Malayalam actress Kani Kusruti received global recognition for her role in Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light,’ which scripted history last week by winning the prestigious Grand Prix Award, the second highest honour at the Cannes Film Festival. During one of the festival days, the actress made a bold statement by walking the red carpet with a watermelon-shaped handbag, demonstrating her solidarity with Palestine amidst the ongoing situation in Gaza.
Numerous social media users questioned the sincerity of her solidarity with Palestine and called it ‘hypocritical,’ citing her 2019 film ‘Biriyaani’ as allegedly Islamophobic and portraying Muslims in a generalized and objectionable manner. In a conversation with Manorama Online, the actress clarified her stance, stating, “I had told Sajin Baabu [director] that neither my politics nor aesthetics were aligned with the script. Sajin comes from a backward Muslim community and speaks his politics, which is correct in its own right. But that is not my politics.”
The actress stated that she would decline roles in films that do not resonate with her political beliefs under favourable circumstances. For example, she disclosed that she turned down an audition offer from Sudipto Sen, the director of last year’s controversial hit, ‘The Kerala Story,’ starring Adah Sharma.
She then went on to express admiration for the abundant talent within the film industry, expressing her hope for increased opportunities to auditions from directors, as she hasn’t received many chances in the Malayalam industry. “You [the interviewer] asked why I am not part of more Malayalam films. I can only do films that come to me. If I do not get employment, I will again have to choose films that do not align with my politics,” she added.
Meanwhile, Kani Kusruti will next be seen in the Malayalam series, ‘Nagendran’s Honeymoon,’ which will be available on Disney+ Hotstar.
