Kayadu Lohar, who is currently seen alongside Tovino Thomas in Pallichattambi, has quickly become one of the most sought-after young actors in South Indian cinema. She has been balancing projects in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Marathi films.
Last year, she gained wide popularity with Dragon, in which she starred opposite Pradeep Ranganathan. Her Telugu film Funky also released recently.
“Actually, Pallichattambi came to me even before Dragon,” Kayadu says. “Director Dijo sir approached me after watching my earlier Malayalam film, Pathonpatham Noottandu. He told me that he liked my performance in that film and wanted me to be part of Pallichattambi.” She says she instantly connected with the script and her character.
“The moment I read the script, I knew I wanted to do this role. My character is very important to the story, and it put me in a completely different space as an actor. That is why this film will always remain special in my career,” explains the actor.
Kayadu plays Rebecca in the film, a role she describes as unlike anything she has done before. “Rebecca is intelligent, grounded and very rooted. She is not written from a glamour perspective. My role has a lot of importance in the film, and I believe it will help me grow further as an actor,” says Kayadu. She adds that the character has been written with great depth. “It is such a well-written role. There is a lot of scope to perform, and that is what excited me the most.”
On how she manages to convincingly portray rooted, rural characters despite appearing urban in real life, Kayadu said that appearances can be misleading. “Maybe I look urban on the outside, but I have always been a very rooted girl. As an actor, I work according to the script and mould myself into the character,” she says. The actor also revealed that she depends heavily on workshops before starting any film, especially when working in different languages.
“I always do a workshop before shooting. I cannot begin a film without one,” she says. “Since I don’t know every language fluently, I hire a dialogue or acting coach. That person travels with me for a few days and helps me learn the dialogues, the accent and the pronunciation.” Kayadu says she spends a lot of time understanding the script in detail before stepping onto the sets. “I read the script thoroughly and make sure I understand every scene completely. It helps me understand the emotions and the meaning of the role even when I am acting in another language. The workshops help me prepare better and feel more confident,” she explains.
For Pallichattambi, however, Kayadu says she did not go overboard with her preparations. “I mostly read books and did some basic research, but Dijo sir specifically asked me not to do too much. He already had a very clear vision of the character and the film. He told me that too much research can sometimes create confusion.”
Talking about her look in the film, Kayadu reveals she appears in two different avatars. “The director had complete clarity about how my character should look, so we did not really take references from anywhere,” she says.
However, the biggest challenge for her was memorising the dialogues. “I usually prepare my scenes well in advance. Sometimes I rehearse two pages of dialogue before coming to the set,” she laughs. “But then Dijo sir would suddenly give me another page and say, ‘Kayadu, these are the new dialogues.’ So I had to quickly adapt and prepare all over again.”
Kayadu also speaks fondly about working with Tovino Thomas and admits that he initially intimidated her. “Usually I am very confident, but Tovino is the first actor who made me feel intimidated. He is extremely talented and intelligent as an actor. He studies the script in great detail, and that is something I am still learning.”
She says watching him perform on set inspired her throughout the shoot. “He pushed me to become a better actor. He is an amazing performer, and every film of his is special. Working with him was a huge learning experience for me,” she adds.
Speaking about the film, Kayadu describes Pallichattambi as an emotional family entertainer. “It is a beautiful film that the entire family can watch together. There are no restrictions or boundaries when it comes to the audience for this film. Once people watch it, they will understand why we made it. There is no agenda behind the story,” she says.
Finally, Kayadu says she has no regrets about films that did not work commercially. The actor’s recent Telugu film Funky received mixed reviews at the box office, but she believes that an actor can only focus on giving their best. “The result of a film is never in my hands. All I can do is give my best to every project. Of course, I feel sad when a film does not work, but that does not change the effort I put into it.”
On her current busy phase in the South, Kayadu says, “I feel blessed that Dragon turned out to be a success. Everything changed after that film.”
On her upcoming films, Kayadu signs off by saying, “I’ve signed a few Tamil films and I’m listening to a few Telugu scripts as well. But, for now, my focus is completely on The Paradise.”