Actress Kalyani Priyadarshan is set to make her Hindi film debut opposite Ranveer Singh in the upcoming zombie action film titled Pralay. The film, centered on a zombie apocalypse theme, positions her as the leading lady in an unusual narrative.
Her Hindi debut sets her apart from others' Bollywood debuts. Zombie actioners are a rarity in Indian cinema. If done right, they offer a mix of horror, adrenaline-pumping stunts, and potentially global appeal. If Kalyani and Ranveer Singh are lucky, the film's production quality could match that of The Walking Dead or Train to Busan.
In contrast, many Southern actresses' Hindi debuts have lacked this level of excitement. For instance, Tamannaah Bhatia's entry in Chand Sa Roshan Chehra (2005) was a masala remake that fizzled due to outdated tropes and poor execution. Eight years later, she acted in Himmatwala, which too was a flop. By this time, Tamannaah was a big name in Telugu.
Similarly, Kajal Aggarwal's Singham (2011) stuck to formulaic cop drama without fresh elements. Trisha Krishnan's Khatta Meetha (2010) opted for comedy but suffered from weak scripting. Even more recent ones, like Keerthy Suresh in Baby John (2024), underperformed amid crowded releases.
