Meet Kalyani Priyadarshan, India's new 'super girl'

Kalyani Priyadarshan’s meteoric rise to stardom happened with the release of Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra in August 2025. As Chandra, touted as one of India’s first female superheroes, Kalyani left no crumbs behind. She wore the nonchalance of a blood-thirsty vampire on her sleeves with an ease that doesn’t come across often in Indian cinema. Armed with a backstory rooted in Kerala folklore and caste oppression, seen through a contemporary feminist lens, Lokah is one of the most powerful films in recent times, and also went on to become the highest grossing Malayalam film ever, with Kalyani at the helm, doing most of the heavy lifting. It’s not every day that one sees a woman-led movie earning this kind of box office success.

Not many would know that this ball-busting, record smashing gorgeous vampire is also an architecture graduate from Parsons School of Design. But cinema runs in her blood (pun intended). The daughter of the ’80s actor Lissy and one of Malayalam cinema’s most prolific directors, Priyadarshan Nair, she certainly has big boots to fill. Kalyani made her acting debut with Hello in 2017, where she garnered immediate recognition for her natural screen presence. And over the years, she steadily built a diverse filmography, balancing commercial entertainers with content driven roles that allow her to prove her mettle as a versatile performer across Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam cinema.

This here is a new-generation actor who doesn’t let her regional identity dictate her choices. With a career moving seamlessly across industries and fitting into different cultural contexts, Kalyani embodies the true pan-Indian spirit. From making her debut as a romantic lead, she has upgraded to playing a character around which an entire movie universe is built. Evidently, her filmography reflects how the idea of a female protagonist is gradually evolving in Indian cinema. Alongside her big-screen journey, Kalyani has steadily built her fashion sensibility, making her presence felt on global platforms. Her Cannes debut this year in a dual-tone, strapless gown certainly drew attention.

Now, as she prepares for big-ticket Tamil releases, Genie and Marshal, Kalyani is charging ahead with strong momentum and wide appeal.

This story was featured in the Vol 1. Issue 9 of HELLO! India. For more exclusive stories, subscribe to the magazine here.