Actor Kani Kusruti recently revealed in an interview that she rejected an audition call from The Kerala Story director Sudipto Sen as she didn’t align with the politics of the film. The Malayalam actor stars in Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light which recently won the Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival 2024.

In an interview to Manorama Online, she said, “I can only do films that come to me. If I do not get employment, I will again have to choose films that do not align with my politics.” She revealed that she did get a call for The Kerala Story but she decided to give it a pass due to its problematic politics. However, in 2019, she won the Kerala State Award for her performance in Sajin Baabu’s Biriyaani, a film which was called out for generalising Muslims.

Speaking about the film as well, she said, “I had told Sajin that neither my politics nor aesthetics were aligned with the script. Sajin comes from a backward Muslim community and speaks his politics, which is correct in its own right. But that is not my politics.”

Kani carried a bag designed as a watermelon on the red carpet of Cannes this year and showed solidarity to the people of Palestine. She received support from many on social media who praised her symbol of resistance.