‘Never expected my daughter would foray into cinema,’ says Priyadarshan; adds Naslen’s characters recall yesteryear Kamal Haasan

Veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan has opened up about his daughter Kalyani Priyadarshan’s unexpected foray into cinema, admitting he never imagined she would choose acting as a profession. Speaking at the trailer launch event of Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, in which Kalyani plays the lead role, Priyadarshan shared candid reflections on both personal and professional fronts.

“I never thought my daughter would enter films,” Priyadarshan said. “One day, she came to me and said, ‘Acha (meaning father in Malayalam language), Nagarjuna uncle is suggesting I act in a film. What do you think?’ I asked her whether she thought she could manage it. She replied, ‘There’s no harm in trying, we don’t lose anything by giving it a shot.’ I said, ‘Go ahead then,’ and that’s how it all began.”

He recalled how Kalyani’s transformation as an actor became evident after her film Antony. “That’s when she started punching and kicking people on screen,” he laughed. “In Lokah too, I saw the same. Even now, as her father, it’s difficult to imagine her in such roles—but that’s the magic of cinema.”

Priyadarshan also emphasised the emotional investment involved when younger generations step into the industry. “When people like our children take up films, people like us—fathers—pray for their success. Films are not made with success or failure in mind. Those things come as part of a director’s life. What matters is passion. If you have true passion for cinema, failures don’t affect you.”

Praising his daughter’s co-star Naslen, Priyadarshan noted, “He is one of our favourite young actors. He brings a rare innocence to his characters, but beneath that, you sense something more—like some of Kamal Haasan’s classic roles. That’s the feeling I get when I see Naslen perform.”

He also spoke fondly of actor Kunchacko Boban. “We never got to do a film together. When we met recently, he asked, ‘Have you done your 100th film yet?’ I told him I’ve done 98 so far. Whether it will reach 100, I don’t know. Films just happen, you can’t plan them.”

Reflecting on his long break from directing, Priyadarshan said, “For me, filmmaking isn’t about chasing success. It’s about the joy of doing it. That joy has kept me going all these years.”

He concluded with a note of hope and conviction: “Cinema is a passion for all of us. Only those who truly feel that passion enter this field. As long as that fire stays alive, we will move forward. People with real passion are not shaken by failure. If you do your work sincerely, the results will follow.”