Bangalore: Another Malayalam actress has fallen prey to cyber trolls hunting in packs and heaping abuse on social media after she spoke up against a veteran actor mouthing misogynistic lines in a film.

At the recent International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), Parvathy, who recently starred with Irrfan Khan in the critically and popularly acclaimed Qarib Qarib Singlle, took on some crude and misogynistic lines of superstar Mammootty in the July 2016 release Kasaba.

The controversy has refused to die down because Mammootty, one of the most enduring and popular Malayali actors ever, has so far not spoken out, unlike earlier when he had stood by another actress targeted by trolls.

In a controversial scene, the 66-year-old Mammootty, who plays a cocky and foul-mouthed police inspector, thrusts a cigarette stub into a woman superior's palm and tells her to throw it away when she asked him why he did not salute her. The shocked officer responds "f*** you", to which Mammootty's character says something that can mean "I'll try" though the literal translation is "I'll see".

He then walks up to her, holds her by her belt, pulls her towards him and says: "Pardon me for not saluting you. I'll make it up to you. But I bet you'll walk wrong for a week."

The scene had elicited strong reactions on social media earlier too. But when Parvathy termed it as misogynistic at an IFFK panel discussion, it was misconstrued as a personal attack on Mammootty.

In one of her many tweets on the issue, Parvathy wrote: "Cinema can reflect all aspects of the society and all kinds of people. The good, the bad and the ugly. But no! It cannot glorify injustice and violence as 'cool' & 'mass' entertainment. I rest my case. This was a good day indeed! Thank you for sharing (and hurling) your thought!"

Trolls lost no time in launching one of the worst attacks in recent times in Kerala, using violent and sexist language. Mammootty fans' associations claim those using the abusive language are not his fans. Some well-known film personalities joined the tirade and attempted to bully the actress.

Many asked Parvathy to "apologise" to Mammootty. Most of the trolls called her a "feminist" and an "upstart". Others targeted her for her "inferiority complex". She did receive support but from a select few.

One of the nastiest reactions came from young filmmaker Jude Anthany Joseph, who equated Parvathy with a circus monkey.

Parvathy retorted with "OMKV", a Malayalam cyber abbreviation that means "get lost".

In September, young actress Anna Rajan was viciously trolled for saying on a TV show, in response to a trick questions, that Mammootty could act as her father. Mammootty had ended the controversy by calling Anna and comforting her.