I want to do realistic cinema: Kalyaan Dev

Kalyaan Dev, who awaits the release of Vijetha, says that becoming an actor was his childhood dream. “I’ve always wanted to be an actor since I was really little. My passion is to act. After engineering, I went into my family business and it was only recently that I’ve learnt the nuances of acting from Satyanand master for six months. After that, I got an offer from Bollywood, but it didn’t work out. Finally, I’m making my debut with Vijetha that delves into a father-son relationship,” says Kalyaan, who is married to Chiranjeevi’s younger daughter Srija. 

The debutant comes with the baggage of the mega family and knows that he has to keep up that reputation. “I know that fans will have expectations. But the only reason I signed up for this project is because of my mavayya's (Chiranjeevi) judgement. If a man having such exceptional experience in the industry is pleased with the script, I felt it would be the right film for my launch.”

The film’s title was borrowed from Chiranjeevi’s 1985 hit Vijetha. So, is it a sequel to the Megastar’s film? “We didn’t think of any title for a long time. When Rakesh suggested Vijetha, we decided to only keep it as the working title fearing backlash from fans. However, once the shooting was completed, the team was convinced that the title Vijetha was ideal for this story. This story is entirely different from mavayya’s film and I’m sure it will be really exciting.”

The film is about an engineering graduate who is criticised by his father for being jobless. “Vijetha has a little bit of everything -- action, comedy, dance. But the packaging is different and there will even be a few surprises,” he adds.

Kalyaan says that he experienced a sense of fulfilment on the first day of the shoot itself when he had to do a solo scene, walking out from a car. “When I finished and looked around there was pin drop silence on the location and people were staring at me. It was a wonderful moment. Thereafter, I started to interact with everyone on the sets and that comfort helped me bring out the right emotions.”

The actor says he has no qualms doing whatever the profession demands. “I believe in realistic cinema and I want to try and work in diverse genres. I want to strike a balance by doing commercial, action and romantic films. If a role demands it, I don’t mind going the extra mile to sport a six-pack or undergo physical transformations,” he says, adding, “I am inclined towards offbeat films too. I want to test my acting abilities.”

Has his wife Srija watched the film? Kalyan makes a startling revelation. “I must admit that she is not a film buff and watches only one or two films a year...not more than that! She is yet to watch this one, but saw a few rushes along with her father (Chiranjeevi). She has been really supportive and complimented me based on what she saw.”