Kala Kalyani: Playing first fiddle

Does anyone have an inkling that Kerala actress Kala Kalyani is the girl who played Nayanthara’s close buddy in Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal? Calculating the time and space since her debut film, Kala’s growth as an actress in just two years is quite impressive. Now, she is the leading lady in Engeyum Naan Iruppen, helmed by Malayalam director Benny Thomas, who is gearing up to release his maiden Tamil venture in September.

The actress plays a pampered little sister of four brothers, whose life turns topsy-turvy once she falls for a boy.  “The catchy script attracted me to the film that gives much prominence to my role. It’s a real story and has suspense ingredients to keep the viewers on the edge of the seat till the end. The movie absorbs the rustic charm in all its grace and I’m a tip-to-toe village belle,” she quips.

A classical dancer by profession, Kala shifted base to Chennai three years ago and opened a dance school. She is unwilling to compromise for anything short of a worthwhile character. “In a sentence, I can tell my selection of movies — I am ‘choosy’. This is a role I have been waiting to do. Tamil industry has plenty of room for the kind of roles I am looking for and will fit into. The language is so comfortable for me. I still listen to scripts, but I have my reservations for not taking the route to fame through onscreen intimacy or skin show,” she says while throwing light on her decision as she hails from a conservative background. Although Engeyum Naan Iruppen has yet to hit the screens, the actress has already signed her next film in Tamil,  which will roll in October.