Kochi: You can take Kasthuri out of films but you cannot take cinema out of Kasthuri — that is actor Kasthuri’s response when asked why she has decided to return to acting. “Cinema is a bug that once it bites, you can never recover from it!”
Kasthuri returns to Malayalam films with a powerful role in Rajesh Pillai’s Milli. Based in the US, Kasthuri had never taken a complete break from the entertainment industry and was sporadically seen on the small screen whenever she made a trip to India.
Talking about her life in the US, Kasthuri says, “Until very recently, I was distributing Tamil and Telugu movies in the US. In fact, my husband and I own a theatre where we screen a lot of south movies and select Malayalam ones too. So in one way or the other, my connection with films was never broken!”
Kasthuri returned to the big screen in 2010 with a Tamil film in a very unconventional role. Laughing, she explains, “I came back with an item number! It was fun and a huge hit and became a trendsetter.”
While most married actors would shy away at the thought of making a comeback, let alone in an item number, Kasthuri explains her choice, “What roles do most married women do? Elder sister, mother or a sister-in-law. It is taken for granted that once a heroine gets married, she can play only elderly roles. Fortunately for me, I have a very good support system and I performed the item dance for a lark.”
Kasthuri is also very vocal about the hurdles that a married heroine faces. She says, “The moment an actress gets married, she becomes less desirable. The Indian psyche is such that married actresses are deemed fit only for mother or sister roles.” Kasthuri also mentions that for a year, she was besieged with offers for item numbers which she refused.
“I also got offers from a well-known Malayalam director for an item dance but I was clear that I did that one number for fun and did not plan to continue doing it,” she says. Not many know that Kasthuri is also a hardcore quiz whiz and that she also hosts a quiz show on the small screen.
Explaining her reasons for accepting Milli, Kasthuri says, “My photos were published in some magazines and a series of fortunate events led to me being called for Rajesh Pillai’s film. He then narrated this extremely charming and positive character and when I heard the synopsis, I fell in love with the character. I also happen to be a huge fan of Rajesh after watching Traffic and I personally feel it is a great way to start off my second innings.”
There is one spoke in the wheel as far as her career is concerned and that is the miles separating US and India. “I am currently flying back and forth to complete my assignments. I love being in the movies but at the end of the day, family comes first.”
What has her completely flummoxed is how the audiences have welcomed and the recognition coming her way. She candidly states, “The fact that the audience still remembers me is an unexpected gift and the fact that I am remembered is a very addictive feeling. I am like a gambler who gets a high every time the stakes are piled on the table.” She mentions Malayalis approaching her at airports and quizzing her about being the Aniyan Bawa Chettan Bawa girl.
Kasthuri is also happy about the good run that her contemporaries like Shweta Menon and Meena are enjoying in the Malayalam industry. Adding that Shweta was her roommate during the Miss India competitions, she is very happy that the actors are doing well.
“Malayalam cinema has such interesting and viable scripts that are inclusive. It also doesn’t hurt that Malayalam films are remade into other languages,” she says with satisfaction.
