Kangana's latest interview

With her impeccable sartorial choices and her heartfelt portrayal of Rani in the recently released 'Queen', Kangana Ranaut is on a roll these days. With a growing fan base and an interesting movie line up, Kangna is slowly but surely heading her way to the top.

Pinkvilla caught up with the very talented and laidback Kangana for an exclusive chat. Read On ...

With the accolades that Queen has earned, and the film's steady success, and now, with this unique role of Revolver Rani, you are currently in the best phase of your career. And it comes after a lull phase. Have you consciously bided your time for these good scripts?

2012 has been a good year for me, in terms of the scripts that I got offered were exceptional. I got offered Krishh 3, Queen and Revolver Rani, around 6 to 7 months. It was a nice phase, but at the same time, they didn't sound that exciting at the beginning you see. No one really cared about Queen or for that matter, Revolver Rani in the beginning. But I realised they were good films, and took them up.

A Hollywood legend had quoted once, that a good part of a film actor's life is spent waiting. Waiting for a phone call, for the right role, waiting for a good director, waiting for a shot to roll, waiting for promotions to get over and then, finally, waiting for coveted box office success. I feel this might be true for you, prior to this phase of noteworthy roles. Is that accurate?

I didn't have right guidance, and there is no such thing as right guidance. I remember right after Fashion, and post the reactions, my very good Salman Khan told me, "What's the point of so much ACTING? You have won a national award, and you will win another, and then your dukan of acting will be bandh. And he gave me examples, of so called contemporaries, saying, look at them they don't know so much acting, not even the language, but they are doing well! And you have to do that." So that's what I mean, that I didn't always have the right guidance, I also didn't have the right examples to follow. Today if some girl aspires to be an actress, I would LOVE to be her example. You don't have to pamper egos, you don't have to follow anyone else's route, and you can follow your own path and you can continue working on your skill, and that works too. People also tell me that luck plays an important part. But I always say, look at Irrfan Khan, look at me, look at Nawazuddin, look at people like us. Nothing plays a part. If you have the skill, desire, then why not? I was happy doing theatre because I wanted to act. So we really didn't have the right examples in our society, or in films.

I was confused because, everyone else seemed to be doing so much better than me- with their communication skills, various other things, their image. For some time I was confused, but then films like Queen & Revolver Rani happened. Otherwise, just 2 years back, you had leading actresses just do an item number and one line in a film. I couldn't have done that, you know, I Don't see myself doing things like that.

There is one huge differentiating factor between you, Irrfan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui , since you mention them. They don't look so hot on the ramp, or in photo shoots or on screen. Your beauty, with it's slightly international feel, must have landed you song and dance roles with leading superstars. Since you focus on acting so much, have you ever refused such work?

That has happened yes, when heroes and stars have offered me roles, but just as a young girl, I always felt humiliated when I was being put in a place or pedestal just for being a pretty face. I am a very needy person, and as a kid also I was needy, I want to be loved and truly loved. I don't want to be loved just for my skin tone, or my hair or anything like that. I want my audiences to cry with me, laugh with me, love me and feel with me like they did in Queen. I want that for all my films. So I look for that aspect of building a bond with them when I agree to do a film.

It's not common for heroines to complement each other, and for one to stay out of cat fights. But Deepika has complimented you several times on your style sense. How does that work?

Deepika and I really don't get into each other's space. What Deepika is doing is great, but I don't see myself doing that. What I am doing, she likes that too, but we have different spaces for each other. So we really don't have any issues. But the ones in each other's space, they do find it hard to compliment each other- like they say not so nice things on shows like Koffee with Karan (laughs loudly).

Are you friends with any of the girls in the industry at all? You come across as a loner.

The thing with me is, I really like highly intellectual people, and the movies is the last thing I want to talk about. Bollywood is like a fish tank, and with playing your character, makes me part of it then. My characters make me lonely, I cant read or even go back to my family. So when I am not working, and am not into any character, I don't like to talk about films. I think that talking films makes me very shallow, like a dumb person.

I like people who talk about other things, and make me exercise my ability to think about other things. When I was dating my ex, he was doing research on protein cells that carry cancer DNA. And we used to talk about DNA print for hours, and it was so fulfilling, to talk about something that actually had some value and made a difference to human life. I spoke to Mr Khan, after Queen, was beginning to feel that movies are such a waste of time when people are doing such great things in life. He actually gave a beautiful argument- that films like 3 idiots, Queen- they form the moral fabric of society. He referred to my experience and said that when you entered Bollywood, you didn't have a role model or an example to look up to. And then it struck me- even a small gesture like a wedding ring returned from her finger, this message in Queen can reach out to so many people. Through my films and roles, I am actually communicating literally to millions and millions of people. Which other platform would give me that chance? Even if I were to put up a stage, how many would listen. So that made a lot of sense to me. It is actually a very privileged job to have, and we must go beyond that. So to answer your question, I can't have a conversation with fashionistas about a bag, or such things!

You mentioned Ex- So to confirm relationship status, you are?

Single (laughs) and will be for some time!

About your character in Revolver Rani- quirky, crazy and what else would you add to that?

See this film is actually a tragic story of this woman, Alka. No one is a nice person in it. It's a very evolved form of storytelling that the director has used, whereby the narration directly communicates with the audience. Towards it's climax, it turns out to be a circus, and you wonder, is our country really like this? It's got a very interesting take on politics.

There has been a lot of talk around a kiss in the film- an aggressive one between you and Vir. Please tell us more.

The kiss actually shows how Alka torments her lover, Vir Das's character. We show that she bites his lip, but that is not what actually happened, I didn't bite his lip off! I don't want this message to go out about the film.

Finally, last question, you have an admirer in Aamir Khan. Do you interact often?

Oh yes! Aamir Khan has been very supportive right from the start of my career. And while Salman Khan tells me that I always act too much (she laughs) he has also been a very big support right from the beginning. In fact, he says that this girl will stay on and play good roles long after most of her contemporaries are gone! So both have been very encouraging.