I am happy to have been directed by my father, Priyadarshan, in the Malayalam movie 'Marakkar.' My dad said nothing about my performance during the shoot. But once done, he complimented me as a filmmaker, saying that I gave the output he needed.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

I got a degree in architecture for the educational experience but in terms of career, everything is cinema.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

That is one advice my dad gave me... to not look at the screen time but to look at being a part of good films.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

While doing my architecture from the Parsons School of Design, I also did theatre.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

So, when directors come up to me and ask if they should just narrate my role, I would say no and insist on knowing the whole story. It would give me a better idea of what I'm going to be a part of because when I look back at my career later on in life, nobody is going to remember my screen time.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

I'd rather have two minutes of screen time and have purpose than have 20 minutes of screen time in a separate track that makes no sense to the story.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

I feel that I would perform really well if there was no camera in front of me. But when there is one, and the director says 'Action!' I freeze.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

Most definitely a daddy's girl... but I am close to both my parents. Amma is my biggest fan; Achan is my biggest critic, so it is difficult to please my father. I am always trying to make him proud.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

The best thing my parents did was to make me study in Chennai. I was in a school where most others around me were also from film industry families so none of us realised what our parents were.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

I never thought I had it in me to be an actor. There is so much more to the job than acting. But my parents gave me confidence.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

I am a shy person who is not very okay with the camera.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

But I applaud my parents for they never really put us in hell. Whatever, emotionally, they were going through... they made sure they never took that out at home.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

I have these memories of watching my dad thoroughly enjoying his work and I would have so much fun on the sets.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

My dad felt I should give education priority since it will help me think better and differently from others.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

I never thought I would debut in a Telugu film; it was my destiny to take up a film that, incidentally, was about destiny.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

I look for diversity in roles.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

For some reason, I shied away from watching Telugu films but now I am hooked to them.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

I've always loved telling stories.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

As a child I was on the sets all the time, even during vacation. Had I known I would be an actor, I'd have groomed and trained myself better.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

My family did not believe I could act when I started off.

Kalyani Priyadarshan

I would be glad to share the screen with anyone as long as I love my character and the story.

Kalyani Priyadarshan