Hemanth Gave Space to Raise Questions About The Flawed Characters In SSE: Rukmini Vasanth

Rukmini Vasanth became a household name when she starred in the romantic drama Sapta Sagaradaache Ello. She played Priya, the singer who is the perfect partner for Rakshit Shetty’s Manu. She turns her life upside down to fight for his release from prison. The two-parter, directed by Hemanth Rao, was one of the surprise blockbusters of the year, breaking the apparent trends set by action-heavy films.

SSE was Rukmini’s second feature film after starring in 2019’s Birbal Trilogy. After two years of not finding work due to the pandemic, the actress mentioned that she approached the team of Paramvah and Hemanth Rao, who were looking for a suitable lead for the romantic saga. “I decided to do SSE even before reading the script,” says Rukmini on The Next Gen Kannada Cinema Adda, when asked which aspect of the script made her choose the film. “The decision to even audition for the film was based on the director and the genre. The scene in Side B where Manu and Priya meet was one of the highlights for me while reading the script. It was not a dealbreaker but it was one of the scenes which I was excited to do.”

While Side A of the film was a tragedy by the end, Side B delved into darker alleys in terms of the psyche of Manu, played by Rakshit Shetty. The man has come out of prison after ten years, has lost the love of his life, and is still trying to move on from the mistakes he made when he was young. The only solace he feels, once he tries to assimilate back into society, is to have glimpses of his former lover Priya. However, his approach to it in the film borders on stalkerish behaviour. There were discussions about this behaviour and how it might be perceived by the general audience, says Rukmini. “Hemanth is a very open-minded director. He creates a space where there is no need for us to go and raise these questions. He asked us, “As a woman, what do you think about this premise or scene?” We agree that flawed characters are very interesting and it's fun to try and figure that out. However, there needs to be a point reference to show what he is doing is madness. In SSE, Gopalkrishna Deshpande sir’s character is that person who brings Manu back to Earth.”

Returning after a four-year gap, Rukmini has had three releases this year (technically two, if we count SSE as a single film and the other outing is Baanadariyalli) and has finally risen to the stardom that many hope for. However, she has had her fair share of struggles, especially when there wasn’t much work during the pandemic. “It was a difficult time for everybody. Looking back at the decisions I made in 2019, I do not believe in the concept of mistakes anymore. I still feel fear when I say ‘yes’ to a script, there is always anxiety about whether it was the right decision or not. It was there for SSE as well. However, every decision I’ve taken has led me to this point in my life. And I’m still here.”