‘My brother said that he didn’t know me…’: Priya Prakash Varrier on keeping family life private

Actress Priya Prakash Varrier, who became an overnight sensation with her wink in the Malayalam film ‘Oru Adaar Love’, has opened up about why she prefers to keep her family and friends away from the limelight.

Speaking to Veena Mukundan for Originals, the actress said she is cautious not to let her celebrity status affect those closest to her. “My family has a social life. I don’t want to do anything that would affect their privacy. I especially wouldn’t want to do anything that impacts my brother’s privacy. He is currently studying at a college in Bangalore,” Varrier said.

She revealed that during their school years, her younger brother often felt overshadowed by her achievements. “I know that during our school years, he often felt that he was in my shadow because he is my brother. He may have had that feeling consciously or unconsciously. He doesn’t see it as a problem, but I think about it,” she said.

Varrier, who was actively involved in arts competitions at the state level, said her brother was not inclined towards performing arts but was often forced into activities because of expectations tied to her fame. “So I’ve always felt that he shouldn’t be pressured into doing something he doesn’t like,” she added.

Wanting him to have a ‘fresh start’ in college, Varrier said only a handful of his close friends know she is his sister. “I have never visited him at college. Sometimes I tease him, saying that ‘I’ll make a grand entry there one day, just wait for it’. He just tells me, ‘please don’t disrupt my peace’. He prefers it that way,” she said.

She recalled one incident when her brother appeared for a college interview. “During the interview, after reading his full name, they asked him, ‘There are two actors with this surname. Do you know them?’ He replied, ‘Yes, I know.’ Then they asked, ‘Do you know them personally - Priya Varrier or Manju Warrier?’ and he said he didn’t know either of us personally. Later, he called me and said, ‘If I admit that, what if they give me admission based on bias?’ That’s how deeply he thinks about such things. I teased him then, saying he had denied being my brother,” Varrier recounted.

The actress was recently seen in Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor’s rom-com ‘Param Sundari’, where she appeared in the background, and in Ajith Kumar’s ‘Good Bad Ugly’.