'Started drinking after that, depended on alcohol alone without food or health'

Urvashi is one of the most loved actresses of all time among Malayali audiences. She entered the film industry as a child artist and was the busiest actress in Malayalam cinema between 1985 and 1995. Apart from Malayalam, she has acted in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi films. Last year, Urvashi won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film Ullozhukku. Now, her candid remarks about the difficult experiences in her first marriage have drawn attention.

The actress opened up about her experiences in an interview given to Ranjini Haridas. Urvashi said the atmosphere in the house she moved into after her first marriage was completely different from the environment in which she was brought up. "As I tried to adjust to the new surroundings, changes occurred in my personality and lifestyle. These changes emotionally drained me and eventually led me towards alcohol," Urvashi said.

Urvashi said everyone in that household was very modern, and it was common for family members, including the mother and children, to sit together and drink. “I tried to fit into that atmosphere. By the time I realised I was slowly becoming a different person, it was already too late,” she said. She added that the marriage was her own decision, and she was determined to prove to her family that it was the right one. “Kalachechi (actress Kalaranjini, Urvashi's elder sister) knew everything and tried to set things right, but by then I had already changed,” she said.

She explained that the habit developed after entering that household. “After work, everyone would sit together and drink to relax. But I ended up becoming the only earning member, forced to do many things against my wishes. As differences of opinion increased, drinking also increased. My health began to deteriorate. There was no proper sleep, no appetite, and my mental state suffered. I depended only on alcohol, without food or good health. All this caused serious health issues,” she said.

However, she said her friends and personal staff came together to help her break free from that phase. At the same time, some people from her own family advised her not to reveal the truth. “I was brought up with the belief that a woman should go and live in her husband’s home. I lived that way, and it took a long time to change that mindset,” Urvashi added.