Rukmini worked for 17 hours straight for Birbal Trilogy

Rukmini Vasanth made her debut into the Kannada film industry with Birbal Trilogy - Case 1: Finding Vajramuni, directed by M G Srinivas, that released on Friday. After graduating from Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London, she worked in theatre for a few years.
In a candid chat with Tini Sara Anien, she shares about her exciting journey in Sandalwood so far.

What got you interested in acting?

I have always loved artforms and acting. My mother is a dancer, and I started dancing when I was six and theatre when I was 10. The idea of storytelling through my actions and word, which people could see what I was trying to explain was intoxicating.

Is acting in the theatre and movies different?

Both the spaces need a different kind of stamina. In theatre, one needs the energy to last through an hour or two straight in front of an audience, without a break.

In a film, one must be able to go through a scene or emotion, even up to 20 times until the perfect shot is achieved; each take has to be as fresh as before because one doesn’t know which one will be the right one. I realised only after my first shot for the film that when another take is done, it can’t be like a rewind.

What about films brought you to Sandalwood?

I wanted to explore every style of storytelling. I had learned the basics of acting in my course which I wanted to put into practice. I work with an agency, and they informed me about ‘Birbal’. I went for the audition with my mother, did some readings, and we ended up spending hours with Srinivas sir and Sujay Shastry sir. It was a great experience and very motivating. I knew that I wanted to do the role.

Tell us a bit about your role.

I play the role of Jhanvi Bhargav, an advocate who works at the same law firm that Mahesh Das (played by M G Srinivas) works at. Jhanvi is an ambitious person and deals with different pressures by society. I always wanted to do a role which was beyond just making me look nice on screen and to be a prominent part of the story. This role was just that.

How did you prepare for your role?

Apart from talking to a few lawyer friends, I didn’t do much. I didn’t watch too many similar films as I didn’t want to feel intimidated. We did a few workshops before the film. I had to tone down on the expressions as the camera magnifies the smallest thing one does unlike theatre.

How was your chemistry with Srinivas?

He is a great person to work with. He helped me with my Kannada. He was very supportive and knows how to motivate one to reach a particular goal.

Any fun moments on the sets?

There were lots of fun moments. When we were shooting for the song ‘Ragini Madam’, I found a sack of popcorn lying around. My makeup artiste and I sat in my room, and we started eating it, while Srini sir was trying to find the sack. There was a time when we shot for 17 hours straight. I always had the patience to work on things I love for as long as it takes, but I am not sure if everyone would find that fun.

Will you continue working in theatre?

A lot of people have asked me this question and the answer is yes. I want to continue working on stage and in front of the camera. Both these platforms challenge me in different ways, and I would like to continue both of them.

A genre in films you want to work with?

I would love to work in a romantic comedy, but would like to take a shot at everything.