A new kind of charm in the house
There is something about their familiarity that buys star kids instant like-ability. Kalyani is a face that we know, though we are yet to see her regularly on screen. The daughter of yesteryear Mollywood seraph Lissy and director Priyadarshan is not just another pretty face: for one thing, she has a rather refined sense of humour and for all the worldliness that she has seen, she is still a down-to-earth girl who easily confesses that she is nervous. Kalyani Priyadarshan – an expressive face with a solid mind – is debuting in Tamil with the action thriller Hero starring Sivakarthikeyan, which will be closely followed by director Venkat Prabhu’s upcoming political thriller, Maanaadu.
Blossoming Beauty
“Its funny – behind the camera and in front of the camera are two different worlds, though they are part of the same thing. I would not say one is easier than the other”
Kalyani, who was first seen in the 2017 Telugu film Hello opposite Akhil Akkineni, was involved with movies much before taking up acting. She began her career as an assistant production designer under Sabu Cyril, for the Bollywood superhero movie Krrish-3 (2013). She also worked as an assistant art director in Vikram starrer Iru Mugan (2016), before foraying into acting. We had thought to brush up our language skills before meeting the budding star, but then Kalyani is an alumni of Lady Andal Matriculation School in the city and therefore a fluent, uninhibited Tamil speaker with an endearing accent. We are convinced that she is a budding star who can earn the love of Kollywood and here is how we found out…
Photography: G Venket Ram
Styling & Makeup: Suresh Menon
Hair: Vurve Salon
Star kids would usually have dreams of being a hero or a heroine. However, you initially worked as an art director, then a production designer before taking up acting. How did that happen?
From a very young age I knew that film-making would be my life. Cinema not only involves acting but also several other special departments with each requiring a specific set of skills. My father is a director. When I went to movie sets as a child, there were so many things to see. Actors were not the only people involved with movies. When I grew up, I wasn’t sure where I would fit in. I thought I would be a little shy in front of the camera – I am, even now! So I thought it would make more sense for me to be behind the camera. Around this time, my best friend used to be my father’s associate. I also used to listen to stories and father would ask me my opinion about them. One day, this friend of mine told me a story. A character in the story stole my interest: I just had to do that role. Once I did that role, I realised I actually wanted to be in front of the camera but simply did not have the courage. I thought to myself, there will surely be similar good things out there, so why not give it a shot. My parents supported me and promised to encourage me the entire way, so I thought I should give it a shot. Even now when I see that particular friend, I say, “you’re the reason I realised I wanted to be an actor.”
You have experienced film-making as a back-end hand and have worked under popular filmmakers. What have you learnt and how was the experience?
While working for Krrish-3, I was under Art Director Sabu Cyril, who is a genius who made me realise the passion that went into film-making. His mind is constantly working and I can hardly keep up. I knew from the beginning that I would never be able to match that. He’s brilliant – he is an engineer, he is a physicist, he is an artist… I think he’s into robotics now. I knew I’d be a very small name in art direction if I continued in the field. I don’t have the kind of passion that he has for this. He is the most calmest person on earth but then inside, he is chaotic – even my father is that way. I later realised that they work well together because they are so alike: that they are both very tensed inside, though it does not show. Only those who are close to them would feel the turmoil they go through. On the sets of Iru Mugan, another huge influence I had was Chiyaan Vikram sir. When somebody explains a scene and reads out his dialogues, he will immediately come up with questions like, “can I have something to hold” or “may I walk around this area” or something very similar. He does not want to say some lines and leave – he will take that extra effort to ensure that the scene looks natural. Another trait that he has is that he would ask for the name of every single person on a set; and he never forgets. Even I didn’t know the name of everybody on the set, but he did. He would only address people by their names, even when seeking help. That is a quality I will always remember about him.
How was your debut in Tollywood? You had also won the best debutante award there.
My first movie was Hello, which was produced by Nagarjuna Akkineni and had Akhil Akkineni starring in it. The first time I had to face the camera, I was to share screen space with Ramya Krishnan, Jagapathy Babu and Akhil. The scene has them dealing with a funny person and I was to be that funny person! So, I have these veteran actors standing next to me and in my panic, my left eyebrow begins twitching. The cameraman had to come up and tell me to not move my eyes after two takes. I was at a loss as I was not doing it on purpose; and then Ramya Krishnan came up to me and had a nice friendly chat. She advised me to take a moment with myself, to take in all that was going on and to just scream out loud. It actually worked. They all tried to keep things friendly with me and made sure I was comfortable in their company. The story was about two friends falling in love and director Vikram Kumar handled the crew, including me just so well. Receiving the Best Debutante Award was an awesome experience, because the organisers even called my mother to present the award! When they invited my mother onstage to give the award away, I turned around to another contestant in the same category and began congratulating her as I thought that I didn’t make it; why would the organisers invite my mother onto the dais if they were giving me the award? As it turned out, I was able to receive my first award from my mother.
You have worked with the sons of famous stars in both Telugu and Malayalam. Now you are debuting in Tamil with Sivakarthikeyan, with an STR movie in the pipeline. How has the experience been?
I did not realise that my co-actors had ‘star kids’ distinction until you pointed it out; it is rather a curious coincidence, coming to think of it. Akhil Akkineni was the hero in Hello. Though our families are good friends, I don’t know Akhil well – we’ve met hardly once or twice as children. But the family was so welcoming, that the whole experience was stress-free. I just finished shooting for my Malayalam debut, Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, opposite Pranav Mohanlal. Pranav has been a friend since before I could walk: he’s almost like a cousin. It was too easy, working for the movie – my father was the director, and my brother was assisting. It didn’t feel like work at all: it was almost like a family outing!
Work in Tamil has been hassle-free till now, too. My first movie is the upcoming action thriller Hero, opposite Sivakarthikeyan. I probably had the most fun working in a movie, on the sets of Hero. Everybody involved with the movie are easygoing and there is a lot of laughter on the sets. We finished one shooting schedule and the crew has a small break before the next schedule begins around July. Then I got a call for Maanadu. I was apprehensive at the beginning about signing the project, but director Venkat Prabhu assured me that it would be a breeze. And the script is brilliant: it blew me away. I’m actually excited to start because of the script. When I heard it for the first time, I was thoroughly excited. The first thing that actually struck me was how good a dancer STR is. I would never measure up to his standards (laughs). The shooting of Maanadu will begin soon.
Kalyani has four movies coming up in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. Whether the bubbly new actor-in-town will amass the kind of love and respect both her parents command, remains to be seen. In the meanwhile, get ready to watch her rock the screens in Hero, Maanadu, Ranarangam (Telugu) and Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham (Malayalam).
Stylish Charmer
“My best friend used to be my father’s associate. I also used to listen to stories and father would ask me opinions about some stories”
Rapid Fire:
(Guilty pleasure) Chocolates. No, scratch that, anything with sugar!
(Favourite actors of today) Mohanlal
(Working with Director Priyadarshan) Scary. I did a special appearance for an upcoming movie, and my heart was beating too fast all the while we were shooting.
(Celebrity crush) Too many! Vijay Sethupathy, if I had to choose.(Sivakarthikeyan in a word)
Hilarious! He’s easily one of my favourite colleagues
(Strange addiction) Sometimes, I chew ice.
(Favourite Priyadarshan movies) Kala pani
(Favourite Lissy movies) Hello my dear wrong number
(Movie that you wish were a part of) I love most of Alia Bhatt’s movies. Raazi, maybe.
