“I love doing comedy” says actor Kani Kushruti

queen, A fascinating Hindi web series drama on the ruthless and obscure political battles in Bihar, partly inspired by real-life events, follows the rise of Rani Bharti (Huma Qureshi), a naive housewife, to the post of Chief Minister of the state. Playing a pivotal role in this thriller is Malayalam actor Kani Kusruthi, as Kaveri Sreedharan, an IAS officer who is the queen’s officer on special duty.

In the first season, Bihar Chief Minister Bhima Bharti (Soham Shah) announces his wife Rani as his successor after being seriously injured. It is Kaveri who takes care of the academically and politically illiterate queen at every step. In the second season, the more confident Rani takes on her husband and his political rivals. Kaveri, who is now his confidant, has been with him through thick and thin.

Recipient of Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress (2019) for her character in biryaniKani says that she got into this project through an audition. Language was not a problem as Kani’s character speaks Hindi the way she normally speaks. “This is not the Hindi you hear from a North Indian. I had to learn a few words and the usage required for that role. But dialogue alone doesn’t create character. I don’t wear saree like Kaveri; I don’t do my hair like this. So the outfit, the hair, the makeup, the production design… everything helped me become Kaveri. I also had to understand the mindscape of an IAS officer, especially the values ​​he believes in,” says Kani.

A powerhouse artiste who started her career in theatre, Kani says it was exciting to be back with this queen Team for another season. “It was a new experience for me. While doing theatre, there are many instances where I have done the same drama after a long gap. However, except for minor tweaks, the narrative remains the same. But shooting for the new season of the web series is absolutely fine. It’s a different experience. It’s not like shooting a serial. There was a gap of nine to 10 months between the two seasons. So it was like, we play a character, pause it for a while and then come back During that gap we had all moved on in our lives and careers, among other things,” she elaborates.

Meanwhile, the story of the second season points towards the third season. “It is too early to comment on this,” she says.

very nice cast

The ensemble cast of the series has come in for much acclaim. “They are all trained, experienced actors and it shows in their performances. It was as if they belonged there. I have more scenes with Huma than other actors. He is a complete professional. Despite being a big star, she is not one to be intimidated. Since I am not proficient in Hindi, I was worried about making mistakes and would it bother her. But she was extremely supportive throughout the shoot,” she adds.

Kani is fresh from the success of another web series, ok computerKnown as India’s first science fiction comedy. In the series starring Vijay Varma, Radhika Apte and Jackie Shroff, Kani stood out with her comedic act as Monalisa Paul. He won the Filmfare OTT Award 2021 for Best Supporting Actor (Comedy) for his character.

“This is the only role that has made me happy as an actor so far. I love comedy and this character gave me an opportunity to do that,” she says. Kani lists Tara Ramanujan’s film Nishidho (2021) as another favorite role in his career. “The writing was beautiful and I was in a happy workspace in that film.”

Her new project is headed by director Abhishek Chaubey, in whose filmography such films are read Ishqiya, Dedh Ishqiya, Udta Punjab And sonchiriya, To be streamed on Netflix, stock, is a comedy crime drama directed by Manoj Bajpayee and Konkona Sen Sharma. “My character is my least favorite in the series! But working with Abhishek was a remarkable experience and he is my favorite among the directors I have worked with.”

Kani insists that she does not choose to be an actor. “If I was selective, I wouldn’t have acted at all. Because, although I love being an actor, I don’t like acting in front of the camera. I do this because it is a way for me to be financially independent.”

So, what does she like to do? “I prefer science over arts. If possible, I would have pursued a career in public health. I would have done my MBBS and higher studies. Dance is something I enjoy. When it comes to acting So, I prefer to do live performances on stage in front of the camera. It can be theater or a classical dance form like kudiyattam. If I had learned koodiyattam, I wouldn’t have done anything else,” she hints.

ok computer Disney+ is streaming on Hotstar and queenSeasons 1 and 2, on SonyLIV.