Interview/ Kani Kusruti, actor
When independent filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light scripted history by winning the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, it was not just a proud moment for the film's team, but also a triumph for the collective aspirations of women across the country. Echoing this sentiment, Kani Kusruti, who plays a nurse in the film, tells THE WEEK, “I feel all women in India are part of this victory”. But will the win translate into actual change on the ground for women? Kusruti is doubtful. Still, this has never stopped her from taking up unconventional roles that explore the complexity of being a woman, like the IAS officer Kaveri in Maharani or the divisional forest officer Dina in Poacher. This commitment to the truth extends to her life as well. Whether it was dropping her surname as a protest against social hierarchy or speaking out against injustice during the #MeToo movement, boldness, for her, has never been a choice.
Q/ Tell us about your experience at Cannes. Were you expecting to win?
A/ It was really nice but hectic. It was also strange in the way we had to dress up and follow protocols. But overall, it was a beautiful experience and everybody was really warm. I wasn’t expecting to win, but after the premiere and the following day when we walked the red carpet, [seeing] the way people responded to the film, it felt like we had already won. The film resonated with the people who watched it, so it felt like a different victory. I feel all the women in India are a part of this victory and deserve to share this prize.
Q/ Tell us about the film crew's dance on the red carpet that went viral.
A/ The dance was spontaneous. In the film, there is a scene where the characters of Chhaya [Kadam] and Divya [Prabha] dance to a song. So Payal selected that song to play when we walked the red carpet. We were just really happy to be there and the song made us feel confident and carefree, so we began dancing.
Q/ What went behind planning your look for Cannes? You also showed your support for Palestine with a watermelon clutch.
A/ I did not want to spend too much time planning my look and going back and forth with it. I also did not want to collaborate with designers, but wanted something that I could afford, buy and re-wear. I like a lot of designers, but cannot afford them. So I opted for my friend’s designs at Salt Studio. I told her I wanted to show solidarity with Palestine and was thinking of watermelon embroidery, so she came up with the idea of a watermelon clutch instead. (Watermelon is a symbol of Palestine's protest against Israeli occupation of its territories.) I liked the idea because it was poetic.
Q/ You have always stood your ground, whether by dropping your surname or by supporting the #MeToo movement. How did this impact your career and how will this win change things?
A/ I don’t know if it is about standing my ground or not. Sometimes I think it is the way I look and that people have certain expectations from me. I don’t think things will change because the film won; I really have no answers. The situation is that I reach out to directors, but generally don’t even get a chance to audition.
Class ACT: Kani (left) in a still from All We Imagine As Light.
Q/ How has the response from the industry been after the win?
A/ A lot of people have reached out to me from different parts of India, but most of them are women. It’s been a beautiful sharing of happiness. Everyone wants to know the journey of an independent filmmaker, how did they find funding, and and the support they got, but I don’t know how many would have seen this vision prior to the win.
Q/ Will you be open to working in Hindi films?
A/ My Hindi is quite bad. I have to learn all my dialogues and still speak with a Kerala accent. If I get a chance, I feel it will be limited to certain characters and stories, but if it is a good script, I would not mind. I would love to work with the likes of Dibakar Banerjee and Sriram Raghavan.
Q/ What does this win mean for the Indian film industry and for independent filmmakers?
A/ I hope this win means we will believe more in the vision of new and independent filmmakers and support them. I truly wish that kind of change happens. Things will not change overnight, but I hope this adds to speeding [things] up. Kerala has had such support, but I wish for the whole country to have it.
Q/ Tell us about your role in the film.
A/ Payal wanted me to play the younger nurse played by Divya when she spoke to me about my role six to seven years ago. But the film kept getting postponed and by the time it was finally made, I had reached an age where I could not play her. I don’t look up to my character because she is very conservative and rigid, but there is a certain transition that happens in her journey. The fact that she allows herself to be bold is what I find positive in the character.
Q/ What do you think led to the win?
A/ When I read Payal’s script, it really touched me. It was extremely poetic and subtle; one can easily connect to it. When she directed the film, she managed to translate her feelings into it. I felt she was truly deserving of the prize. I don’t know about the win, but to be selected in this category itself is prestigious. (All We Imagine As Light is the first film from India in over 30 years to be selected in the Main Competition section at Cannes.)