Mumbai, Oct 3
Actress Rukmini Vasanth, who plays the role of Kankavati in “Kantara Chapter 1â€, recently spoke to IANS in an exclusive conversation about her experience of portraying a warrior princess on screen.
When IANS asked her about her preparation for the period role, Rukmini highlighted that playing a 4th-century princess was very different from any of her earlier roles.
Talking about the required extensive physical and emotional preparation, Rukmini said, “To begin with, there were obviously a lot of vibrations. I think it starts right down from your body language. Body language is something that you do to prepare for any kind of role, whether you are playing a princess or whether you are playing a college student in the 2000s or whether you are playing a princess from the 4th century. Body language is an integral part because it makes or breaks the way that you present on screen.â€
She added, “I think I did four or five days of a workshop with the writers of the film before we started shooting just in order to sort of crack the princess's essence, which was fun. So, we sort of worked a lot on how you hold yourself, on how you walk, and on how you look at people. So, that was all in terms of the body language of it. And then, other than that, we had horse-riding lessons, which was great fun.â€
Rukmini also elaborated on other strengthening lessons and said “We also had sword-fighting lessons just to sort of crack that body language – a more active body language as opposed to just walking or standing in some place. And then there's all the bare minimum, like the emotional prep of a scene.â€
She added, “Emotional preparations for the dialogues, for the context that that character is in. So, it was really multifaceted, including dancing and everything else."
Rukmini expressed that all the experiences she had for prepping up for Kantara Chapter 1 are something that an actor always craves. "Horse-riding, sword fighting, body language lessons, dancing based on traditions from that era, etc. – all of it was a great deal! There were even more skills that I had to acquire in order to play this role.â€
She elaborated. “That's the dream, you know! I mean, you want to kind of have this opportunity to explore all these different things, and I am so grateful!"
“Kantara Chapter 1â€, the prequel to the 2022 blockbuster “Kantaraâ€, released on October 2, 2025. Directed by Rishabh Shetty, the film has been receiving strong responses from both audiences and critics alike.
–IANS
— IANS
Reader Comments
Just watched the film yesterday! Rukmini's transformation is incredible. You can actually see the royal grace in her walk and the warrior spirit in her eyes. Perfect casting!
The attention to detail in preparation is remarkable. Horse riding, sword fighting, traditional dancing - this level of commitment deserves all the appreciation. More actors should take notes!
While I appreciate the effort, I hope the film doesn't rely too much on the prequel hype. The original Kantara set such high standards - hope this lives up to it. Fingers crossed! 🤞
As someone who practices traditional dance forms, I'm particularly excited about the dance sequences based on 4th-century traditions. Can't wait to see how they've incorporated our cultural heritage!
The body language workshops sound fascinating. It's amazing how subtle changes in posture and movement can completely transform a character. Great insight into the acting process!
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