Kangana Ranaut on sexism & why she won't face same fate as Veere Di Wedding makers: I have given a 100 cr film
Sonam Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan had revealed how they weren't given their desired budget to make Veere Di Wedding, just because it was a film led by four woman. Will Kangana Ranaut be the gamechanger here? Watch the video to hear her speak.
After donning the director's hat for Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi last year, Kangana Ranaut is ably balancing her time between acting, direction and production. The actress who has just launched her banner Manikarnika Films earlier this year, recently unveiled the looks from her plush bungalow which has been renovated to be her office space in Mumbai. We got in touch with Kangana who, like always, had a straight talk on films, production and the way ahead.
Several women from the industry have protested against the blatant sexism meted out to them. A few years ago, Sonam Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan had gone on records to speak about how they weren't given the desired budget to make Veere Di Wedding because it was a film about four women with no big A-list male lead in it. The film went on to become a huge success at the box office. Kangana, on the other hand, delivered big with films like Tanu Weds Manu Returns and Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, which crossed over Rs 150 crore and Rs 100 crore respectively at the box office. Now, with her setting up her own production house, we asked her if she feels she would also have to deal with a similar challenge: of putting a proper budget in place. The Queen actress responded in the negative. She reasons, "For me, what works is that I have a 100 crore film behind me. Even if Manikarnika was co-directed by me, I think that makes a huge difference. You have already made the leap from small films to big films. I was initially very reluctant to helm that project but eventually, it went on to become a huge hit. That has added a lot of value and I see a lot of people are keen to invest in my film. Of course, it also depends on the crew you get. We have Vijayendra sir and another writer on board. Your script is everything. Other things don't matter much."
She further adds, "At least I am in that place where I have a body of work in terms of writing whether it's for Queen or Simran. So people know my sensibilities. Plus, I'm a successful actor, so I don't think for me, it will be literally from the scratch. So it's not that bad for me."