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Rukmini Vasanth On The Power of Manifesting Roles
The Sapta Sagaradaache Ello actor is sought after not just in Kannada cinema but in other industries as well. She talks to The Hollywood Reporter India about how things have been going, and how she would like them to go.
Rukmini Vasanth knows that author-backed roles aren’t easy to come by and that it’s all a matter of patience.
The RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts) trained actor began her professional journey more than five years ago, but it was Hemanth M Rao’s 2023 film Sapta Sagaradaache Ello in which she found the right platform to showcase her chops. The two-part love story, also starring Rakshit Shetty, saw her imbue the central character of Priya with great nuance and since then, Rukmini has steadily become an actress to watch out for.
So it wasn’t really a matter of surprise that she scored lead roles in big productions like Bagheera and Bhairathi Ranagal, followed by a couple of gigs in Tamil cinema alongside Vijay Sethupathi and Sivakarthikeyan. Each of these opportunities came as a unique challenge to her, not only because she was collaborating with some of the biggest names around but also because she ventured into territory that she wasn’t very familiar with.
Each film helps you grow and learn, says the actress, as effervescent as ever. The Hollywood Reporter India asked her about the kinds of films she is drawn to, the art of being patient and manifesting and what advice she seeks from colleagues:
Some fans or audiences back home in Karnataka are a little hesitant about you working outside the Kannada film industry. How do you react to that?
I don't think anyone wants you to not venture outside Kannada cinema. The tenor of the audience here is that they want you to explore other industries or regions but not leave the Kannada audience in perpetuity. And I completely echo that sentiment. There is a sense of pride among audiences here when they see their talent thriving in other industries. They want you to grow.
What, then, would you say are the criteria for picking a project?
The simple idea at the moment is to work with interesting people and the projects they come with. Bagheera, even though my role is short in terms of screen time, interested me because of the superhero/vigilante genre and the opportunity to work with an entity like Hombale Films. Bhairathi Ranagal, on the other hand, gave me the chance to star alongside Shivanna (Shiva Rajkumar), so I got to check that off the list.
You must also note that with my limited experience, I have to take each film as it comes. I am trying to understand an ecosystem that is new to me and making decisions that seem right in the moment. There are no hard-and-fast rules here. What’s really important is that I continue to enjoy being an actor and stay clear from tactical or rational decisions just yet.
One might say that films like Bagheera or Bhairathi Ranagal are a bit of a departure for you, considering their ‘massy’ nature. Would you agree?
I could agree that the space you describe isn’t what I am naturally inclined to. I might not be the target audience here, but I wouldn’t know if I am suited to the part unless I try it out. Even if a film is mounted on a large scale and is tonally different from something like Sapta Sagaradaache Ello, it comes with its own challenge. I don’t sign on to these (big-ticket) projects unless they offer me a worthy role and test me as an actor.
Bagheera’s pre-climactic scene, for instance, required me to scream, cry and emote in general, at a pitch that I am not used to. Yet, I wanted to explore that cinematic moment because I knew performing that scene wouldn’t be easy for someone like me who’s quite introverted in real life. It was physically and emotionally taxing, no doubt, but a memorable experience nevertheless.
Speaking of a target audience, what kind of films do you personally watch and enjoy?
I can’t watch or enjoy horror, that is for sure (laughs). I like life-affirming cinema that could be of any scale or sensibility - I recently watched Singin’ in the Rain (1952) for the first time and loved it - but as an actor, the desire is to be part of stories that are rooted and carry the specificities of a particular place, time or person. A ‘micro’ story, in other words, like Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light (2024), which I have yet to watch but I gather it is a beautiful film. The macro or larger-than-life film, too, is fun in its own way but I am looking forward to exploring something much closer to life.
How do you suppose you could get onto the radar of these filmmakers?
All I can do is manifest that I work with them at some point. It has actually worked for me in the past. I was an admirer of Hemanth Rao's films and wished to work with him for a long time. So when I learned that he was casting for the female lead of Sapta, I auditioned and got the part. And that film went on to have an exceptional impact on me as a performer. I also believe that meeting filmmakers you like and respect, and sharing your enthusiasm to work with them helps a lot.
Do you sense a gap between the cinema you like or seek and the cinema that’s coming your way?
No, certainly not. In the past, I might have resolutely put these films away as a viewer but I have grown to appreciate what they are about and how they are made. I do want to straddle both the mainstream, which I am very lucky to be part of, and the ‘niche’ because there’s lots of interesting work happening in both spaces.
Does having a mentor in the film fraternity help? Or perhaps a friend or colleague you could confide in and refer to?
A mentor definitely helps but I haven't had one so far. I am lucky to have a community of friends with varied amounts of experience and I get to talk to them to understand how to navigate a situation. But, at the end of the day, we all have unique experiences and trajectories to encounter so it is really about taking a path of your own, and wading through whatever that comes your way.