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EXCLUSIVE: Kangana Ranaut - Would've preferred Rangoon to release in 2016 to distract everyone's mind!
Ahead of Rangoon's release, Kangana Ranaut exclusively spoke to us about the movie, working with Shahid Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, her controversy with Hrithik Roshan and more.
She is sexy, sassy, fiery and bold. She doesn't shy away from calling a spade, a spade and she never minces her words. By now, we are sure you have guessed who we are talking about! It is none other than Kangana Ranaut. The powerhouse actress is out and about promoting her upcoming film Rangoon which releases this week. Ahead of it, we caught up with the gorgeous lady who got chatty about her film, working with Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor and getting into the character of stunt woman Julia.
Excerpts from the interview:
2016 was a tough year for you and that is when you were shooting for Rangoon. Was it difficult?
Yes, it was a demanding year, let's put it this way. Demanding in a different way. And also the fact that I was filming the most difficult character of my life, in a very testing environment and a challenging situation. And doing things which are out of my comfort zone. Usually films demand you to be emotional, but in this case, the character was physically demanding with the emotional journey. And with everything that was going around in my environment, especially the media, is a situation I have never been in before. I didn't know where was I going and what was happening. It was a bizarre place to be in.
Your last film came out in 2015 and Rangoon is releasing almost after two years. Was that a botheration for you?
Initially, I was supposed to have a release. Rangoon was going to release in October and it was a last minute decision, at least when it reached me, sometime in July/August I was told that it isn't an October release and now it will come out in February. That time naturally I felt shaken because that also meant delving into the same thing and going round and round about the same topic. Until something else comes about, people don't forget about the past. I would have preferred the film's release in 2016 to distract everyone. But now it is ready for release and I think that is good.
Rangoon is riding high with expectations. What do you have to say about that?
The film definitely has a lot of expectations and it is very entertaining. And it will live up to the expectations also and it will go beyond that.
What was the process of getting into your character of Julia?
The process was to get familiar with the environment. It is essentially a love story. Vishal sir also said that never in his life he has made a story about the love story. It is always there in the background but in the forefront is an issue. The love story is a passing thing in the scheme of things. Here the background is the World War II and the film is essentially about a love story. So I think the love stories that we have today and what this is, are very different. It isn't a generation where you break up over a message or things like that. Rusi isn't an antagonist. He is a lover boy and the girl is torn between two people. In those days the way the romance that was perceived was so intense. To understand that environment and getting the physical aspects right to do justice to the scenes, the biggest challenge was to get into the 1940s zone.
How similar is Julia's character to that of Kangana Ranaut?
There are many similarities. Julia is a very ambitious girl, she wants to do very well in her career. She tries very hard to fit in. Like her name is Jwala Devi and she has changed it to Julia. And Rusi is a rich Parsi man, very Royal. He favours the British and vice-versa. And she is trying very hard to fit into that environment. Somewhere when I came in, I also tried hard to fit in. Because I was from a different background. Today I can speak English and can do my makeup on my own. It is my endeavour and I have learnt over the years. In the case of Julia, she tries to keep things under the carpet, but I don't shy away from my roots. I haven't lied about my past - who am I, who are my siblings etc. Julia isn't proud of her background.
Generally, in a love triangle, an actress plays the role of a damsel in distress. But Julia isn't that. Then how would you describe your character?
It is like how Vishal sir says that the film was first called Julia. And in Vishal sir's words, it would have been very difficult to find male actors for a film which is called Julia. Hence they changed it to Rangoon. So it is a story about a woman's love affair with two men but that doesn't mean that she is the only primary character. But it is like other Vishal sir movies where every other character has a prominent part. I think the fact that it is Julia's story, but strictly love unlike what people expected us to tell the story of her film journey, it doesn't go into those things, definitely.
How was it working with Shahid Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan?
They are very cool and they have different personalities. Saif is very chilled out and he is a classic man who would make everyone comfortable around him. Shahid has a boyish charm. He would tease. We would have small fights not in a serious way but instead a fun way. Overall I enjoyed working with them.
There are a lot of passionate scenes between you and Shahid. Did you have inhibitions doing them when Vishal Bhardwaj told you?
Vishal sir never discussed these scenes specifically. It came in the story. The kind of background Vishal sir and I have as artists, it's (intimate scenes) not a concern. I remember a scene in the film where Shahid is removing leeches from my back. And there was something stuck on my breast and there were a few people who were fussing over the tapes and this and that. After sometime I was lying on my stomach naked as I was giving a bare back shot. They wanted me to put tape around the body but the tape would show and all of it. It was just a back shot I don't know what was the fuss about. I think Vishal liked the fact that I don't treat my body like a 'Khuli Tijori'. I don't think my body is a khuli tijori (laughs). I can do my scenes with comfort. If it is a backless scene then be it. I can do a backless scene without any fuss about it and without putting tapes. I can just cover myself up after the scene is over. And I think he expected that from me and not have nipple-sticking tapes around me. I have seen people do that. When girls are doing item numbers, suddenly a herd of people come and put a robe around her body and they put malmal on her cleavage when the shot is over. But again they show it off in the song which will be flashed on all the channels, doing those vulgar and awfully embarrassing steps. So what is the point? I don't behave like that but I am definitely against item numbers. However, I am comfortable doing erotic scenes.
Lastly, Shahid recently reacted to your comments and said that 'Kangana has a habit of making up things in her mind'. What do you have to say about it?
That line he (Shahid) must have borrowed from Hrithik. He would have thought that dude I will borrow these claims from Hrithik. I haven't said such things. I give my version of the situation. When you are enacting a scene, we don't do time pass. When we are asked questions on intimate scenes, especially to girls, there is a sleazy undertone to it. 'Kaise laga aapko kiss karke?' What am I supposed to say? I can't say acha laga ya kharab laga. My purpose is to answer it as an actor. So as an actor I said there were 50 people while we were shooting in the mud scene. And my co-actor had a cold. So it was the most convenient thing to do. It was made into a horrible.... I don't take these things seriously. Also, media needs to understand that they shouldn't ask such questions. They ask me who is the better kisser? Mujhe kya lena dena? What do you mean? These men have just had babies and we don't look at them in that way. This is our work and it is our rozi roti. But people talk in such a frivolous way. And I never talk like that about my work. There is always a risk of being misquoted horribly but it is better than saying I love Shahid's boxers. Isn't it better? (laughs).
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