By- Subhash K Jha
Kalyani Priyadarshan has steadily carved a space for herself in Indian cinema with her versatile performances and carefully chosen roles. Now, with Lokah, she steps into uncharted territory as the country’s first “superwoman” on screen. In this candid conversation, she opens up about breaking stereotypes in a male-dominated industry, her journey as an actor, the challenges of action training, and why this film feels like a turning point not just for her, but for women in Indian cinema.
Our film industry is largely male dominated, has it been challenge to find your voice in the masculine cacophony?
This is a tough question to answer. But I think we’ve all just been waiting for the right stories and the right storytellers – and more importantly, for people like Dulquer Salmaan to back those stories so they can reach their full potential. For a long time, there’s been hesitation to take risks with women-led films, but this one feels like it’s opening new doors. What’s been most moving is the kind of support it’s received – not just from women, but from men as well. So, so many men, both within the industry and in the audience, have made it their mission to celebrate this film and say, “See what women can do.” That really goes to show how much we sometimes underestimate our audiences. They’re capable of so much love and support, as long as the content is strong.
Kalyani, your journey as an actor has been swifty and steady, how did you make it happen?
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how I’ve reached here, but I know I’ve been blessed in many ways. I’ve had the chance to work with some of the best people in the industry, and I was born into a family that gave me both inspiration and opportunities. More than anything, I’ve had the privilege of choice to wait for stories that truly speak to me, rather than taking up every opportunity that comes my way. Not everyone has that luxury, and I try to use it responsibly by picking projects that challenge me and mean something to the audience. At the heart of it, I think it’s a mix of hard work, patience, and whatever God has blessed me with. Mostly, I just feel grateful.
Your father (filmmaker Priyadarshan) still can’t believe you reached where you are, without his help?
I don’t think that’s a fair statement for him to make. It’s very sweet, because he knows how hard I work for the opportunities I get, but honestly so much of why I’m even here has to do with him. All through my childhood he passionately talked to me about cinema, and made sure my priorities were about the craft and not the fame. So, if anything, I owe a big part of this journey to him.
How did Lokah happen?
I think this is a question best answered by screenwriter Dominic Arun, because long before I came on board, he had been working on this story with cinematographer Nimish Ravi for about two or three years. What’s interesting is that it was originally planned as a very small, standalone film. But once Dulquer Salmaan came in, he saw something much bigger in it. He’s someone who always has a larger vision and ambition for the kinds of stories we can tell, and he encouraged them to expand it into a bigger universe. He told them not to think of it as just a female-centric film, but as something with far more potential… and he backed that vision completely. Honestly, it’s the three of them who made my character Chandra’s story much larger than what it was initially meant to be.
What was your reaction when you were first offered the film, did you feel challenged, intrigued, enthused?
I still very clearly remember the day writer-director Dominic Arun narrated Lokah to me. The moment he left, I sat there thinking, “Wow, this is incredible… but also so ambitious.” I had two doubts: one, whether I was the right person for it, and two, whether someone I didn’t know personally – like Dominic – could actually pull it off. So within minutes of him leaving, I called everyone I knew who knew him – I’m not going to name who publicly. I told them I’d heard a script I loved but needed to know one thing: Can this guy really pull off something so big?
And what did they say?
And the response was unanimous. Every single person whose opinion I trusted said the same thing – that Dominic is incredibly talented. One person, who usually never has anything nice to say about anyone, was full of praise for his technical brilliance. Another actor told me Dom was one of the very few people he trusted and he’d give dates to, anytime, no questions asked. A third person – who was originally approached for a role – told me, “I don’t have the dates because I’m in the middle of my biggest film, but if I did, I’d do this film in a heartbeat. And you absolutely should too.” And honestly, they were right. Funnily enough, after we started shooting and became friends, Dom once laughed and said, “You know all my friends called me right after the narration to tell me you were checking up on me!” I told him they were traitors! But at least they gave me the right advice! So that’s how I found the confidence in him.
How were you sure you could pull it off?
The confidence in myself – I’m still not sure that was fully there. But I knew I couldn’t say no to something this special. I was insecure in thinking maybe there were better people than me out there for this role. But I saw it as something that came to me for a reason, and I wasn’t going to question what God was offering me. I promised myself one thing: I would give it everything I had. And that I did.
Tell me about the shooting process, were the stunts tough to do?
I had the best time shooting this film, even though it was one of the most challenging experiences I’ve had. Most of it was shot through the night, for months on end, but I honestly have no complaints because those were some of the best months of my life and that’s entirely thanks to the team I had around me. We had Yannick Ben on board because we had big ambitions for this project and wanted the best of the best. But since we were already on an overstretched budget, we had to plan carefully. All the action had to be shot in one go. Things like flying Yannick’s team back and forth just wasn’t possible, so for three weeks straight, we shot non-stop action. I was right in the middle of stunts, fights, and training every single day. It was intense, but when you’re working together with a team toward a shared vision, you get this kind of energy you didn’t even know you had.
How intense was your preparation?
My training journey actually began much earlier, from the day I got the role. Action and stunts were completely new territory for me, especially on this scale, and to be honest, I wouldn’t have even called myself an athletic person growing up. But training for this film changed that – it pushed me in ways I didn’t expect and made me discover a strength I didn’t know I had. Looking back, as tough as it was, those weeks of action are some of the best memories I’ll carry with me.
Which among your films so far were stepping stones for you? Tell me about your forthcoming projects?
So far, every film has been a stepping stone – some pushed me forward in big ways, others made me pause and reassess my craft, but each one has taught me something valuable. I’m very grateful for that journey. Up next, I have Genie with Ravi Mohan Sir, which is ready for release, and Marshall with Karthi Sir, a rural gangster film. Both are very different from what I’ve done before, and I’m really excited for audiences to see them.
