Bagheera actor Rukmini Vasanth: Even if you’re a star kid, there’s a learning curve in the film industry

Some little-known facts about actor Rukmini Vasanth, though, are that she is the daughter of Ashoka Chakra recipient Colonel Vasanth Venugopal and has graduated from acting from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. Today, she has films with Tamil stars Vijay Sethupathi and Sivakarthikeyan and Kannada star Shiva Rajkumar. She is also looking forward to the Diwali release of her Kannada film Bagheera that’s written by Prashanth Neel, directed by Dr Suri and features Sriimurali. In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, Rukmini Vasanth opened up about her career and what she hopes for in the coming days. (Bagheera trailer: Sriimurali turns vigilante in story penned by Prashanth Neel; fans call him ‘Kannada Batman’)

Tell us about Hombale Films’ Bagheera which is releasing on October 31.

It’s an action thriller drama kind of genre and it’s an engaging action thriller in my opinion. A lot of people have been using the words ‘superhero film’ and it’s really cool for the Kannada film industry to have a homegrown superhero. I’ve not seen the entire film yet but I think it’s come out really well technically and presented beautifully.

What about your role in Bagheera?

It’s a cracking role! Dr Suri called me in for a narration before I signed the film and he told me that it’s not a very big role in terms of the screen time. But for me that’s never really been a consideration for me because I don’t think people walk away after a film thinking about how long someone was on screen. They’re more invested in what the character made them feel or how they contributed to the story as a whole. When Suri sir told me about the character and her contribution to the story, I found it to be really impactful. There are some scenes in the film that have been really contributive to my growth as an actor. I think it has expanded my vocabulary of acting so that’s definitely been beautiful for me and I hope that it will resonate with the people.

In a very short span of time, you have achieved stardom, which is quite unusual for a newcomer. How does it feel?

It’s very interesting that you say that actually because I can appreciate that from someone else’s perspective it does look like a very short while. But from my perspective it’s been quite a while because I’ve been sort of toiling away at stuff quietly – a lot of the films that are finally coming to fruition now have been ones that we’ve been working on for like three years plus. I signed these films about three years ago and each of them is finding a time when they can actually be out in the world and be shared with people. It feels great. To answer your question, I feel really lucky that I’ve been offered these kinds of opportunities and that people resonate with the work that I’ve been able to do with a myriad groups. l feel like it’s been happening in the background for a while – it may look overnight but it certainly doesn’t feel like that. (smiles)

You had said that you called up director Hemanth Rao and asked him for a role in SSE and you landed it too. Do you think you got a lot of lucky breaks?

I think you’re missing a key factor – I auditioned for the role! I asked Hemanth if he’d be willing to audition me and after 10 days of, I presume, seeing my previous work or vetting my qualifications, he agreed to the audition. I then did prep for the audition and there was some direction, feedback, etc. There are significant moments in there so it’s not quite a cakewalk that one might imagine. But I feel when we are in this line there’s no need or occasion to be coy – if you want to work with someone jump up and tell them. I know I felt really good when I reached out to him – I was hoping he wouldn’t think it was unprofessional of me to reach out to him because that’s what we are taught as part of our drama school training. But the system in India is very different from the UK. I saw an article where the SSE team had said they were looking for a female lead and I reached out. I know full well that the final decision is theirs so we can do nothing but try our best and leave it there.

A performance-oriented role in SSE and you pulled it off. A big chance for a newcomer…

All that credit goes to Hemanth for taking a chance on a complete newbie and saying I’ve written this character that has almost equal weightage to a very seasoned hero (Rakshit Shetty) and to imagine that I could pull it off.

As you said, the business of cinema is very different in India and you are an outsider as well who’s had formal training to boot. How did you learn to navigate the system?

Whether or not you receive training, and where you receive training actually, I think is immaterial because each industry functions in a very different manner. I’ve had experience in the Kannada and Tamil industries and both these industries itself function very differently. Whether someone is trained in the UK or the National School of Drama or takes the Miss India route, you have to find your way and learn how to function in this industry particularly when you’re not from it and you’re not raised in this system. I think the learning curve is different for everybody and there always is a learning curve. Even if you are born into a film family, you have a learning curve. For me, it’s been fun. I’ve really enjoyed the growth and all the different lessons I’ve had to learn over the last few years.

You must be getting a lot of offers but are you choosy about your roles?

I would like to associate with teams that I respect and are doing really cool work. I’d like to be a part of those groups and the plot or genre doesn’t matter as I’d like to explore different genres. I think each of them kind of pulls out a different form of expression from the actor. For instance, I love love stories so if someone comes to me with an intense, dramatic or comedic love story, I’m pretty much hands down ready to do it. Bagheera, for instance, is an action film and I wanted to see how I could add to it in any way. Genre is something I’m not too fussed about but my character has to have some contribution to the plot.

I’m absolutely not closing myself off to the opportunity of showing up in a film for like five songs and some scenes as that’s something that is challenging. With that kind of limited screen time or limited space, how do you make your contribution? This is also a challenge but perhaps a challenge that I’m not ready for yet. If a role has some skills that I need to acquire for it, like I learnt surfing for Baanadariyalli or horse riding for another film, then these are also fun and you add to your own repertoire. I enjoy surfing now as a hobby and it’s something I’d have never picked up otherwise. I think it’s really beautiful to grow up just as Rukmini but also through my commitment for a film.

When you came into the film industry, did you have any goal in mind?

I just wanted to be employed and I still kind of do. (laughs) There’s a lot of joy that performing has given me and I want to be able to do that consistently.

Is there something you would never do on screen?

For me, personally, nudity on screen is something that I’m comfortable with so I’m pretty sure I can say that’s not going to happen. I believe in putting your emotions out there and showing emotional vulnerability as an actor but not physical vulnerability. Like Hemanth demanded absolute emotional vulnerability for SSE and this resonates with the people. I look for that in my characters because it makes it honest and real.

What’s next for you?

Right now, we are promoting Bagheera. I have two Tamil films and then Bhairathi Ranagal as well in Kannada. There’s some other stuff happening as well. I have not signed any Telugu film as of now, maybe in 2025!