I have to prove myself as an actor: Harish Kalyan

It’s taken actor Harish Kalyan nearly eight years to get his big break in Tamil films despite being considered “hero material” and having ten Tamil and Telugu films to his credit. His participation in the reality show Bigg Boss seems to have catalysed a change in his fortune. The young actor stars in the much-anticipated romantic musical Pyaar Prema Kadhal opposite Raiza Wilson, another Bigg Boss contestant. With the film set to hit silver screens this Friday, Harish chats with DC.

The importance of PPK
Talking about how important the film is to him, Harish says, “Bigg Boss gave me a wide reach and recognition, and this is my first film since then. I have to prove myself as an actor, and so Pyaar Prema Kadhal will play a crucial role in my career. All said and done, I have given the film my 100 per cent.”

How it happened
The actor, who was the second runner-up on Bigg Boss, reveals that he bagged the film almost immediately after wrapping up the reality show. “Just three days after coming out of the Bigg Boss house, I got a call from Yuvan Shankar Raja sir’s office asking me to meet with director Elan. He narrated the script of PPK, I loved it, and I gave it my nod. It’s something I haven’t tried so far,” he says, adding, “It was only later that I came to know that Yuvan had suggested my name for the role because he thought that based on my age and looks, I would be apt for this youthful romantic subject.

What it’s about
Giving us a little sneak-peek into the story, the actor says, I play Sree, a naïve, good-natured Chennai guy who works at an IT company, and Raiza plays Sindhuja, an ambitious, modern girl. The film is about how these two people with totally contradictory natures fall in love and the conflicts that arise out of their relationship. Though the couple goes through emotional ups and downs, it’s not a hard-hitting love story, it’s narrated in a fun-filled manner. The quirky treatment given by Elan has made it a youthful entertainer. It will be very relatable to the current generation.

Lip-locks and sensuous scenes
“Apparently, a story like this commands a few intimate scenes. They’ve been shot aesthetically by the director, and there are no lip-locks,” Harish says, laughing.

Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music: A high point
Giving credit where credit is due, he says, “Yuvan’s music is the soul of the film. The songs have already created a huge buzz among the audience. It’s been a long time since a breezy musical hit Tamil cinemas. There are small, cute lines throughout the film.”