Toxic actor Rukmini Vasanth’s father martyred fighting 8 terrorists, was awarded Ashoka Chakra

(Photo: Rukmini Vasanth/Instagram)

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First army officer from Karnataka to receive an Ashoka Chakra

Later, following the success of Kantara, Rukmini spoke about her childhood loss in an interview with Rapid Rashmi.

“When we experienced that loss being so young, my mother had to take a lot. My dad martyred in Kashmir and he was the first army officer from Karnataka to receive an Ashoka Chakra. To have a responsibility like that and to take care of two young girls, my mother took on so much,” she said.

Colonel Vasanth Venugopal. (Photo: Rukmini Vasanth/Instagram)

“Just six months later, she started a foundation. When my dad was a commanding officer, he would always visit the houses of martyrs, spend time with their families, and my mom would always accompany him. It is very rare when a commanding officer gets martyred in the field of action. We were getting a lot of media attention.”

Rukmini was referring to the Vasantharatna Foundation for Art, which seeks to create a support system for the widows of jawans and other army personnel. The foundation also runs initiatives to support families of martyrs. For a donation of Rs 365 — one rupee for each day of the year — a person can sponsor a birthday gift for a family member of a martyr.

The day Rukmini’s father martyred

Recalling the day her father was killed, Rukmini said, “I don’t remember too much but it happened in the Uri district. It was in the early hours of July 31. There were about eight terrorists, and they got all of them, but in this process, my father and his radio operator were martyred in the infiltration attempt. In a situation like that, my mother was harnessing all the media attention and all these people wanted to help.”

Rukmini’s mother, Subhashini Vasanth, is a Bharatanatyam dancer.

Rukmini Vasanth with her father Colonel Vasanth Venugopal. (Photo: Rukmini Vasanth/Instagram)

Reflecting on her father’s influence on her career, Rukmini said, “When my father was alive, I was more into dancing. He was never strict with us, maybe a little protective as a father. I am sure if he was alive today, he would have been very supportive of my acting dream.”

On July 31, 2007, Colonel Vasanth Venugopal, the commanding officer of the 9th Battalion, Maratha Light Infantry, was killed while fighting heavily armed terrorists attempting to infiltrate across the Line of Control in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir. He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime military decoration for gallantry.

While Rukmini has remained graceful when speaking about the loss of her father, her mother had to overcome several challenges in the years that followed.

When Rukmini’s mother had to fight for what was rightfully hers

Colonel Vasanth’s death received considerable media attention. Following his death, Rukmini’s mother, Subhashini Vasanth, had to cope with the sudden loss of her husband and raising their two daughters while also navigating government offices to secure the land that had been promised to her as part of the compensation.

Media reports at the time cited political instability in Karnataka as one of the factors that complicated the process. A 1971 government order stipulated that the family of an Ashoka Chakra awardee would receive either Rs 1.25 lakh or two acres of wetland as compensation.

Subhashini repeatedly questioned the adequacy of the compensation. Speaking to The New Indian Express in 2016, she said, “With the growing inflation, two acres of land cannot be equated with a paltry Rs 1.25 lakh. This state rule was made back in 1971 and needs to be amended.”

Rukmini Vasanth with her parents. (Photo: Rukmini Vasanth/Instagram)

Compensation under the rule was a state subject, while the central government dealt with pension and ex-gratia payments.

Speaking to Rediff, Subhashini had said, “I am happy to know that there is something happening on the issue. I was quite sure the government would not ignore it. I have not gone around asking for something that is not mine. I only hope that I will get my due from the state government. It is hardly even fair that I had to run around for something that was legitimately mine. I cannot explain to you the kind of humiliation and embarrassment I had to go through while asking for something that was mine and was assured to me.”

She added, “Why does this happen? It is not just me but the family of every soldier feels there is no gratitude. I hope things change for the better and such occurrences should be stopped and respect ought to be given to our soldiers who sacrifice everything for the country.”

Subhashini eventually received the compensation that was due to her. Despite the hardships the family endured, Rukmini has never publicly dwelled on them and has instead built a successful career in the film industry.

This article contains reflective storytelling surrounding the tragic loss of a family member and financial compensation struggles, shared purely for informational and emotional perspective. It does not constitute legal, financial, or personal advice.