Actor Kani Kusruti, who gained worldwide acclaim for her role in Payal Kapadia's 'All We Imagine as Light', which won the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival, recently shared her early career struggles.
During an interview with Asianet, Kani recounted her experience landing the lead role in the critically acclaimed film 'Biriyaani', directed by Sajin Baabu. This role ultimately earned her the Best Actress award at the Kerala State Film Awards. She described how Sajin approached her when she was in a dire financial situation. Despite her reservations about the script, she admitted to him that she was in no position to take on the project and advised him to find another actor.
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Kani elaborated, "I told Sajin I wasn't interested in doing the film because I had significant issues with the script. At the time, I was being offered around Rs 70,000, but I only had about Rs 3,000 in my account. So, getting Rs 70,000 was a substantial relief," she recounted. "That's how I ended up taking the role."
Kani made a notable appearance at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Her choice to carry a watermelon clutch on the red carpet was a deliberate statement of solidarity with the people of Palestine.