Kalyani Priyadarshan is currently enjoying the success of his latest film, Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra. Directed by Dominic Arun, the film of superhero Dark Fantasy was hailed by criticism for visuals, performances, etc.
Sharing his work experience on Lokah, teasing a little on future payments, Kalyani Priyadarshan shared fascinating ideas with IHNS.
Kalyani Priyadarshan interview
1. Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra was considered by many as the 1st character of female superheroes in Indian cinema. How do you feel to be part of the pop culture that will remain memories for a long time?
Years. Is it true? As I heard, there was another character in Indian cinema which was the first female superhero. I am not sure, but for obvious reasons, it seems surreal. This is not what we have ever thought of happening with the film.
When I signed for the first time, I really wanted to be part of a very good film, to tell a very good story. When the public saw it, the film took its own life, and it was really surreal. He really didn’t sink into any of us. It’s been two weeks since its release, but … I don’t know what to say. I’m still speechless.
2. In Lokah, you play a Gothic look with your character, which is quite rare in Malayalam cinema. What did the trip in transition to Chandra look like?
Years. From a visual point of view, she has reasons why she does it. We understand through the character that Chandra is a person who has worn many nuances, many masks and many disguises. In fact, we don’t even know if it’s Chandra’s real look.
All that Chandra shows is the real chandra. It was interesting to analyze the role of such a point of view. Emotionally, we know that it is a very numb person who has crossed a lot in life. She saw her loved ones die. She has a path to her maturity, body language, the way she speaks, which is very different from whom I am as a person.
It was the biggest challenge for me because I had to understand the weight it transports. This is where Dominic and Nimish arrived; Both have lived with the character for so long. They knew everything about her; They knew how she walks, eats … everything.
It’s like one of the moments when I completely went to their vision; Without them, I would have been lost.
3. Another major aspect of the character was how much he was physically demanding. The action documents were all in High Octane. What trained for training for such a role?
Years. Obviously, he has been fighting for years and years. Probably for me, who has just entered action to convince that I have been doing it for years, it’s not easy. We had to train on a lot, and at the same time, we had to go very intensely.
From strength training, rope training, training on harnesses in Muay Thai and boxing, we have worked on many things. We had to work on different types of fighting over a period of several months.
Yannick Ben is the person who managed the action choreography, and his first advice was only if you hit someone for the very first time, they will easily know it. A spectator will easily understand if the person was able to land the punches.
So having this body language that has become almost second nature is why we have trained a lot. Obviously, there is also the magic of cinema. This is a collaboration effort, and I had a very strong technical team. All I had to do was work very hard, and the rest they take care of, especially when we have to make a superhero film.
4. The success of Lokah resulted in the Indian cinema industries. How do you feel to be at the center of all this?
Years. As I said earlier, everything hasn’t flowed yet. I am happy that a film like this is accepted by everyone. This shows that the public is able to show more love than we could have imagined.
Now this film was an experience, and it was an experience that everyone loved. I am not really grateful to anyone other than the public. I don’t think I am at the center, but no longer as it is a collective victory.
If I had to say who is in the center, I would probably say that we were all. As a team, we collectively make our efforts there, and each department is appreciated for this.
5. To date, we all know what the film is talking about and your character is inspired by Kaliyankaatu Neeli, a famous Yakshi from Kerala folklore. Have there been challenges in the adaptation of such a unique character?
Years. I do not know if I can speak openly about spoilers, but to adapt something like that, I think it is the most interesting aspect of the character.
The character had so much weight, and we were all so excited to reinvent Neeli. I think it’s beautiful, because and if the judgment we had about this character was false? How many times have we formulated our opinions on a person because of the stories that have been told to us, but when we meet them, we have the impression that opinions are completely false.
This is what makes Neeli’s reimagination so beautiful. This is what excited me to play too. As we had completely reinvented, we did not go to the old ways it had been represented. For me, he was a completely fresh character.
6. With the credit and post-key scenes, we saw Chaathan de Tovino Thomas and the character of Ninja by Dq Charlie. Can we expect Chandra to join everyone and even have an overview of Moothon?
Years. Sure … I was told not to disclose these details. However, the entire structure of the next films is completely presented. I know my bow, and it’s a very interesting arc, but I can’t talk about it.
7. Lokah had a huge confrontation at the box office with Hridayapoorvam de Mohanlal, and including figures, Lokah is at the top. How do you see this box office confrontation?
Years. I have never found that cinema should be measured as winners or losers. I think that is just part of culture, as in school or college, it’s all about academics, clashes, winners and losers.
In art … In the cinema, these are not winners or losers. The two films are doing incredibly well, and that testifies to the love that the public must give. I am just excited for the two of us, and Lal Sir (Mohanlal) is literally one of my favorite humans forever … Forget the actors, he is one of my favorite humans.
To be able to encourage us from different screens, it’s just an exciting process for me.
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(Tagstotranslate) Kalyani Priyadarshan
