Rupanty Akid: More than an accent

For as long as she can remember, Rupanty Akid dreamed of becoming an actor. Like kids who pretend to be rock stars, strumming air guitars in their rooms, she would rehearse award acceptance speeches and stage imaginary interviews, completely lost in the dream. In many ways, it feels like she manifested her journey as an actor into reality.

Though Rupanty made her debut in Bangladeshi entertainment with a drama back in 2013, last year's Chorki film 'Kacher Manush Dure Thuiya' introduced her to a bigger audience. 

However, her latest role in the Australian film 'Hindi Vindi' has the potential to expand her reach even further, bringing her into the spotlight not only in Bangladesh but also in India and Australia.

Hindi Vindi, which was released in theatres across Australia on 27 February, features Rupanty as Rihanna. The audition criteria initially required an actress who could portray a high school student with a native Australian accent, speak some broken Hindi, and deliver intense emotional scenes. 

However, Rupanty's eagerness to take on the role went beyond meeting these requirements—it reflected her deeper connection to the characters she chose, a pattern evident in the roles she gravitates toward.

"Rihanna represents a generation like mine where our parents have relocated from South Asian countries while our generation were born and brought up abroad. We are always stuck between the generational and cultural differences, stuck with being ourselves while also not disappointing our parents in the process who have a very different view towards life," said Rupanty.

To bring Rihanna's character to life, Rupanty drew inspiration from her childhood friends. Sharing similar experiences, she understands their struggles and the ongoing challenge of navigating cultural nuances while living abroad as someone of South Asian descent.

"I connected with Rihanna a lot because she faces the same challenges I've seen people around me go through. I enjoy playing characters like her—stories that are underrepresented and not the usual commercially driven narratives," she said.

Rihanna also embodies a bit of a rockstar persona and plays a key role in the protagonist's effort to reconnect with his Indian grandmother by surprising her with an original Hindi song. She also contributes to the song by playing both the bass guitar and the piano.

"The song shoot went on for two straight days, and they even brought in a music teacher to teach me the exact bass and piano notes. It was an exhilarating but exhausting experience—I could barely move my arms after holding the heavy bass guitar for so long," Rupanty recalled.

Being part of a project with significant international collaboration and exposure could very well have created new opportunities for Rupanty or advanced her journey toward becoming a star actor. However, she seemed relatively unfazed by the possibilities that the future might hold.

"Films like Hindi Vindi might open new doors for me, but where they lead doesn't matter. Whether it's Hollywood, Bollywood, or even the Bangladeshi film industry, I'm open to all of them. From my perspective, I don't see much of a difference between the three," she said.

Rupanty's last two major roles had very specific casting criteria. In the Chorki film, she played a girl born to Bangladeshi parents, selected for her Australian accent to maintain organicity. Similarly, in Hindi Vindi, she fit the role of a native Aussie speaker with an amateur hold over Hindi. 

While these roles highlight her linguistic versatility, they also risk boxing her into a typecast—playing the 'foreigner girl' struggling to fit in. This raises an important question—could these roles inadvertently limit her opportunities, restricting her to characters that align with a specific set of criteria rather than allowing her to explore a wider range of performances?

"I'm not worried about being typecast. On the surface, it may seem like I'm always playing the 'foreigner Bengali girl,' but there's always a deeper reason behind the roles I choose," she explained.

"I believe I have the upper hand when it comes to deciding which roles to accept or reject. I've turned down many offers simply because they portrayed a stereotypical, spoiled foreigner girl—a perspective shaped by directors who view the Western world through a very different gaze. I don't say yes to the same type of role; I choose carefully. That's why, despite acting for quite some time, I have only a handful of films and dramas to my name," she added.

To further prove her point, Rupanty shared small details about an upcoming project where she takes on a role unlike anything audiences have seen from her before.

She recently wrapped up shooting for 'Bonolota Sen', a biographical film about  Jibanananda Das, directed by Masud Hasan Ujjal.

"The entire movie was filmed in villages, and I portray a character from that era. It's a very classical role, and even my wardrobe was limited to traditional sharis," she revealed.

Naturally, she had to put in some effort to ensure her accent didn't slip through while delivering her dialogues. However, for the director, the key focus wasn't just the accent. According to him, the most important thing was for Rupanty to let her innocence and naivety shine through the character she was portraying.

"I memorised the entire script and was so focused on delivering the dialogues perfectly that at times, it affected my facial expressions. But overall, I gave it my 110%," she shared.

Apart from acting, Rupanty runs her own photography business and holds a marketing degree. She has certainly made a name for herself in various niche circles, but it remains to be seen where her journey in media will take her next.