SANDALWOOD'S PUTTI WINS HEARTS

HER PORTRAYAL OF PRIYA IN SAPTA SAAGARADAACHE ELLO HAS WON OVER CINEMA ENTHUSIASTS. HERE'S MORE ON KANNADA FILM INDUSTRY'S STARLET... RUKMINI VASANTH

- IKYATHA YERASALA

She's wowed audiences with her portrayal of Priya in her second cinematic outing and has been at the receiving end of numerous accolades from film aficionados across the country. Meet actress Rukmini Vasanth, whose Kannada flick Sapta Saagaradaache Ello, directed by Hemanth Rao, is winning the hearts of cinema buffs.

An army kid who lived across various states, Rukmini was 13 when she realised she wanted to act. After a one year stint with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, she made her debut with Birbal Trilogy Case 1: Finding Vajramuni in 2019. She's now bagged an enviable project with Tamil superstar Vijay Sethupathi, which she's currently shooting for.

In a candid chat with Provoke, the articulate artiste gets talking about her tryst with films, the changing landscape of Kannada cinema and more...

Tell us about your early life - where were you born and brought up?

My Dad Col. Vasanth Venugopal (AC) was in the army and because of that, I've grown up all over India from Gujarat to Tamil Nadu to Bengaluru. Whenever Appa was sent to a non-family posting, my mother, my sister and I would move back to Bangalore to my grandparents' house. I studied in a host of Army and Air Force schools. When I was about 10, my dad was martyred in Kashmir in an operation and he was awarded the Ashoka Chakra making him the first person from Karnataka to receive this honour. That's when we moved to Bangalore permanently. Once I finished my primary education, I joined drama school.

How did your army upbringing shape you as a person?