'Toxic' is 'unlike anything' that Rukmini Vasanth has done before
What's the story
Rukmini Vasanth, who recently starred in Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1, is gearing up for her next projects. The actor will be seen opposite Yash in Toxic and also has a film with NTR Jr. directed by Prashanth Neel. In an interview with Variety, she revealed that her role as Kanakavathi in Kantara was carefully planned from the start.
Role preparation
Vasanth's role in 'Kantara' was pivotal from the start
Vasanth revealed that her character's motivations and dramatic reveal were crucial to the film's structure. "When Sir [Rishab Shetty] called me in for my first narration with him, and he told me upfront that this is all going to hinge on this girl's sudden twist and the deep-held desire of hers to take over this land that she doesn't reveal until the last moment." "That was very much planned, and that was something that I walked into fully aware of..."
Performance calibration
Vasanth's approach to performance calibration in 'Kantara'
Vasanth also spoke about the challenge of calibrating her performance to match the scale of Kantara while maintaining emotional authenticity. "In the world of Kantara: Chapter 1, some of the more restrained stuff can look too subtle to register because the scale is so large that you need to be able to match that scale." "It's like speaking-in a quiet living room, you can afford to whisper, but if you're in the tube, you need to shout a little bit."
Future endeavors
Vasanth's upcoming projects and experiences
Vasanth is excited about her upcoming projects, including Toxic and an untitled film with Neel and NTR Jr. She described her experience on the set of Toxic as "unlike anything that I've taken on before." "The working style has been really, really fascinating and very different from anything I've encountered. The way that Yash Sir and Geethu approach this film, the scripts, the way that we've gone about shooting has been an incomparable experience for me."
Industry insights
Vasanth's views on pan-India casting and industry collaboration
When asked about pan-India casting, Vasanth said the term is more relevant to the commercial side of cinema than the creative. She highlighted historical examples like actor-director V. Ravichandran's multi-industry production Shanti Kranti (1991). "I think pan-India films have been happening. They've been attempted for a really long time," she said. "Those are just labels and actors have been working across multiple industries all the time."