A couple of days ago, the Internet was flooded with reports that actress Kavya Kalyanram had said that she was body shamed by filmmakers when she attended auditions. But the actress has clarified that she had said nothing of the sort.
“First of all, I haven’t experienced any body shaming by filmmakers. And I have said nothing about such things. I wonder where these rumours have come from,” she says, adding that she was shocked to see the reports, which have been spreading like wildfire.
LAWYER TURNS LEAD ACTRESS
As a child artiste, Kavya was part of a handful of films, like Gangotri, Bunny, Balu, Pandurangadu and Ullasanga Utsahanga. She subsequently studied law at Pune, and practiced full time as a lawyer in the High Court of Telangana for six months before the pandemic hit.
“I wasn’t considering getting back to acting. As a child artiste, I was too young to understand films as a career. I studied law with all seriousness. But the acting bug suddenly bit me out of nowhere. I felt like giving it a shot because I felt it was the right time to try,” she shares.
And so she started meeting people and giving auditions. “I realised that auditioning is tougher than acting,” she smiles, but adds that she never had any apprehensions about auditioning for films despite being a lawyer.
Kavya eventually debuted with Masooda, which was a hit. She followed that up with another blockbuster, Balagam.
And now, her Ustaad is readying for release. “I have been enjoying the process of filmmaking. I like being on film sets,” says the actress.
When she tells the cast and crew of her films that she’s a qualified lawyer, they’re surprised, and even more so when she attends online Court sessions on the film sets. “During the pandemic, court proceedings were mostly online, so I would attend them after taking permission from my filmmakers. But as Covid-19 waned, physical appearance became the norm again.”
Attending Court sessions is as demanding as acting, and since she needs to be present in Court to practice law, Kavya has decided to prioritise her acting career. “But I keep tabs on what’s happening on the law front, and even give legal counselling during my free time,” she says.
When someone from the film industry meets Kavya for the first time, they normally ask, ‘Do you know Telugu?’ Having been born in Kothagudem and raised in Hyderabad, this question naturally surprises her. “I even dubbed for myself in all my films,” she exclaims.
HOUSEHOLD NAME
The super success of Balagam made her a household name. Kavya says she was showered with great love and respect. “Being just three films old, the adulation was incredible,” shares the actress.
“Moreover, I went to a law school, not to an acting school, so this response and interactions with the audience are interesting and exciting.”
Kavya has realised that ‘things move slowly in the film industry and patience is needed,’ and that ‘talent and hard work never go unnoticed.’
She says her decisions have been impulsive. “I am glad that I haven’t thought too much, that’s why I am successful. Sometimes not thinking too much helps. Now I am deeply into cinema and love what I do. Acting keeps you busy even while you are away from the film sets. You may be rehearsing a scene or practising dialogue,” she says, signing off.
