Actor Kalyani Priyadarshan has opened up about working with Fahadh Faasil, every cinephile’s beloved 'Fafaa', while promoting her upcoming films. In a conversation with critic Baradwaj Rangan on Galatta Plus, she described her Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira co-star as both an inspiration and a reassurance for her own craft.

Recalling the first day on set with Fahadh and director Althaf Salim, Kalyani admitted she was nervous. “There was this big scene, and Althaf just threw me right into it with no warm-up. Fahadh saw I was tense and told me, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll have to reshoot this anyway.’ At first, I didn’t understand, but he explained that it always takes him a few days to really find his character. Once he settles in, he usually feels like the earlier takes were wrong and asks for reshoots.”

That honesty, she said, gave her a sense of security. “It happens to me a lot too, and I realised that’s not weakness but part of the process. As an actor, you need to be both incredibly self-confident and incredibly insecure. Fahadh has that balance. I, on the other hand, have the insecurity part locked in, but not the confidence yet. Watching him made me trust my own process more.”

She added that Fahadh’s commitment extends to the smallest of moments. “Even if it’s a shot where he’s just lying down and only his finger is in the frame, he’ll check the monitor and say, ‘I could do this better.’ Imagine that level of dedication!” The actor called it a “big learning process” and a rare experience that has stayed with her.

Kalyani is gearing up for a packed Onam at the box office with two back-to-back releases. Dominic Arun’s Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, co-starring Naslen, hits theatres on August 28, clashing directly with Mohanlal’s Hridayapoorvam. The very next day, on August 29, audiences will see her opposite Fahadh in Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira.