Actress looking at new horizons

By Michael Picarella
Acorn Staff Writer

Rita Rani

How many Asian-Indian actors have you seen in leading roles in Hollywood movies? Calabasas resident Rita Rani, 23, not only wants to star in movies, but she wants to play parts as an actress–and not just an Indian actress.

When Sidney Poitier graced the silver screen in the 1950s, many people referred to him as "that black actor." Due to Poitier’s groundbreaking work as a performer, current African American actors like Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson and many others are seen for their talent and not for their skin color.

"I don’t want to be an ambassador of Indian culture," Rani said. "I want to represent my ethnicity, but I would like to be known as an actor rather than an Indian actor."

Rani is of Indian origin, but she was born and raised in America. She earned her bachelor of art’s degree in world arts and culture at UCLA.

Rani has always been interested in performing since she was a child, but never considered doing it for a living until recent years.

"Culturally speaking, you’re told when you’re young that you’re going to do something in academia or in the sciences—something that is considered concrete," Rani said. "I started out as a pre-med major at UCLA and being in these science classes—I enjoyed it, I didn’t hate it—but I felt like I would be very miserable if I had to spend my whole life in this area. What really kept me going were the arts."

During her childhood, Rani studied ballet and classical Indian form. At UCLA, she studied flamenco, kathak, hip hop/jazz, West African, modern and Latin ballroom dancing. And she also studied the theater, which launched her interest in acting.

Most of the work was physical. She’s currently studying acting at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute, which involves more mental work, and she said she’s now working from the inside out.

"I think if you combine the both," Rani said of physical training and mental training, "you’re at an even better position. A lot of people forget that in acting, your whole body is your instrument—not just the face and not just the emotion. Acting encompasses the whole body."

When Rani changed her interest in school from pre-med to world arts and culture, her parents thought she was going through a phase that she’d soon forget. But they hoped she wouldn’t focus on art too long so that she could continue studying for a real career, Rani said.

After Rani graduated from UCLA in 1999, she moved to Bombay, India, to follow her dream of becoming an actress. Her parents then knew she was serious and wasn’t going through a phase, Rani said.

"I didn’t see any acting opportunities here for an American of Indian origin," Rani said. She went to India where an Indian actress can act.

"But then I went there and I realized it was very difficult to get work," she said. "There are a lot of people there that look like me." The acting scene in India was very competitive, more than it’s here in Southern California.

After two years in India, Rani returned to Los Angeles to act.

"There’s actually a demand here for actresses that have a certain look," Rani said. "And there’s a community of us here that are plowing our way through ... It’s actually really encouraging and inspiring."

Rani would ultimately like to act in feature-length movies, but she still enjoys and is willing to work in theater, short films or in commercials, if opportunities arise.

"I would love to work on films that are period pieces," Rani said. Some of her favorite movies include "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Gosford Park," "Shakespeare in Love" and just about any classic play adapted to the cinema, she said.

Rani enjoys films that explore characters. And she likes to dig deep into the characters she plays.

"What interests me most about acting is the exploration of myself and human nature," Rani said.

Rani has been in several independent movies, she’s performed in almost a dozen live theatrical shows and she’s been in several commercials. She’s had an agent for almost a year and recently got a manager to help with her career.

"She’s ready for the next level," said Nandini Shah, who’s been helping Rani with publicity. Rani is building up her demo reel and is gaining a lot of experience, Shah said.

More information about Rani can be seen on her Internet Website, www.ritarani.com.