[1][2] Born to filmmaker Priyadarshan and actress Lissy, Kalyani started her career as an assistant production designer.

[3][4] Kalyani was born on 5 April 1993 in Chennai, in a Malayali family[5][6] to Indian filmmaker Priyadarshan and actress Lissy.

[8] She completed her early schooling in Lady Andal, Chennai[9] and later studied in Singapore, where she also worked in theatre groups.

[13] The Hindu noted, "Kalyani Priyadarshan's entry happens a little late into the film but it's a commendable debut complementing and sharing good chemistry with Akhil.

[15] Firstpost stated, "Kalyani Priyadarshan does a fine job as an innocent, naive girl; however, her romantic track with Sai Dharam Tej is too superficial.

[19] The News Minute stated, "Kalyani easily carries off her role as the young woman.

[21] NDTV India wrote, "Kalyani Priyadarshan capture the present and the past in a seamless flow and is perfectly cast.

[24] Hindustan Times wrote, "Kalyani Priyadarshan is good and shines in the limited screen space she gets.

"[25] Her next release in the same year was Malayalam film Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea opposite Pranav Mohanlal.

Manorama Online noted, "Kalyani was effective as Nithya and her chemistry with Pranav is one of the high points of the film.

[32][33] The Week noted, "Kalyani's BePathu is a strong swag character who claims a huge social media following.

[43] On her film career, Subhash K. Jha from Rediff.com opined: "Kalyani has become a name to reckon with in Malayalam cinema.