PremiumRukmini Vasanth on why she returned to India after studying at London’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
For a lot of Indians, studying abroad and then finding employment there as well, is a sure-shot means to a permanent shift outside of India. But this did not appeal to Rukmini and here’s why
Last Updated: 08.32 PM, Nov 11, 2023
Rukmini Vasanth, who almost overnight became Karnataka’s latest crush, for her outing as Priya in Hemanth M Rao’s Sapta Sagaradaache Ello Side A, is a trained actor. And when we say trained, we don’t mean from a fly-by-night institute. Rukmini is a graduate of London’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the alma mater of Hollywood bigwigs like Tom Hiddleston, Kenneth Brannagh, (late) Alan Rickman, Phoebe Waller Bridge, Ben Whishaw and a gazillion others. And yet, instead of using this to her advantage and striking it out in English/American cinema, Rukmini chose to return to India, once she’d learnt the ropes of the craft.
Speaking to Metrosaga during the promotions of Sapta Sagaradaache Ello Side B, which is coming to theatres on November 17, Rukmini spoke about why she went to London and then decided to come back. The actress says that once she decided that performing arts was what she wanted to pursue as a potential career, she wanted proof that she is good at it and that it could not get better than a certification from RADA. Getting selected based on her audition, was the first confidence boost she got that there’s some talent in her, after all.
As for why she didn’t stick on there, Rukmini says that she was very clear that she did not want to be the ‘token brown girl’ in a foreign production. More importantly, getting opportunities within the realm of cultural representation is tough. The actress adds that the time she came back was also perfect because there was a bit of a renaissance within the Kannada film industry, because of the work of several filmmakers. There was a change and a lot of different kinds of films being made, she says.