Filmmaker Alleppey Ashraf has revealed that actress Kalyani Priyadarshan and her brother Siddharth (Chandu) were once made to live in an orphanage as children to help them understand the value of a simple life.

According to Ashraf, the decision was made by their parents — renowned director Priyadarshan and actress Lissy — during the siblings’ early years. The idea was to expose the children to the realities faced by less fortunate individuals.

“Just to make them aware of how ordinary life is for others, they were made to stay at an orphanage for a week in Vietnam,” Ashraf said in a video shared on his YouTube channel.

Despite their eventual separation, Priyadarshan and Lissy reportedly ensured their split never impacted their children. Kalyani herself has stated that neither she nor her brother were ever subjected to emotional distress at home and that her parents handled their personal differences with great maturity.

Ashraf also spoke about Lissy’s active involvement in her children’s lives, including managing Siddharth’s wedding. When Siddharth expressed interest in marrying an American woman, it was Lissy who he approached first. Though supportive, she had reservations due to cultural and linguistic differences. She set a condition — the couple must live together in India for a year before she would approve the marriage. Siddharth obliged, and Lissy later gave her blessing.

Ashraf also offered insights into Kalyani’s personal and professional journey. Though she studied architecture abroad, she initially aspired to work in film production design and began her career assisting renowned art director Sabu Cyril on the Tamil film ‘Iru Mugan.’

“She always wanted to earn her own money and stand on her own feet,” Ashraf said. “She’s already bought her own car and flat with her earnings.”

Kalyani, who debuted as an actress in Telugu cinema, later moved on to Tamil and Malayalam films. She was launched in Malayalam opposite Dulquer Salmaan and gained widespread recognition through the hit film ‘Hridayam’ alongside Pranav Mohanlal. She is now set to appear in an upcoming Malayalam film starring Fahadh Faasil.

Ashraf added that Kalyani is also keen to bring her mother Lissy back to acting. Lissy, too, is reportedly open to returning to the screen if the right roles come her way.

Meanwhile, Ashraf also addressed rumours claiming Kalyani had married without her parents’ knowledge. He dismissed the speculation as baseless, adding that there had also been false reports about a romantic relationship between Kalyani and Pranav Mohanlal. “There’s a lot of fake news — about her marriage, about her and Pranav,” he said. “The truth is simple: they share a sibling-like bond. And Appu (Pranav) is actually in a relationship with a girl from Germany.”