The stakes ought to be high with the entire country eager for the release of the much awaited film. Brahmastra: Part One-Shiva is touted to be India’s most expensive movie ever made, and will see actress Rashi Mal playing a pivotal humorous character, alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. The film is intended to serve as the first film in a planned trilogy as part of its own cinematic universe called Astraverse.
Rashi’s diversity, quality and the freshness in her work, speaks volumes about her hold on her craft and her finesse as an actor. Her character in Ayan Mukherjee’s Brahmastra is proof that Rashi’s growth as an actor has been manifold and an upward climb.
Rashi has been trained by some of the best mentors in theatre, including Jeff Goldberg, Makrand Deshpande, Sunil Shanbag, and Bronwen Carson. She got her diploma in Method Acting from the Jeff Goldberg Studio and has also trained at the New York Film Academy and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
“You never get what you want, you get who you are.” Rashi personifies this adage. She was called to audition for the part in Brahmastra: Part One-Shiva, tested and was on set on the 3rd day! Ayan had long been on her list of directors to work with, and the two got on like a house on fire. The thing that she always admires the most in a director is patience and calmness on set. For Rashi to experience a young director handling such a mammoth set with absolute ease and flow was a revelation.
For Rashi, the set is a playground where she implements all the theories she has ever learnt about her craft. Citing the importance of giving an artist a safe space to express, Rashi is all praise for the cast and crew of Brahmastra. The entire journey was a hands-on learning experience for the young and versatile actor.
Speaking about her first meeting with her co-stars and the director, she says, “ We all met at Ayan’s house and everyone was so welcoming and warm from the very onset. Ranbir got me coffee, and Alia greeted me with hugs! The couple is just as cute off-screen as they are on-screen. Being in the same room with artists who are at their absolute prime was a surreal experience. It was also an affirmation of my own career path.”
Her film ‘Sir’, a highly acclaimed Indo- French co-production, won the GAN Foundation award at Cannes in 2018. She won best actress (viewer’s choice) at the MTV IWMBuzz awards held in November 2019.
Over the years, Rashi has traveled the country to do a lot of stage shows in theatre, music, and other performing arts. Her curious nature and an undying passion to try new things have flown her to over 34 countries. She continues to follow her heart and explore avenues that challenge her and bring out the best she has to offer.
