Vinayan remembers Kalpana: ‘She felt the ban on Prithviraj Sukumaran was unfair’; Director shares emotional note

It has been ten years since Malayalam cinema lost Kalpana. Time has moved fast but the space she left behind still feels empty.



Director Vinayan remembers Kalpana not just as a performer, but as a human being with a clear mind and a brave heart.


Vinayan worked with Kalpana in films like 'Albhutha Dweepu', 'Aakashaganga', and 'Velli Nakshatram'. In all these films her characters brought laughter and joy. For many people, Kalpana will always be remembered for her smiling face and perfect comic timing. But Vinayan says there was much more to her than what people saw on screen.

More than laughter and a smiling face

In his Facebook post, Vinayan wrote, “It has been ten years since Kalpana left us…How quickly time passes…I can never forget Kalpana, whom I always saw with a smiling face. In many of my films like Albhutha Dweepu, Aakashaganga, and Velli Nakshatram, her characters created a festival of laughter. But today, I want to remember that beyond that smiling face, Kalpana had a personality with strong convictions.”

When others hesitated, Kalpana signed

Vinayan then talks about the time when 'Albhutha Dweepu' was being planned. That was a difficult period in the industry.


Actor Prithviraj was facing a ban imposed by AMMA. Many actors were scared to work with him. Some refused to sign the agreement. Others said openly that they could not act alongside him.


Kalpana reacted very differently. Vinayan recalls that she signed the contract without fear and with a smile. He wrote, “Albhutha Dweepu was being planned at a time when AMMA had imposed a ban on Prithviraj. While other actors hesitated to sign agreements, saying they couldn’t act with him, Kalpana smiled and told Ambili chettan (Jagathy Sreekumar), ‘Didn’t Vinayan say Pakru is the hero? That’s all we need to know… so I’ve signed.’”

That was Kalpana, says Vinayan

Vinayan also shared that Jagathy Sreekumar signed the film with a smile after hearing Kalpana. Later, the ban on Prithviraj was lifted. Vinayan clearly believes Kalpana felt the ban was unfair. He ended his note by saying, “Eventually, the ban was lifted. Kalpana clearly believed that what the organisation did to Prithviraj was unfair. That was Kalpana.”


Kalpana Priyadarshini was born on October 5, 1965 and passed away on January 25, 2016. She acted in over 300 films across South Indian languages, mainly Malayalam and Tamil. She won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for 'Thanichalla Njan'.


Kalpana entered cinema as a child artist and later became one of the most loved actors ever. On the other hand, Prithviraj Sukumaran will be next seen in 'Khalifa' and SS Rajamouli's 'Varanasi'. Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”