Bold and beautiful—Rima Kallingal
One of Kerala’s most beautiful actors—Rima Kallingal—and I meet in a raw food restaurant. It’s late evening. We order some vegan cheese cake and decide to talk about her life as a model, actress and dancer—about what it means to wear these different hats in the south Indian film industry.
Kallingal’s presence fills the room. She’s dressed casually in a white shirt and skirt, and has the grace of a trained dancer, which is where her journey began. Then came a beauty pageant—she didn’t win, but it brought along attention from film makers in the Malayalam movie industry.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Today, Kallingal has quite a fan following. She’s credited with choosing women-centric roles, be it in Rani Padmini or 22 Female Kottayam. She loves the camera and was hooked from the minute she did her first shot back in 2009. Kallingal says she came into films pretty late—at 24. Early 20s does sound young to you and me but most actresses in south India begin their career when they are between 16 and 18 years of age.
Whether it’s your girlfriend, partner or wife, respect her wishes when it comes to sex.
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Kallingal feels she learned and grew as she matured. By 29, when she married film maker Ashiq Abu, opportunities began to dwindle. The tragedy of the Malayalam movie industry—you marry and you are off the radar. However, this lean period gave the actor time to reflect, explore and learn about herself, her craft and what she really wanted to do.
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Our conversation meanders on to include marriage and men. We talk about what she finds attractive in a man and Kallingal tells us like it is:
- Respect your partner: the minute you take your woman for granted, you’re out. Respect her space, her likes and dislikes.
- Be someone the woman can trust: your partner should be able to trust you with her life. She’s looking not just for love but also security and protection.
- Be well-presented: Make an effort with your appearance. Be charismatic. And a good listener.
- Understand the idea of consent: Whether it’s your girlfriend, partner or wife, respect her wishes when it comes to sex.
- Be a team player: Men should have deep meaningful relationships with their friends too. Have a circle of good friends around you.
- Love of food: Learn to enjoy good food. Know more about good films, art and culture—it all makes you attractive to a lady.
- Allow the woman to have her own identity: Give her the space and freedom to do what she wants. Understand her.
- Have hobbies: Whether you do sport, read books or collect stamps—do it with passion.
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Kallingal and her better half love to travel. Together, they have criss-crossed many countries—from Dubai to Jordan and every place in between. For now, they are in Kochi—their base in Kerala. Kallingal is busy with three movies and her international dance tours. The year has begun on a good note, and she looks forward to yet another phase in this bittersweet journey called life.
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Photo: Rima Kallingal