Rukmini Vasanth Exclusive | 'Sapta Sagaradaache Ello' has changed me at a molecular level

For Rukmini Vasanth, Sapta Sagaradaache Ello is more than just an acting gig and the reasons, of course, are quite simple. At the time she was brought on board the project, Rukmini carried one major credit to her name (MG Srinivas' Birbal Trilogy Case 1: Finding Vajramuni) and an acting degree from the revered drama school, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, but the task of embodying a complex character like Priya was no easy one. Alongside, she also admits wholeheartedly that she found herself overwhelmed in the presence of 'giants' Hemanth M. Rao and Rakshit Shetty who, both individually and collectively, have produced great work in the past. So, as she puts it herself, stakes were raised quite high in her mind.

But it all came together, turns out, one step at a time and the actor in her still looks back at the whole stint with a sense of wonder. It is endearingly evident today that she has nothing but gratitude for all the Sapta Sagaradaache Ello experience.

"For me the workshop we did initially helped a great deal. More than anything else, it was an opportunity for Hemanth, Rakshit and me to acclimatize to each other because the nature of the film demanded us to form a working relationship. We had to figure out each other's boundaries, how each of us functions as an artist or a person and also get a sense of how we could have the most ideal work environment. That was huge for me, particularly because working with two people who work I have admired for a very, very long time - that can be a really terrifying space for you to be in because you tend to make yourself feel smaller when you are in the presence of giants. So, the workshop was extremely helpful in that regard," shares Rukmini Vasanth.

"Sapta Sagaradaache Ello has been a film school for me"

It is also apparent from her assertion that the experience of working on a film like Sapta Sagaradaache Ello, wherein she got to not only perform as an actor but also contribute to the founding of her character, has had a big impact on her. If she could point out one thing that she carries with herself after working on the film, what would that be?

"SSE (Sapta Sagaradaache Ello), basically, has been film school for me. Drama school equipped me with skills - I had a theoretical notion of how to do things. They call drama school a laboratory where they teach you Meisner, they teach you Stanislavski, they teach you a bunch of skills and they say go forth and knock yourself out. SSE was my opportunity (at very high stakes, in my mind) to put those skills out there and see what sort of performance could be brought up by my dynamic with Rakshit or by my working relationship with Hemanth. So, I don't suppose there's only one thing that I taking with me because the actor I am today is because of these two films (Side A and Side B)."

"I think it will be a constant process that I learn something new each time - with some films it may not be quite so dramatic and you just may learn to lipsync better when you are dancing. But this film (Sapta Sagaradaache Ello) has changed me at a molecular level," she says.

"Trailer is just the glimpse of what's to come"

Rukmini Vasanth plays the role of Priya in Sapta Sagaradaache Ello with Rakshit Shetty playing Manu and Chaithra J Achar, who will be a prominent feature of the second part, or 'Side B', playing Surabhi. The trailer of the film promises a moody love story that is laced with music and a certain kind of lyricism. When asked about what the film would have in store for us, Rukmini says,

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"The trailer is just a glimpse of the larger picture. All the little things that people have been noticing - some people have been quite eagle-eyed about tiny stuff like the trailer starts with the word 'katthe' and ends on the same word. You will see so much more in the film."

Sapta Sagaradaache Ello Side A releases in theatres on September 1.