Actress Malavika Mohanan has opened up about a disturbing incident from her college days, shedding light on the everyday safety challenges faced by women—both in public spaces and within the film industry. In a candid interview with Hauterrfly, the actress recalled a harrowing episode that took place during a late-night local train journey in Mumbai.

The ‘Thangalaan’ star shared that she was once travelling with two of her close friends around 9.30 pm in a first-class compartment, which was nearly empty. It was then that they had a chilling encounter with a stranger. 

"People often say Mumbai is safe for women, but I’d like to correct that perception. Today, I have my own car and a driver. So if someone asks me if Mumbai is safe, I might say yes. But when I was in college and used to travel by buses and trains, I didn’t feel safe. Often, you had to rely on luck. Traveling involves taking a risk," she said. 

 “I remember that once I and two of my closest friends. We were coming back in a local train. And I think it was 9.30 pm. And we were in first class. So, the compartment was quite empty. There was actually nobody else except for the three of us. And we were sitting, like, close to one of the window grills, right? And this man, just like he sees the three girls sitting, comes very close to the grill, kind of like sticks his face on the grill, and he’s just like, Will you give me a kiss?” she recounted.

The incident left the three young women frozen in fear.  “And the three of us just froze because we were like, if we retaliate in some form… Firstly, at that age, when you’re 19-20 years old, you don’t even know how to react to these situations. And if you say something that might instigate them, what if he just jumps inside the compartment? It was just the three of us. And the train is about to leave. And it’s going to take like 10 minutes or something. So, incidents like this are so common. Every girl must have so many such stories. That no place feels fully safe,” she said.

The actress, known for her work in Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi films, used the interview as an opportunity to speak more broadly on women's safety in the entertainment industry. 

Malavika also reflected on the male-dominated nature of film sets, noting that women were vastly underrepresented across departments.  "In most film industries, the number of women working is very low. Forget about a 50-50 ratio, it's not even 80-20. If there are 95 men on set, you’ll find just about three women," she said, adding that women are usually seen only in costume, makeup or hair sections—and even then, often just as a token gesture.

Drawing from her personal network of female cinematographers from FTII, she pointed out that many skilled women struggle to find work on sets. "I know many talented female cinematographers, especially friends from FTII, but I never see them on sets. This ratio needs to improve. We need more women at workplaces," she stated.

The lack of basic infrastructure for women was another serious concern she raised. According to Malavika, while lead actresses have access to vanity vans, many others—including assistant directors—lack even basic facilities.  

She insisted on the importance of implementing transport facilities for women on sets and creating a safer environment.  

Malavika Mohanan, who made her debut with ‘Pattam Pole’ in Malayalam cinema, has gone on to make a mark in Tamil and Bollywood industries. Her recent performances in ‘Thangalaan’ and ‘Yudhra’ were well-received, and she is currently preparing for a Malayalam comeback through a film with Mohanlal and Sathyan Anthikad. She also has ‘Sardar 2’ and ‘The Raja Saab’ in the pipeline.