MUMBAI: When talent meets authenticity, the world takes notice. Acclaimed actor Kani Kusruti has been honoured with the prestigious IMDb Breakout Star STARmeter Award. Recognising her remarkable rise on the Popular Indian Celebrities list, the award cements her status as a performer on the brink of global recognition. The list, derived from the page views of 250 million monthly visitors on IMDb, has a track record of predicting breakout stars.
In an exclusive conversation with IMDb, Kusruti shared her experiences, reflecting on her most relatable roles, the challenges of embodying characters, and the life lessons that have shaped her journey.
Discussing her roles as Prabha in All We Imagine as Light and Anila in Girls Will Be Girls, Kani revealed how the two characters affected her differently.
"When I read Anila, I honestly did not understand her. It took a while for me to get into the character, but I felt because it took a while to get into character, it also took a time to get out of the character. After the film shooting also, sometimes I think, ‘What if Anila is in this situation, how would she react?’ Some of her physical aspects lingered with me more," Kusruti admitted.
She described Prabha as familiar, "I understand Prabha. I know many women like that, so immediately when I read it, I understood her. But I don't even want to be like her... The only difference is, Prabha I knew immediately. The moment I read, I knew her, I understood who she is, or I know people like her. Anila I did not know. Only after the film was released, many people I know were like, ‘Hey, you know my mom is like this,’ and even people whom I don't know would write to me, and I'm like, ‘Where are these people? How did I never observe people like these?’"
When asked about the toughest part of being an actor, Kusruti highlighted the nuances of becoming someone else.
"As an actor, of course the most challenging is to really be someone else. It's not like you become that person, that you lose your mind, but to talk differently, to use different rhythms when you are speaking, how you are sitting. So all the physical attributes of another person, which has to come so naturally to you that it’s seamless, I need a little time to prepare for that," she explained. She added that starting without enough preparation is particularly challenging, "It is only after 3-4 days or a week that you discover the person."
Kusruti shared that her journey into acting was unplanned, "I did not become an actor because I had passion for acting from childhood. It was an accident; I happen to be an actor. I was more of a lover of science... I never placed myself to be an artist. I am a trained actor, so I have been in a theatre school. I will send myself to workshops to check how my craft is turning into and try to have rigorous practice."
Instead of direct advice, Kusruit credits her growth to observing others, "No teacher has sat with me, or no director has told me this is one piece of advice, but it's observing them—how they have turned into amazing human beings—that has kind of moved me with certain individuals."
With her performances in All We Imagine as Light and Girls Will Be Girls, Kusruti has proven her ability to embody complex characters. As she continues to evolve as an actor, fans eagerly await her next move.
To watch Kusruti’s exclusive IMDb interview, visit the video link: IMDb Video.
