Actor Harish Kalyan made his debut with the 2010 film Sindhu Samaveli, in which he played a young Anbu. Life indeed comes to a full circle, when 14 years later, the actor is once again playing a role named Anbu in his upcoming sports family drama Lubber Pandhu.

With Lubber Pandhu due for release on September 20, Harish Kalyan is seen sporting the ritualistic prayer to Sabarimala Aiyappa as he promotes his films on the sidelines. Does he believe in a power up there which can determine the results of our hard work, I ask. “Definitely, I do believe in a divine force. Some call it God, others universe. I believe that I need that support,” Harish Kalyan replies.

Harish Kalyan Interview for Lubber Pandhu

Looking at Harish Kalyan’s filmography, which is studded with films like Dharala Prabhu, Parking, and Pyaar Prema Kaadhal, that navigate on a space that is both commercial and uniquely placed premises, the actor says, “It is not a conscious decision to thread this path. Next up Diesel will be a full-on action film, which can change the path. But I do like to do roles that connect with the audience and close to reality characters. There will be a time when I have to try out something different. I think Diesel will be the starting point that way in my career.”

However, the actor also says Lubber Pandhu too is a commercial film which is filled with family sentiments, cricket and emotions. “The treatment will be rooted and mostly talks about the lifestyle of that place.”

Evolving sensibilities

Having made his debut with a controversial film like Sindhu Samaveli, and looking back at the types of films he has done so far, Harish Kalyan says that even as these films fall under the commercial sensibilities, bring a unique different flavour to the table which worked in support of these films. “Pyaar Prema Kadhal talked about live-in relationship, while Ispade Rajavum Idhaya Raniyum showed me as angry young man for the first time, and Parking explored the male egoistic nature, which is why these films worked,” he adds.

Harish, who is now a prominent face and headlines projects, recalls the time when he was once a people-shy person with stage fright. “I learnt everything with struggle and started to slowly break by fear. Cinema is a broader spectrum and when you get to evolve as a person and actor, I slowly gained to understand and be whatever I am. That has also shaped me in the way I listened to scripts and what I choose. I still keep learning and evolving as I meet people I meet every day,” Harish says.

After 14 years of being in the industry, Harish is satisfied with the path he has travelled. He says, “It depends purely on how audience take it, like how the movie does in terms of collection and recognition. That is how I see if my films have fared well or not, and that also goes into choosing my scripts. I do think from audience’s perspective, and I also a set of people I bounce back the scripts and consult on what I can do next, how will it turn up as a script, why should people see it.”

Playing cricket and Lubber Pandhu

Harish reiterates that at the core Lubber Pandhu will be a family drama that will have cricket as an important part. Having played cricket in real life as well, the actor says practice helped him to improvise. “On the sets, it is about acting and behaving like a proper cricketer and also bringing out your emotions for that particular shot. So, it is double layered. Once we learn the body language and bowling style beforehand, once we go on the sets we can work on the emotions.” He actor also promises that the pre-climax and climax portions of Lubber Pandhu will be emotional.

The actor says that he involves in script reading sessions with his co-stars, for his films like Pyaar Prema Kadhal, Ispade Rajavum Idhaya Raniyum, Dharala Prabhu, Parking, and Lubber Pandhu. “We do with the main characters and even on the sets, we try to build a rapport with other characters. I tend to focus on the characters that I play moments before the shot is fixed. I do take some time to dwell in the character for some time. I am completely a director’s actor, while I also give my inputs to the filmmaker.” Harish says that he enjoyed playing Anbu in Lubber Pandhu and also found similarities with himself. “I think I adore Anbu.”

Speaking about his next film Diesel, which will be Harish’s biggest film in his career, he says, “It will be a proper action entertainer, with much content. I don’t think that is discussed much on the big screen, made on big scale. While my film with Passion Studios, will be a complete love story.”

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