Sanjay Malavalli: College Kalavida is a musical love story with a strong social message  

College Kalavida is all set to bring a fresh wave of youthful energy to Kannada cinema. While it presents itself as a musical love story, the film goes beyond romance, talking into real and relevant issues—most notably, the growing problem of drug use among college students.

The brain behind the project, Sanjay Malavalli, steps into the director’s chair for the first time after over 15 years of being an assistant and associate director. In a conversation ahead of the film’s release this week, Sanjay, along with the actor, producer, and composer opened up about what College Kalavida truly means to them.

“I’ve worked on over 15 films in various roles, but this is my directorial debut. I’m also a writer and lyricist. Under the mentorship of Mandya Ramesh, I learned the value of storytelling that connects. College Kalavida is not just about love; it’s about friendship, relationships, humour, fights—and yes, real issues like drugs that students face today.”

Described as a musical love journey, the film blends beautiful melodies, youthful energy, and the rawness of campus life. It was shot across visually rich locations like Bengaluru and Chikkamagaluru.

Tarun Sharma, the producer of the film, comes from a business background in iron and steel, and reveals his iron-clad belief in the story. “I had no experience in films, but I loved the story the director narrated, and took the leap. I’m playing a villain in the film too—something the director insisted on. I’ve done my best, and the audience will decide if I’ve succeeded. If the response is good, I’ll continue producing—and maybe even acting.”

The film will be released in over 100 theatres across Karnataka under Shalini Arts Distribution.

Returning to films after a stint in TV serials, Aaraav Surya plays the lead—a sketch artist and a typical college student whose life takes an emotional turn when he falls in love. “I started acting in 2016, then moved to serials. With College Kalavida, I return to cinema with a good role. My character experiences the highs and lows of love, friendship, and family bonding, while the drug subplot gives the film a hard-hitting reality. It’s more than just a love story.”

Music director Suraj Jois called College Kalavida his most special project yet. “This is my 13th film. There are four songs—I’ve sung two myself. We’ve created a special theme track as well. The background score, the dialogues, the humour—it all comes together beautifully. The director deserves the credit for it.”

Apart from the leads, the film features Huliraya Karthik in a comedic role, veteran actor Ramesh Bhat, and actor Harini. The technical crew include cinematographer Anand Sundaresh and choreographer Baalu.