Filmmaker Priyadarshan has opened up about daughter Kalyani Priyadarshan’s career and revealed that his perception of her changed after watching her in Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra. The Malayalam superhero film became a major pan-Indian success and turned Kalyani into one of the most talked-about actresses in the industry. Interestingly, Priyadarshan admitted that he had initially tried to dissuade her from taking up the project.
Priyadarshan Kalyani’s career choices
Speaking to News18, Priyadarshan recalled Kalyani telling him that she would be performing action sequences in Lokah. Having not fully heard the script, the veteran director found it difficult to understand the subject and was also unsure about his daughter’s ability to pull off the action-heavy role. “She just told me that she’s going to fight in the film. I didn’t think that she could fight!” he said.
However, his opinion changed after he watched the first cut of the film. Priyadarshan acknowledged that his initial assessment was incorrect and was impressed by what Kalyani brought to the screen. Following that experience, he decided to stay away from discussing her film choices altogether.
Priyadarshan has also maintained a clear boundary when it comes to working with his daughter professionally. He had previously said that he did not want to direct Kalyani, as he preferred to see her as his daughter rather than as an actor on his set. Although he recently made an exception to this rule for a non-film project, his stance on directing her in a feature film remains unchanged.
Kalyani and Priyadarshan’s work front
Kalyani is now expanding her horizons with her first Hindi film, Pralay opposite Ranveer Singh. Meanwhile, Priyadarshan is gearing up for the release of Haiwaan. The crime thriller stars Saif Ali Khan as a visually challenged character and Akshay Kumar as the antagonist, alongside Boman Irani, Sharib Hashmi, Saiyami Kher and Shriya Pilgaonkar. The film is scheduled to hit cinemas on September 11.
