a budding relationship. During this period, director Sathyan Anthikad reportedly tasked actor Sreenivasan with playing a detective to confirm whether the pair was in love.

In a light-hearted twist reminiscent of his iconic character Vijayan from Nadodikkattu, Sreenivasan concluded his investigation with a witty observation: “They don’t talk to each other. Isn’t that a sign of love?” His report amused Sathyan Anthikad, who readily accepted it.

Reflecting on this tale, Parvathy shared in an interview with Grihalakshmi that during those days, she and Jayaram deliberately avoided conversations on set to avoid fuelling gossip. Instead, they devised a creative way of communicating—recording messages on cassettes. Parvathy explained that she would record messages on a cassette and secretly pass it to Jayaram. To avoid suspicion, she would later use her Walkman to listen to the cassette, making it appear as though she was simply enjoying music on set. While this method helped them maintain their privacy, it eventually caught the attention of Parvathy’s mother, who became suspicious after discovering one of the tapes. The revelation led to a humorous twist when Parvathy’s mother listened to a cassette that included Jayaram bad-mouthing her.

Jayaram and Parvathy tied the knot in 1992. Their daughter Malavika is now active in modelling and got married in May this year. Their son, Kalidas Jayaram, an actor, got married in Guruvayur on Sunday.