I wanted to be a chef: Rukshar Mir

Rukshar Mir talks about how acting happened, bagging ‘Showtime,’ surprising the unit with her Telugu and more…

Having featured in a couple of Kannada films, Rukshar Mir is making her Telugu debut with ‘Showtime’, directed by SS Rajamouli’s elder brother SS Kanchi. The London-born, Bengaluru-bred actress is a fashion graduate and acting was the last thing on her mind. “I never wanted to get into acting, though I was more inclined towards the creative side.

I wanted to be a designer or a chef. During my college days, I started doing modelling for fun, winning a couple of beauty pageant contests later. Whilst in college I was offered many Kannada films but since movie-making is a time consuming process I declined them,” recalls Rukshar fondly in a conversation with Talkies.

It was after she completed her graduation, she did her first Kannada film ‘Katte’. It was followed by ‘Road King’, directed by international award winning filmmaker Randy Kent. “Kent directed the film over Skype. It’s a first of its kind,” she smiles.

So, how did ‘Showtime’ happen? She points out that she was at her best friend’s wedding in New Delhi when she got a call from her manager for ‘Showtime’. “Kanchi liked my pictures and wanted me to send a small video of me conversing. Given the wedding ambience, I did manage to send it. He liked it but was not convinced. He later met me in Bengaluru and asked me to do a small scene from the film. That’s it, after four days I was on board,” she declares.

Unlike, most new girls who are not from the Telugu-speaking States, Rukshar had a rather easy time with Telugu dialogues. “I was given the Telugu dialogues written in English. They (the unit) also gave me the translation of what the dialogues meant. That way it was easy. Everyone in the unit was surprised and amazed with the way I reeled them. They were like, ‘She has a good memory’,” she exults.

Talking about her character in the thriller, which is about how “a young couple deals with every sort of person in the society,” she shares, “I play Vinni, an independent, career-oriented and smartly dressed woman who is engaged to Jai (Ranadhir). They are in a live-in relationship.”

The Tollywood experience, says Rukshar, has been memorable. “Kanchi never told me to act in a certain way or gave me any references. He let me explore the character. And if I was not executing what he wanted, he would chip in and guide me. Overall, he had a very clear vision,” reveals the actress, who has also signed her next Telugu film. “It’s with a reputed production house. I will start shooting for it from July-end.”

By Nagaraj Goud