'Naslen is now my favorite actor', says Priyadarshan; compares 'Premalu' actor to Kamal Haasan - 'innocent, yet a good liar'

Ace filmmaker Priyadarshan heaped praise on young actor Naslen at the trailer launch of 'Lokah: Chapter 1', which stars his daughter Kalyani Priyadarshan alongside Naslen.The veteran director drew a surprising comparison between Naslen and legendary actor Kamal Haasan, recalling how he first noticed Haasan’s remarkable qualities decades ago. “When I watched 'Vishnu Vijayam', I noticed Kamal Haasan’s acting style, innocence, and sly mischievousness. He was someone with tremendous innocence, yet you’d realize he was a very good liar at the same time. The same thing is happening again now—with Naslen,” Priyadarshan said.He even added warmly, “Naslen is now my favorite actor.” The young actor humbly responded with folded hands, thanking the senior filmmaker for his kind words.The proud father also reflected on Kalyani Priyadarshan’s unexpected journey into cinema. “I never thought my daughter would enter cinema. One day she came to me and said, ‘Dad, Nagarjuna uncle is asking if I can act in one of his films.’ I asked her, ‘Do you think you can manage? They will say many things, but we must be aware of our own abilities.’ She said, ‘Let me give it a try, we have nothing to lose.’ So I said okay, and that’s how Kalyani started acting,” he shared. Priyadarshan admitted that as a father it felt strange to watch her perform fight sequences on screen, but he acknowledged it as the “magic of cinema.” He added sincerely, “Films made by children like her always need the blessings of fathers like me. So I sincerely wish 'Lokah' becomes a global hit.”Priyadarshan, who has directed 98 films, also reflected on his long journey in the industry. “If you ask me if I’ve completed 100, I would still say no. I’m not even sure if it will ever reach 100. Films just happen. I haven’t directed a film in the last eight years. Some films were bad, many were good—that’s part of a filmmaker’s life,” he said. Stressing on the importance of passion, he concluded, “Failures don’t really matter. Whatever the result, we must keep doing our work. Cinema is the greatest passion for all of us.”