Rishab Shetty's Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1 is getting love from fans and critics alike. While Rishab's direction and on-screen presence are being widely praised, the film's female lead, Rukmini Vasanth, is also earning significant acclaim. Playing Princess Kanakavathi, Rukmini truly stole the show.
But did you know Rukmini is not just a talented actress – she is also the daughter of a real-life hero, Colonel Vasanth Venugopal. The brave officer, who commanded the 9th Battalion of the Maratha Light Infantry, was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra. He sacrificed his life in 2007 while stopping heavily armed militants from infiltrating across the India-Pakistan border in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir.
As reported by Mathrubhumi.com, on July 31, 2007, Colonel Venugopal and his team cornered militants in a forested area of the Uri sector. Even after being wounded, he led from the front, guided his men, blocked all escape routes, and neutralised the threat.
Last month, Rukmini Vasanth opened up about the impact of losing her father at a young age. Speaking at the India Today Conclave South 2025, the actress said, "It left a lasting impact on me because I was a child when we lost our father.”
“At that point, to see my mother, whose life has been completely rocked and changed, take her raw pain and find a way to channel that to other people, to find a way to spread the immense privilege that reached our family, to find a way to disperse to people who don't have access, was moving to me. It instilled a strong sense of philanthropy, of taking your pain and making it productive,” she added.
Coming back to Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1, the film is a prequel to the 2022 hit Kantara. In addition to Rishab Shetty and Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, Gulshan Devaiah and Ramitha Shailendra are seen playing important roles in the film. Click here to read the NDTV film review of Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1.