Sivaranjini J’s feature directorial debut, Victoria (a Malayalam film), unfolds mostly within the modest confines of a Kerala beauty parlor. The workspace environment brims with stories, offering a multi-layered exploration of womanhood. The quietly structured narrative examines the burdens of love, family and societal expectations that weigh on the titular character, portrayed by Meenakshi Jayan. Her subdued voice finds power in small, intimate exchanges as the director weaves moments of humor, solidarity and unspoken pain into a warm, resonant tapestry of female lives.

Victoria won the FIPRESCI award for Best Malayalam Debut at the 2024 International Film Festival of Kerala. At the 2025 Shanghai International Film Festival, the movie won the Golden Goblet Award for Best Actress. In this conversation, Sivaranjini J reflects on her restrained storytelling style, the symbolic weight of a rooster and how she crafted a world where the private lives of women take center stage.

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Dipankar Sarkar: What was the initial spark behind Victoria?

Sivaranjini J: Five years ago, during a visit to a neighborhood beauty parlor, I encountered a rooster with its legs tied, resting its head on a broken foot bath bucket. The striking image prompted me to ask a beautician about him, and I learned he was to be offered at an Edappally church for St. George. This moment inspired me to begin writing Victoria. The emotional arc of the film was largely shaped by personal experiences. 

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DS: The rooster is such a fascinating symbol. How did this idea evolve in your screenplay?

SJ: The rooster was part of the very early stage of writing. It was what first sparked the idea for the film. But the challenge was to move beyond using it as an obvious symbol. Over time, it began to feel less like a metaphor and more like a spiritual presence — an uninvited force that disrupts, lingers and quietly influences the space and Victoria herself. Its meaning isn’t fixed, and that ambiguity was important to me.

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DS: Though Victoria deeply explores emotional terrain, the film never veers into overt melodrama. How did you strike that balance between restraint and letting us feel the quiet power of those moments?

SJ: A lot of what Victoria feels is internal, and I wanted the camera to stay close enough to the character to sense those shifts without exaggerating them, yet far enough sometimes to not indulge in her pain. We worked closely with the actors to ensure their performances stayed grounded. We spent time discussing subtexts and backstories of characters. We also focused on framing and rhythm that would allow space for the viewer to feel rather than be told what to feel. I didn’t want to underline emotion with [a] background score or force a reaction. That restraint allowed moments to unfold organically, I suppose.

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DS: In this universe, men are largely absent — appearing only as voices or looming expectations — while you delve into the private worlds of these women. What does this exclusion mean within the broader narrative framework?

SJ: The absence or rather the peripheral presence of men in Victoria was a deliberate choice. It wasn’t about vilifying them, but about shifting the gaze. In the world of Victoria, men exist as voices on the phone, pressures from family or societal norms, but the narrative stays with the women. It was an attempt to create a space where women’s emotional lives are centered, uninterrupted.

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DS: You chose to confine almost the entire film within the four walls of the parlor. What drew you to this spatial limitation?

SJ: On a practical level, it was a contained world that allowed us to focus on nuance and detail of characters’ emotions and production design of the space. The idea was to explore the interiority of women-only spaces in contrast to the male-dominated exterior spaces we see in the beginning and end of the film.

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DS: Moreover, the beauty parlor becomes a microcosm for class divides, small acts of rebellion and sisterhood. How did you approach capturing these subtle intersections without being didactic?

SJ: The focus was on everyday moments, glances, gestures, conversations. I was more interested in the quieter moments, when someone shares a story, offers help or holds back judgment. The nuances of class and caste emerged naturally from these. The parlor brought different women together, and their subtle interactions revealed these dynamics without needing to state them outright. The aim was to observe, not declare. It was also about trusting the audience’s intelligence to understand without stating the obvious.

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DS: Meenakshi Jayan gives such a nuanced, internal performance. How did you help her tap into the protagonist’s quiet turmoil?

SJ: Meenakshi and I spent a lot of time discussing Victoria’s inner world, both during pre-production and while staying together during the shoot. Our bond made the process feel fluid, and [the] communication [was] easier. One of her big challenges was adapting to the skills of a beautician and mastering the Angamaly accent. She trained at the same parlor where I first got the idea for the film, thanks to the kindness of the beauticians there. We also had extensive rehearsals during the acting workshop. She’s an intelligent, deeply committed actor, and her dedication shines through in the film.

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DS: The cinematography transforms the parlor into a living, breathing character, especially with its long takes and use of mirrors. Could you walk us through your visual approach?  

SJ: I had visualized many of the scenes as long takes right from the script stage, especially the opening stretch. I wanted the camera to stay alert with the actors yet never feel voyeuristic. Our art director, Abdul  Khader, constructed a miniature set for us to visualize the whole film. Anand Ravi, the cinematographer, and I had extensive discussions during pre-production about movement, color and lighting of the film. We began finalizing the shot compositions during workshops and rehearsals with actors. It felt like choreographing a dance. The handheld camera work, mirror shots and precise coordination between actors, camera and sound made the shoot physically demanding, especially for the actors and the cinematographer. Mirror shots, in particular, were tricky and resource-intensive, especially within our budget. Seeing it all come together on the screen was one of the most creatively fulfilling moments of the process.

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DS: The men in Victoria make their presence known only through distant voices and phone calls. At the same time, inside the parlor, the overlapping chatter of women forms a kind of human symphony. How did you conceive and design this soundscape?

SJ: Victoria was shot with sync sound, and that decision shaped much of how the film breathes. We even recorded the songs live and the video calls in real time, keeping the delays and interference as such. It also influenced us to stage scenes as long takes. We often let conversations play out with minimal cuts, allowing the actors to respond to one another organically. That approach wouldn’t have been possible, at least not with the same intimacy, without sync sound. The credit goes to sync sound recordist Kalesh Lakshman, who put so much effort in making sure we achieve what we desired.

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DS: Victoria won the FIPRESCI award for Best Malayalam Debut at IFFK in 2024. Now, the film has won the Golden Goblet Award for Best Actress at the Shanghai International Film Festival. What does such recognition mean to your journey as a filmmaker? 

SJ: Meenakshi Jayan has won the Golden Goblet for Best Actress. This is a huge validation of her hard work and also the collective effort of my team. It’s been both humbling and affirming. To see the film resonate with audiences and juries in such different contexts, from Kerala to Shanghai, is incredibly meaningful.

Dipankar Sarkar (@Dipankar_Tezpur) is a graduate in film editing from the Film and Television Institute of India and currently based in Mumbai. As a freelancer, he frequently contributes to various Indian publications on cinema-related topics.

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