A bit of luck and a lot of hard work

An interview with Rukmini Vijayakumar 

Bharatanatyam artiste-ballet dancer-actor Rukmini Vijayakumar is on a roll! After making her acting debut in K’town with Bommalattam in 2008, she did films like Ananda Tandavam (2009) and Kochadaiyaan (2014). Now, she’s a part of Mani Ratnam’s romantic drama Kaatru Veliyidai, which has Karthi, Aditi Rao Hydari, Delhi Ganesh, Lalitha, RJ Balaji and Shraddha Srinath in important roles. The first schedule of the film was shot in Ooty over the past few weeks and the makers plan to move to Kashmir to shoot important scenes and a song next.

Though Rukmini says she can’t share much about her role yet, she tells us what it was like to work with Mani Ratnam. “Many people dream of being a part of Mani sir’s projects and I am privileged to have got this opportunity pretty early in my career. He has a reputation of being a taskmaster. I like  the way he works. He is open to ideas and suggestions and knows what he’s doing. On the sets, any artiste can walk up to him and share his/her opinions about a shot or scene. I think that’s quite important for any actor to improve. Also, he’s a very good listener. He encourages people and lets them ask questions.”

Rukmini has always been clear about her priorities. “Post Shamitabh (2015), I didn’t act in any film. I try to balance my dancing and films. But I consider myself blessed to have worked with some of the best names in the industry. They explain my characters clearly and I have been able to visualise and register all of them. Since I am primarily a dancer, I spend most of my time at dance productions and rehearsals. Dance is a way of life for me. Between my performances, choreography and teaching, I find time to act. But I don’t compromise anything,” she smiles.

The danseuse maintains an abstemious outlook on the film world. “I do films I believe in, irrespective of my screen-time. I read the script several times to learn about my character in detail. It’s all about the performance. I don’t choose films; they choose me. Films aren’t in my control, whereas my dance productions are. Balancing everything involves a bit of luck and a lot of hard work,” she says. Having dabbled in theatre for a long time, she finds acting easy. “My route to the big screen started from theatre. I’ve been into stage plays since high school. Theatre is an actor’s playground because you keep performing for a live audience, which sharpens you as an actor. Even minor expressions are noticed in theatre performances though they are not captured on camera.”

In August, she’ll be off to the US and Canada on a two-week dance tour. “I also have a couple of programmes in the Middle East and London. My schedule has been crazy — it keeps me on my toes. I started dancing when I was young, but didn’t think I would take it up as a profession. I took to dancing because I wanted to be fit. I’ve been performing as a solo artiste for over 10 years and my dance company has been around for the past five years. I lock my dates carefully and sign films when I don’t perform as it’s difficult for me to focus on dance productions when I’m doing a film. I always have the choice of returning to the theatre when I want,” she grins.

Where does she see herself in five years? “I don’t know; call me in five years and I’ll tell you what I’m doing. People tend to get lost in the future without having lived in the present. We might plan several things, but they don’t necessarily have to happen. All you can do is wish,” she says. Currently reading scripts, Rukmini is keeping her fingers crossed for some projects.

(The piece was originally written for The New Indian Express)