Harish Kalyan: Bigg Boss Tamil has given me identity
Harish Kalyan, who was last seen in 2016’s Vil Ambu, is oddly not nervous at all about the impeding release of his biggest film till date, Pyaar Prema Kaadhal. The actor attributes getting the role to his stint in the first season of Bigg Boss Tamil. “It got me recognition and gave me an identity. Right after the show, I got a call from Yuvan sir’s office,” says Harish, whose upcoming release is the first production venture of music composer Yuvan Shankar Raja. “I listened to Elan’s script, and loved the story and the characterisation. As if that weren’t enough, I learned that Yuvan sir would be composing for the film too,” he says.
The film, he says, is a ‘straightforward love story’. “It is about all the fun moments in a relationship. I really like the quirky treatment that makes this film quite unique. It’s a take on modern relationships, and is based on the lives of two characters, Sree and Sindhuja,” says the actor, who is paired in the film with fellow Bigg Boss contestant Raiza Wilson. “I think it’s probably because of Bigg Boss again, but it could also be because they thought we make a good pair on screen. But that said, we both went through rigorous auditions and workshops. Yuvan sir was happy with her performance in the auditions. The tremendous response for the film’s first look has proved his intuition right.”
The chemistry of the lead pair has been a much discussed topic ever since the promo visuals of the film made their way online. “Interestingly, she wasn’t even in the Bigg Boss house when I went in. We became friends only after the show, thanks to the workshops which helped us reach a comfort zone. We had no inhibitions about performing intimate scenes either,” says Harish, who is quick to bring the topic back to Yuvan. “After seeing the rough cut, Yuvan sir decided to add more songs to the album than planned. He felt we could convey the emotions better through songs than just the background score.” Some of the film’s tracks have garnered millions of hits on YouTube. “We are bringing back the old trend of films having a lot of songs. You could call it a musical,” he says.
Be it in this film, or in the highly underrated 2014 film, Poriyaalan, Harish believes it’s his boy-next-door persona that helps him fit seamlessly into the role of a hero. “It also helps me connect with the audience as the majority of them instantly relate to such characters. But my role in this film will be more animated. He’s not a subtle character; he’s someone with a veguli thanamaana kurumbu. This is in total contrast to Raiza’s character, who is a bold, independent woman with ambitions.”
The actor, who debuted with the controversial Sindhu Samaveli in 2010, feels he is finally on the verge of success. “I don’t think about the past as I remain focussed on the present and the future. While I may not have a set of rules as an actor, I think I’m diligently following a mental roadmap drawn for myself.” Harish also worked on a few Telugu films in between and admits the foray to be a bad idea. “I don’t think I’ll be crossing borders any time soon. I’m very happy with doing Tamil films and I’m getting good offers here. I’m now working on a film by director Ranjit Jeyakodi (of Puriyatha Puthir fame) with music by Sam CS. It’s also a love story, but it’s quite different from Pyaar Prema Kaadhal.”
Many don’t know about the musical side of this actor, a self-confessed budding composer and lyricist. “I used to compose my music and write a lot. Though I don’t see myself becoming a full-fledged composer in the future, I’ll definitely sing sometime, and write if I get the chance.”