I was amazed with the depth of emotion Kani Kusruthi brought to her face: Biriyaani director

Sajin Baabu’s

Biriyaani

is having a great run in the festival circuit, having won the NETPAC Award for Best Film at the Asiatica Festival in Rome and the Padmarajan Award for Best Screenplay, among other recognitions. Recently,

Kani Kusruthi

won the international award for second

best actress

at the Imagine Film Festival in Madrid.

Set in the

Muslim

community, the film is about how a woman, played by Kani, and her mother have to leave their seaside hometown, after Kani’s brother is accused of having involvement with the ISIS. “Usually films look at how a terrorist organisation such as the ISIS impacts society,” says the director. “I have tried to turn the mirror inwards and see how it affects those who are said to allegedly be involved with them. The film also looks at issues of caste and community.”

Speaking about choosing Kani for the role, Sajin says that he had the actress in mind even as he was scripting the film. “She was unable to take it on when I first offered it to her, for personal reasons. But I was not satisfied with any of the other actors I checked out and decided to wait till she would be able to do it. Finally, Kani came on board and I feel that she did a great job. Even during the edits, I was amazed at the range of depth and emotions she could bring to her face,” says Sajin.

Sajin’s earlier films include Unto the Dusk and Ayal Sasi, which had Sreenivasan playing the titular character.