Kani Kusruti fights back tears recalling financial struggles: ‘Had ₹3,000 in my account’

Kani Kusruti, who acted in Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light” and visited the Cannes Film Festival, revealed that she was offered ₹70,000 for “Biriyaani”.

Kani Kusruti, who played in Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light,” which won the Grand Prix at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, has spoken up about the financial difficulties she had when she first began out in the industry.

“I am at peace only when I am financially independent,” she told Asianet News in an interview, adding that she has had to play in films she did not want to do just to make a living.

Kani Kusruti, 38, fought back tears as she recounted how she landed the main role in the critically acclaimed 2020 Malayalam film “Biriyaani,” which earned her Best Actress awards at both the Kerala State Film Awards and the Moscow International Film Festival. Sajin Baabu wrote the film.

“Sajin (Sajin Baabu) approached me when I didn’t have any money. After reading the script, I informed him I had numerous issues with it and didn’t think I’d be able to complete it. I told him to find another actor.

She stated that she was in need of money at the time but did not want to do the film. Two to three months later, Kusruti said the filmmaker and writer had returned her.

‘Offered ₹70,000 for Biriyaani’ “I said I didn’t want to do this film but didn’t have the money.” I believe I was promised roughly ₹70,000. That was a large sum for me. I just had about ₹3,000 in my account. “Getting ₹70,000 was a good thing,” she told the Malayalam news channel, choking back tears.

“So that is how I did it.”

Kani Kusruti, whose parents are activists, stated that if she could have earned more money in theatre, she would not have gone into movies.

“In the future, if I don’t have the means to make a livelihood, I may be forced to do things I don’t want to. “There are many people like that,” she explained.

Kani Kusruti creates waves at Cannes.
The Kerala-born actor was one of the Indians who attended the Cannes Film Festival this year. Kusruti and her colleagues from “All We Imagine as Light” smiled joyfully in front of the French photographers. They also danced on the red carpet. Her watermelon clutch on the red carpet conveyed a strong statement of sympathy for the Palestinian people.
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