Harish Kalyan: Lubber Pandhu Is Like The Traditional Icing On The Cake

IF THERE'S ONE THING HARISH KALYAN does very well other than giving his best to a script that comes his way, it is reinventing himself every couple of films. And so, many are surprised when they realise he’s spent 14 years in the industry already! Because he still comes across as fresh, he still reinvents himself, and his career can be seen in blocks of two-three movies, a tiny break, and then another block. In the process, he has worked with new directors and their refreshing scripts, and been part of films that are set a little differently from the ruling trend. Think Pyaar Prema Kaadhal, Dhaarala Prabhu (the remake of Vicky Donor), Parking and the latest Lubber Pandhu, which has just premiered on Disney+ Hotstar while still running in theatres in Tamil Nadu, long after its release on September 20 this year.

In an interview, Harish speaks about how he’s worked on his career, the setbacks, coping with them, and working without a blueprint. Edited excerpts below:

Lubber Pandhu’s Anbu seems to have charmed everyone and reaped rich rewards at the box office and now on OTT. Looking back, did you envision this kind of audience love?

Not really. In my years in the industry, I have worked without a blueprint. I’ve learnt from every movie I made, be it Poriyaalan (2014) or Vil Ambu (2016). Each one has been an experience.

And then, there was Bigg Boss Tamil Season 1 (he was second runner-up). Post that, I got Elan’s Pyaar Prema Kaadhal (2018). I basically took up anything that I found convincing. I never came up with a ready plan that this is the route I would take to get to a certain point.

I started very early when I was 19 or 20. With age, I understood better, and my choices improved. I don’t regret anything, though. I have learnt from each of the films I did, and I have always worked on those learnings.

Harish, audience love does not come easy. In your case, you’ve won over an audience that feels for you, especially because some of your good films suffered due to Nature’s havoc, the pandemic…

True. Dharala Prabhu opened three days before theatres shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Oh Manapenne! dropped directly on OTT, again due to the pandemic. Parking released, and the 2023 Chennai floods followed soon after, affecting its theatrical run. It was a huge hit on OTT, though. Lubber Pandhu is like the traditional icing on the cake — it did very well in theatres and is receiving love on OTT.

While one must not harp on the past, I do feel bad for some of my films that were actually well-made but suffered for no real reason. They should have done well, but… Like Dhoni Sir says, focus on the game, not the result. There’s no other way to move on.

While you speak easily about that phase now, how was it to sit at home waiting for something to click?

That churning is very difficult to handle. You hope for something positive to happen, you know you’ve done your work, you have faith, but negative thoughts will always creep in. Some days, even now, my mind goes back to when I did nothing because I did not get any work. My issue was how to exist in a field where talent is the calling card when I don’t get enough chances.

I would tell myself that one has to wait to savour success, that what comes easily does not last, and that one has to make the right choice and wait. But, saying it is easier than living it.

Luckily, I had a great support system in my family, well-wishers and friends. I trained myself to respond and not react, to be patient and have a positive bent of mind.

And so, I would go with what I got, work to keep yourself ready to take on what might come next. One thing I did not do was indulge myself in self-pity because I was not the only one suffering. In every field, there would have been thousands of people like me, going through a dark phase.

You began young, and while you come with a body of experience, you are still in your early 30s...

Yes, age has lent some gravity to my thoughts. It has nudged me to think of the journeys of stars in the industry. I admire them for their journeys, and for how they handled the process. Ten years ago, I would not have spoken like this. I might have only seen what was outwardly visible.

Meeting people across ages, and working with them has been a huge learning curve. It has widened my perspective.

You mention Lubber Pandhu director Tamizharasan Pachamuthu in this list of people…

True. I learnt so much from his conviction. If we stop with acting in a film, and with our job in a particular scene, it is absorbing the full experience of acting. When I focussed on the film’s dialogues and the conversations on set, I understood how he approaches a subject, I understood his politics and idea of social justice better.

What about Lubber Pandhu got you on board?

The script was so rooted and real. There was no toxicity in the film. I could only see the issues of ego and caste, and how two families change. I saw what women go through when the man is not doing the right thing, and that somehow struck a chord in me. I also liked Anbu’s ideology and his conviction of doing the right thing. This was also a reason to say yes.

You mention the lack of toxicity in Lubber Pandhu, which shows you know how to identify it. How do you handle it when you’re midway through filming and realise the gaze is not all right?

We all are conscious to an extent of this, and if the script justifies it, I ask if something can be toned down. I definitely raise my doubts and questions. Probably, Ispade Rajavum Idhaya Raniyum has shades of such toxicity, but when Ranjith Jeyakodi sent me the script of an angry young man with a troubled childhood, that made sense. Also, I wanted to take it up, because it was so different from my last release Pyaar Prema Kaadhal.

We spoke of your films releasing in sets of two or three. How do you ensure there’s not too much repetition?

It is not in my hands alone, and until the audience watches a film, we never know what works or what does not work. That said, choosing different projects is not in my hands alone — I am dependent on directors bringing me such projects. And so, I don’t micro-plan my films.

Besides being a commercial success, Lubber Pandhu seems to have charmed audiences across the state and some outside, with many repeat-watching the movie. Is this a new experience?

Yes, and it is most heartening. I am delighted about the numbers — both at the box office and the ticket counters. I am so happy to see happy audiences. It was almost like they were waiting for this and celebrated it.

But yes, commercial success is important too, and it feels great. Because tomorrow it will open the door for others who dream big. It has brought in additional responsibility, that I should not take a bad call. Numbers are also very important because they will give me the freedom to choose bigger and different scripts.

What gave me great joy was watching people whistling in the theatre. Because, two decades ago, I used to be that young Class eight boy who watched movies in Udhayam, Kasi and Kamala, and screamed so hard my throat was sore at the end of it.