The lovable Junnu from Hello is all set to grace the screens as Lahari in this week’s release Chitralahari. It might only be Kalyani Priyadarshan’s second film but she is already a household name. She is not only the golden girl of legendary director Priyadarshan and yesteryear’s leading lady Lissy, but one of the most wanted actresses of this year. She has two Telugu films coming up for release, is shooting for two more in Tamil and has an enviable role in a Malayalam film directed by her father himself. We’ve got you the inside scoop into the private life of Kalyani; so what are you waiting for? Read on!
How did Chitralahari happen?
My director Kishore had a very specific idea about the character Lahari, whom I’m playing. He said that when he watched Hello he was sure right then and there that I should be Lahari. And the second that I heard the narration I also fell in love with the story.
Tell us about the characteristics of Lahari.
The reason Kishore wanted me as Lahari is because she is a very innocent girl who grew up with positivity. She hasn’t seen any evil. As a result of that she’s also very naive and believes in everyone. She never thinks someone can lie.
It seems that in your debut Hello and now in Chitralahari you are playing the innocent girl. Is that how you are in your real life? They are both incredibly sweet innocent girls but in Hello my role had a sadness to it because she lost someone. Lahari is brought up in a very positive environment. The reason I connected with Lahari is because I was brought up very positively. Another similarity is that Lahari is very influenced by the people close to her. That is exactly like me. If my father looked at my hair one day and said it’s not nice; I’d immediately change it. With those that I’m close to I’ll take their ideas to heart or ask for advice.
Did you always think that you’d be an actress because of your film background?
My parents are from the film industry so I grew up on film sets. If I wanted to spend time with my dad I would have to go on set. Most of my summer vacation was watching him have fun on his set and I wanted that for myself. I always knew at some point I would work in cinema but I wasn’t sure where I would fit in exactly. Just like everyone when they are in school and college I didn’t know and somewhere along the way I found my calling.
How did Hello happen?
One of the perks of being from a film family is that people always asked if I was interested in a role. Eventually I started listening to scripts from Tamil and Malayalam; never from Telugu. But Hello happened as though it was meant to be. They saw my photos and that was that. It was destiny. I did not plan for Telugu films; they just happened to me. And the kind of love and acceptance I’ve received from Telugu audiences made me love the industry even more and made me want to continue working here. I’ll always be grateful for it. I never want to stop being a part of it.
What other work have you done related to films?
I was trying to figure where in cinema I belong and worked behind scenes for a while. My dad and his friends are what I saw as a child. I grew up watching the popular art director Sabu Cyril and thought that I should try that. I was assisting his main associate for some time. Even when I was in the US I worked backstage on Broadway shows. But it was a job where you know it is great but it is not for you. I was not satisfied and I felt like I was meant to do something else. That’s when acting happened and now I feel like this is it!
Tell us about your upcoming projects.
I have a film coming out with Sharwanand, directed by Sudheer Varma. I don’t know how much I can reveal as of now about it. I’ve also just signed two Tamil films and started shooting for them. My Tamil debut is with Shivakarthikeyan directed by PS Mithran. That’s going to be an all out commercial film with a social message. The other is a thriller starring Simbu by Venkat Prabhu. I’m doing a small role in a Malayalam period film which is being directed by my dad; it’s the biggest film of his life.
Is there a lot of pressure for you to succeed since your father is a legendary director and your mother is a successful actress?
There’s advantages and disadvantages of being from a film family. A lot comes to you without asking. A lot of people would give an arm and leg to get what I have. The pressure is not so much to perform well but my parents have worked so hard day and night to create the respect they have. All of which can be undone if I choose one wrong movie. It is one of the reasons it took me so long to decide on a Tamil or Malayalam film; I have to uphold the respect they’ve earned. I can’t take as much of a risk as someone who has nothing to lose. That person can make amazingly risky moves and movies.
Are there any particular roles that you will be focusing on?
I’ve been looking at everything. I don’t have a check list as such and I’m relatively new to the job so I’m still trying to figure out what kind of films I want to do. My current release Chitralahari is a light breezy entertainer whereas my next with Sharwanand is an all out gangster film. It has a different feel completely. My dad’s is a pirate film set in a time before the Britishers entered India so it’s full of war and battles. Shivakarthikeyan’s is a mass entertainer with a social message and Simbu’s is a political thriller. As you can see they are all from very different genres and appeal to different people. I’m trying to figure out what I like and what I don’t at this point.
Do you ask your parents before choosing a film?
It’s strange. I ask them about everything except whether I should sign a particular film. Then regardless of what happens I can be sure that my life has turned out that way because of me. But before I meet people or sign the film I tell them and they are always very supportive about my decisions.
You are also very different in the sense that you don’t have your mother or father on the sets with you like a lot of other actresses.
The thing is there was no question of having mother on set. I was in boarding school in Singapore post my tenth; then I studied and worked in America. I grew up so independently that it would’ve been a strange question to ask my mom to come on set with me. My parents gave me that space.
- Maya Nelluri
About Maya Nelluri: Maya Nelluri is an actress, artist and writer. Born in Hyderabad, India, and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, she loved and followed Telugu cinema throughout her childhood. She started her career as a journalist and continues to write. Maya's acting debut will be in the upcoming Sudheer Varma-Sharwanand feature film.
Follow Maya on Instagram @mayanelluriofficial
