Following the footsteps of both her parents - ace filmmaker Priyadarshan and former actress Lissy, Kalyani Priyadarshan started her career in the film industry by assisting Anand Shankar in the Nayanthara and Vikram-starrer Iru Murugan. Much before taking to the film industry, Kalyani studied at New York`s Parsons School of Design. While most thought she would turn director, just like her father, she took to acting, like her mother. Making her debut, she was cast opposite Nagarjuna`s younger son Akhil Akkineni in award-winning director Vikram Kumar`s Telugu action romance thriller Hello! in 2017. Her other releases include Ranarangam, Chitralahari, Hero and Varane Avashyamund, Maanaadu (2021) and Lokah: Chapter 1 - Chandra (2025)