Why Indian actor Kani Kusruti held a watermelon clutch at Cannes

Kusruti, who played a lead role in Grand Prix winning All We Imagine as Light, told The Indian Express on her flight from the south of France to her home state of Kerala, “I have many Palestinian friends. And we keep hearing of the conflict in the region. So, for me, expressing solidarity was important”. She added at grand festivals like Cannes political statements are rare.

The clutch had made news in India where a heated debate over its significance ensued on May 23, two days before the film and its leading actors took centre stage to receive the Grand Prix. Payal Kapadia, who directed the film, shared the stage with her three female leads — Kani Kusruti, Chhaya Kadam, and Divya Prabha.

Kusruti said the watermelon pouch was not the only political statement she has made. “Even otherwise I have expressed solidarity where it’s needed,” said the Kochi resident. On the red carpet the team wanted to express themselves and the watermelon pouch was Kusruti’s way of saying she cared. The team also danced to “capture the monumental moment”, her co-star Divya Prabha told The Indian Express earlier.

Kani Kusruti holds a bag depicting a watermelon on the red carpet, during arrivals for the screening of the film “All We Imagine as Light”. (Reuters)

The exuberance at the festival apart, Kusruti is back to the grind in Kerala’s film industry. She thinks the prize could be a career-changing moment only if she gets to choose the roles she wants to play instead of taking up parts to make ends meet. “Like many in the industry, I have been struggling to get good roles that challenge me. I have ended up taking up roles that I was not comfortable with just to financially stay afloat,” she said, hoping the second most prestigious prize at Cannes would make a difference in her acting life.

Kusruti says Payal Kapadia’s filmmaking process was “inclusive and democratic” and that she yearns to get such opportunities. In Kerala, a section of women artists have brought out instances of gender disparity in the film industry in the past. The Justice Hema Commission was also set up to investigate allegations of sexual assault and gender discrimination in the industry.

“But in this film the process of making was smooth. It was refreshing and rewarding. And it finally paid off,” Kusruti said who played the role of a head nurse at a Mumbai hospital in All We Imagine as Light.