Kani Kusruti Opens Up About Showing Solidarity For Palestine With Her Watermelon Bag At Cannes

Actor Kani Kusruti grabbed the spotlight at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival not just with her movie ‘All We Imagine As Light’ but also with her sartorial choice. The actor made a statement when she appeared on the red carpet with a watermelon-shaped clutch. The watermelon has grown to be a symbol of Palestine as it represents the colours on its flag. In a recent interview, the actor opened up about why she chose to make a statement with her outfit and also talked about how she was trolled by a section of the audience for her choice.

In a conversation with India Today, Kani Kusruti opened up about how she was thinking of making a statement for Palestine and Gaza at the Cannes Red Carpet. She said, “Many of us are doing things to show solidarity, and I wanted to do the same when at Cannes. I found this clutch while we were still figuring out if we could embroider something on the outfit, put on a brooch, or paint the Gaza map. And since we were all wearing solid on that particular day, I picked up a white dress that added to the colour of the Palestine map.”

Kusruti also talked about how she was trolled by a section of social media users for showing her solidarity with Palestine. She mentioned how she was unbothered by the trolling. She continued, “Honestly, this hasn't happened for the first time. I am used to it. Sometimes, I also wonder why actors even get so much attention, even for a film. We are all just doing our work. As for this time, some people said I supported Gaza and why didn't I talk about Israel, or the war in Ukraine? The whataboutery goes on but I am just not bothered. It's everyone's right to question, so it's okay. We all have our individual beliefs.”

Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine As Light’ was the first Indian film since 1994 to compete in the main competition and went on to win the Grand Prix at Cannes. On the work front, the actor was last seen in ‘Thalaimai Seyalagam’ where she played the role of Durga.