Actor Kani Kusruti, who earned global spotlight with ‘All We Imagine As Light’, delivered a moving performance as a rape survivor in the hard-hitting film ‘Assi’. The Anubhav Sinha-directed Hindi film, which recently dropped on Zee5, delves into a sensitive issue and is not a comfortable watch. The movie depicts the ordeal of schoolteacher Parima who is literally lifted off the street by strange men, brutally raped and left to die by the railway tracks. But the Kerala State Film Award-winning actress did not term performing the traumatising scenes as being ‘difficult’.
“You are an actor, a professional. All scenes are difficult for an actor. It has similar difficulties as in shooting other scenes,” she explained. “Cinema is fiction. You are enacting something. But such things happen for real and that is what is horrible and horrific. That’s the difference,” Kani Kusruti said.
But despite its highly relevant subject and glowing reviews from critics, the film did not attract larger audiences at the theatres. When asked about this, Kani responded, “There is a risk when you take a certain subject, is what I think. It is a difficult subject to watch, that could have led to such a situation. The moment you hear this (rape) is the subject, it could disturb people who would not want to watch it in theatres,” Kani added.
However, she further said that despite the sensitive subject, the film does not end on a tragic note as this particular survivor moved on in life. “Her life changed, but did not end. Her husband’s character is compelling. He quietly observes, trying to make sense of the situation while also caring for their child. Only somebody who goes and watches the film will know that it has that side to it also,” she further explained.
A poster of the Hindi film Assi
Acting with Taapsee Pannu, Revathy
‘Assi’ also has other powerhouse performers Taapsee Pannu as advocate Raavi and veteran actress Revathy appearing as the impartial judge. “I didn’t have that many combination scenes with Taapsee and Revathy madam. That said, I grew up watching Revathy madam, and I was very happy to share a screen with her. I was quite fascinated by how Revathy madam, even though she was only there for a few days, immediately got into the skin of her character,” Kani recounted.
“I also have a lot of admiration for Taapsee. In an industry like Bollywood, she is able to stand for herself. Whatever the story is, she has to believe in it entirely. Very few artists have that kind of integrity. That is very admirable about her. Other than them, I was really happy to work with the other actors, including Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub (who played the husband Vinay), Jatin Goswami as the cop and even the younger artistes such as Akshara Padwal who was just brilliant as Vidya,” Kani added.
Malayalam actress in Hindi projects
Kani candidly admits that she doesn’t know Hindi, adding that most of the time her characters become Malayali because of it. “But for Parima in ‘Assi’, they wanted someone who was not from central Delhi. Could be from any part of India but not urban born. They said if Kani is doing it, they will make her a Malayali,” she explained.
Kani has also been a part of the Hindi series Maharani, which she credits for getting acquainted with the language.
Kani is currently working on El Clasico, starring Tovino Thomas and Nazriya Nazim. There is also the Malayalam film Anchaam Pramaanam, led by veteran actress Suhasini Maniratnam. She has an independent Hindi film too, which is yet to be announced. Then there is Maharani Season 5, she added before signing off.