At the Kerala Literature Festival, a public debate ensued between actors Parvathy Thiruvothu and Bhagyalakshmi (also a dubbing artist) over the role of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) in addressing issues faced by women in the film industry. The disagreement unfolded during a session on ‘Women and Cinema,’ where both film personalities expressed differing views on the WCC’s involvement.

Bhagyalakshmi called for greater intervention from the WCC in addressing the issues women in the industry face, suggesting that the organisation should take a more active role. Parvathy, in turn, questioned why Bhagyalakshmi had not been a part of the collective, which sparked a heated exchange. When Bhagyalakshmi responded, the moderator intervened to end the discussion.

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Following the discussion, during a Q&A session with the audience, Parvathy responded to several questions. When Bhagyalakshmi later took the floor, she stated that she had some suggestions rather than questions. She emphasised that the WCC needed to offer more protection to women and should be more accessible to those in need, particularly women who face harassment in the film industry. Bhagyalakshmi also highlighted the difficulties some women face in approaching the WCC.

In response, Parvathy asked why Bhagyalakshmi had not joined the WCC, suggesting that she could have always contacted her. The audience received Parvathy's counter-question with applause.

"I had spoken to them about meeting the minister, but later I found out through television that they had met the minister. I asked, 'Why didn’t you call me?' When I was told by some people in your circle that they were not interested in involving me, I said, 'If you don't like me, just leave me out. There's no problem with that,'" quickly came Bhagyalakshmi’s response.

Parvathy responded, clarifying that the WCC had no barriers to entry, saying, "Our doors are open to everyone, even those who criticise us." She added that even those who oppose them should feel free to come forward.

This exchange, highlighting the differing views on the role and effectiveness of the WCC, underscored the ongoing debate about women’s representation and support structures within the Malayalam film industry.

The session witnessed a literal war of words between the public figures.