Actor Kani Kusruti is set to be seen in filmmaker Anubhav Sinha’s upcoming film Assi, where she plays the role of a rape survivor. The film follows Parima, a married woman in Delhi who is abducted and sexually assaulted by a group of men. The story then shifts focus to the emotional trauma, police investigation and courtroom battle that follow. Actor Taapsee Pannu essays the role of her lawyer.
Speaking about preparing for such a demanding role, Kusruti told PTI, “I don’t think one can tap into the trauma (of a survivor) exactly. As an actor we tried to go closest to it and there can be moments you are probably in it because you are almost believing this has happened to you. But I’m not an actor who would fully go in like that, (because) then it will kind of affect you. I don’t tend to do that.”
The actress said the subject is not distant from reality.
“As a woman growing up in this country from childhood to now, do I have a sense of such assaults or traumas? Yes, possibly I do as my close people have gone through it. So, every now and then, this is one of the things that you are closely associated with even when you don’t want it to be that way,” she said.
Kusruti added that working on the film gave her insight into the legal system and how survivors often have to relive their trauma in court.
Reflecting on her portrayal, she shared, “There are all kinds of survivors and everybody responds to it differently. I watched the film a few days ago for the first time, and I’m contemplating, ‘Is this the right way to say it? This interpretation of this particular survivor, is that the right way for this story?’ I always think that I would like to watch a survivor who is a little stronger.”
To manage the emotional weight of the character, she maintained a conscious distance. “I protect myself from the emotional journey of the character. Most of us are very sensitive. As an actor, I like to have this little detachment, unless sometimes, some scenes are not working and my director is saying, then (I get into the character) to give in that feeling, to get the scene right,” she said.
Assi also features Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, Manoj Pahwa, Seema Pahwa, Kumud Mishra and Revathy, with special appearances by Naseeruddin Shah and Supriya Pathak.
