Kangana Ranaut is all geared up for her upcoming film Katti Batti. Her character Payal may seem fun but the actress tells us it’s the most tragic role she has ever played. Kangana also discloses that there are people in the industry who are jealous of her success. She also let us in on her relationship status!
Q. You are today reigning Bollywood. People say it’s lonely at the top. How do you see it?
Kangana: The best part about my success is that it came so late, because I think it matters a lot how you feel as an individual.
Had it been 8-9 years back, when I was a teenager, I think I would have ended up like my character in Fashion. At twenty-eight you are very balanced as a woman, so that sort of affects your perspective about everything. The best part is, it happened now when I feel so balanced as a person and matured, that too matters.
So I think you wouldn’t want to wish success on young people because when you are very young it’s very hard to deal with. Not at my age.
Q. All the roles that you have done recently are very strong characters, at the same time very challenging. While playing such roles do you tend to get stuck with them because you are so into it?
Kangana: Oh yeah all the time! With Payal (her character in Katti Batti), I remember getting so deeply involved in it, and this character is the most tragic one I have played so far. Her tragedy is on another level you know. I remember being so affected, crying all the time, I lost my appetite.
When my mother visited me, I would just break down on anything you know. My mom is like you know you should not do these characters at this young age and movies are not everything and if the character is so intense you will end up being a completely messed up person and I think that’s true, most actors end up messed up because you know you just play with your mind.
Q: So what do you do to snap out of it?
Kangana: Well, this character I will never do again.
I realized I am not as strong as a person and when you see the film you will know why I am saying that. I don’t think I can go back to being how I was, before Katti Batti. It definitely makes you very sensitive to a certain aspect of life, which you don’t even consider and your life becomes a lot more difficult because you are aware of it.
I was avoiding watching Katti Batti for the longest time, but Nikhil pushed me and said you have to see it and tell me if there is anything you want me to change, phir baad mein mat rona. I saw it the other day and was like, oh my god! This film can really affect you and so yes this is something I wouldn’t want to do again.
Q. Have you ever thought of writing a book, maybe an autobiography?
Kangana: Oh yes, not just about my life, there are so many things that I am excited to write about.
Like how I use Vedanta to penetrate into my characters. Like I have a spiritual understanding of characters, so I get into their psychology through their actions, it’s a very good trick. So I would like to share this with the world.
Second thing I want to write about is gardening and all. Poems, I write a lot of poems so a poetry book. And probably about my life and how I dealt with my struggles and I would also like to dissect my psychology and the way I tend to perceive challenge. It’s very unique. It will be very useful especially for young girls.
Q. What do you think of live-in relationships and do you believe in the institution of marriage?
Kangana: I think live-in relationships are overrated. And looking at the rate at which marriages are crumbling down, I don’t have anything great to say. But I am looking forward to motherhood at some point. Since I am twenty-eight my mom is like you don’t want a family or something? I am like, yeah maybe at some point.
Q. So are you open to being a single mom and adopting a child maybe?
Kangana: No no no no, that’s not gonna happen! He needs to change the diapers too. I can do only 20% of it. I think it’s hard work. I am not that giving and if we are getting into something this big I need someone who will share the responsibility.
Q. Kangana you start shooting for Vishal Bharadwaj’s Rangoon, is it true that you wanted your name as the co-director of the film, and you and Vishal had a tiff over it?
Kangana: That’s DNA. They only know this news, so they can only quote because Vishal sir and I spoke and we were laughing.
Q. Is there a special someone in your life right now?
Kangana: No, I am single but I am not open to dating, only because I see my life in a certain way and I am very committed to my roles.
I think relationship is a lot of work and like I said with Payal’s character and before that Tanu and Datto all three I have been doing simultaneously, so I don’t want to be unfair to someone and take up something which just dies its death.
Out of 365 days if your are working 370 days, what are you hoping to do with that relationship? Even if there is a possibility with someone, it will die and you will regret that. So I would want to come to a place where I have time for a relationship.
Q. So are you planning to slow down anytime soon?
Kangana: Right now the place that I am in, I am being targeted big time. Like people are targeting my projects, people are targeting my position. So I want to come to a place where I don’t become a soft target. I think after these 2-3 films I can take it a little easy.
Q. Are you saying that there are people who are jealous of your success?
Kangana: Oh yes! There have been interviews also where they have said I am jealous of Kangana. There are many people who have been saying that.
Q. How do you react to it?
Kangana: It’s ok. It doesn’t matter. Like I said, I need to focus on my life, I need to sort of cement my position as to who I am so that I feel secure as a working woman. I have been struggling for 10 years, there is no opportunity or option of an alternate career so I need to secure my future, I need to build my career.
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