Kangana Ranaut, who has bagged the national award for the best actress this year, says her best is yet to come. In a freewheeling chat with Karan Bhardwaj, she talks about pushing the envelope in the industry, apprehensions about marriage and her unrelenting spirit
It’s a rare occassion to meet Kangana Ranaut, the new queen of Bollywood, on her birthday. And a day later, she gets the national award for her stellar performance in Queen. But if you expect her to relish in high spirits, then let’s tell you that she is only game for work. On the day she turned 28, she ditched her prior plans to party in Mumbai with friends and reached the Capital to launch the poster of Tanu Weds Manu Returns (TWMR). “There are many out there today who wants to be in my place,” she muttered humbly. When you meet her, you meet a committed actor and not just another top damsel of the tinsel town, who’s more concerned about her looks than what she says. She would rarely smile, listen every question patiently and would never manipulate her thoughts. She stayed honest and serious throughout. “I’m usually cheerful. I do not laugh or giggle all the time,” she said.
She talked about the sequel, her apprehensions about marriage and why female protagonists are paid lesser as compared to their male counterparts. Excerpts:
After four years, Tanu Weds Manu has got a sequel with its original crew. Was it like a perfect homecomingIJ
Definitely. When you work with people who you do not know, you take time to establish a rapport and get into a comfort zone. With Tanu Weds Manu, it’s like coming back to a family. We were not totally out of touch after the movie. We used to meet and call at times. So we created a special bond. When we started working on the sequel, it was like a family get together. We immediately struck a chord and realised how time just flew by.
You were not a star when Tanu Weds Manu happened. How did it come to youIJ
Madhavan and I were supposed to do a movie which was not taking off. While I was going to US, he called me and said there was this great script. So I heard it on my way to the airport. It remained close to my heart because it came at a time when I didn’t have much work. The success of TWM surprised the entire industry. Four years back, a romantic film like that would not rake in moolahs. It was like a case study for all of us.
So was it different shooting the sequel post the success of QueenIJ
It was different in terms of comprehending the characters. Four years back, I just followed the instructions and didn’t understand the depth of my character. When I look back, I feel I could have done much better. This time, I have had my own expectations. Also, Aanand l Rai (director) said that as a friend, he would have to offer me something more complex and challenging than Queen. So here we are.
Which character do you find closer to your personality, Rani from Queen or Tanu from TWMIJ
I have played both the characters in my real life at some point of time. I could relate to Rani as I came from a humble background. I belong to Himachal Pradesh and didn’t have much exposure. I didn’t have godfather and made my own way in Mumbai. I have been a rival like Tanu. I have never succumbed to situations or people’s diktats.
Since you are known to live your characters thoroughly, how challenging was it to play two contrasting roles in the same movieIJ
TWMR is the most challenging film of my career so far. It was really draining. I just put out everything I know about life, people, acting and characters. Both the characters are very strong and different from each other. Usually, double roles are supportive of each other but in this movie, they are against each other. At one point in the movie, they are like protagonist and antagonist. I had to have conflicting personalities for that. From ideologies to body language, everything had to be conflicting. They were like two different extremes of mine. It was exhausting.
Aamir Khan also celebrated his birthday with media. Is this just a co-incidence or you are getting inspired from himIJ
It’s just a co-incidence. I do feel that Aamir Khan is a great artiste. He’s a good friend and I appreciate his work. But there’s no intention of celebrating my birthday in Aamir Khan’s style. I usually celebrate birthday with friends. In fact, I was planning to throw a party in Mumbai. But this movie is so special to me that I couldn’t say no to the idea of launching its first look in Delhi.
Post Queen, there’s a complete transformation in you. It seems like a sequence from a fairytale...
It’s true that anyone would like to be in my place. But it’s not an easy place to be in. I have worked hard for it. Knowingly or unknowingly, somehow I have reached at a place when I become the talking point of the movies that I do. But it’s definitely not easy since I have to meet my own expectations as an artiste, besides the audience.
Does it exhaust youIJ
It exhausts me a lot.
Have you become more choosyIJ
I’m just going with the flow. I’m lucky that the scripts I’m getting are so exciting. I could have started my own film, which is also ready to go ahead, but I chose to wait and work with amazing people and explore new opportunities.
Deepika Padukone recently opened up about her depression. You have seen many ups and downs in life. Did you ever feel depressedIJ
I do not know where the sporty spirit comes from but I haven’t had a single day when I didn’t feel like getting up from bed or moving on in life. I have seen the worst of life but I have always battled it. I have been very fortunate. Some of us are just born with this. I have nothing in me but my spirit. I never give up. I never feel bogged down. I have always been able to control my life even when I was going through a tough phase.
Do you believe in marriageIJ
Marriage is a tricky territory. Even though in our times, where women are strong-headed and independent and are multi-tasking as they wear sindoor and sari during the day and go out and party in night with hubbies and friends, there are a lot of expectations from women in marriage. Societies have different approach to women and marriages. I have had live-in relationships in the past and today I’m best friends with those people. But the kind of society that we live in today, it is hard to have a real idea of marriage. Nobody knows even what is the idea of marriage today. The TWMR echoes the same conflict of an urban couple and their struggle of keeping a marriage intact.
What happened to your direction plansIJ
I’m really busy with my acting assignments. The kind of work that I am doing with so many talented people is gratifying. I can direct later so I am postponing it bit. I have got nothing to complain about today since I am working with the best of talent in the industry.
Remuneration of actresses is a big debate in the industry today. Do you regret not getting the same amount of money as top male actorsIJ
I have a superficial understanding of this particular fact. I think we have more male audience in theatre. A recent survey found that only 20 per cent of the theatre audience are women. That fact plays a big role in the business of entertainment. We are debating about gender equality in Bollywood but everything will change once we get more female audience in theatre. I’m hopeful since new-age women are independent and they no longer wait for their partners to come back home and watch cinema. Earlier, families would plan a movie outing together and it was done rarely. But today more women are willing to entertain themselves and are taking such decisions. As the percentage of female audience will go up, the business of women-centric movies will also get better. If that happens, women artistes will be paid better. This is what my little understanding of Bollywood says, it’s not that I have done some research.
What are your forthcoming projectsIJ
After TWMR, I am doing Katti Batti. I will start a movie with Sujoy Ghosh, it’s called Devotion of Suspect X. I am also doing a movie with Hansal Mehta.