Harshada Rege (DNA; March 13, 2014)

Kangana Ranaut made her debut in 2006 with Gangster. She started off with heroes like Shiney Ahuja, Sharman Joshi and Adhayan Suman, but the actress soon graduated to the A-List. She did films with Hrithik Roshan (Krrish 3) and Ajay Devgn (Rascals) but for some odd reason eight years after her entry into B-Town, she has not worked with any of the Khans or for that matter Akshay Kumar or Kapoors (Shahid and Ranbir). While the other actresses who have come into the industry much later than her — Deepika Padukone and Sonakshi Sinha — have worked with most or all of them.

The Khan factor

Do they know she is alive? Yes! She is friends with Salman Khan but though he is known to help newcomers, has never done a film with her. Aamir Khan praised her on Koffee With Karan, and she has partied with Shah Rukh Khan. So how come they haven’t been paired together? While trade pundits analyse, Kangana, who has another author-backed movie Queen which released last Friday, is unperturbed. Sure the actress is aware that she is yet to work with the big three of the industry. “Initially in my career, I was very eager to work with the Khans and bigger heroes and I waited for a long time. All the big projects would be announced and they would go to certain actresses and I would get these unconventional films. But now I thank God for that. Because those films got me critical acclaim and success. Now I am addicted to doing films where I play central roles,” she says.

Overshadowing the heroes

Perhaps the established heroes are wary of working with her because she chooses strong characters and plays protagonist in her films. So she has to contend working with actors who are secure enough not to worry about being 'side-lined'. Like R Madhavan in Tanu Weds Manu, Rajkummar Rao in Queen and Vir Das in her next Revolver Rani. When asked if she chooses to play only strong characters, she shrugs, “I have been through phases. I would be lying if I say that I have always been clear about what I wanted to sign. There have been times when I have done a particular movie for the glamour factor or the money that was offered. But I think now I know what I am looking for.”

Main bhi hero

While Queen is about a girl’s journey in another country, Revolver Rani will see her in an out-and-out action avatar. And the actress is loving the films where the focus is on her. She laughs, “I used to get really bored on the sets of Krissh 3 because I used to come from the sets of Queen and Revolver Rani. And Hrithik used to get so much attention, which was the exact opposite of what would happen on the sets of my other movies. And I would be like ‘I want that.’ When I started out, I didn’t have a concrete plan to get where I am, but now that I am here, why should I go back and do hero-centric films where I have little to do?”
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Parag Maniar (BOMBAY TIMES; March 13, 2014)

Kangana Ranaut has come a long way in her seven-year career. Be it films or interviews, she has always defied convention. In an early stage of her career, she even gave scriptwriting and direction (The Touch) a shot. And now, positive response to her latest outing, Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Phantom Films’ Queen is another example of her growth as an artiste.

Said Kangana, “It’s nice, that we as an industry and country, are encouraging meaningful cinema. A tremendous positive response from the industry and the audience has been both, motivational and uplifting.”

While the film has created a buzz on social networks, the biggies in the industry have also loved the film. The best compliment came from Amitabh Bachchan, who wrote to her: “Your complete disbelief of a camera in front of you is an accomplishment all artists strive for”. The superstar concluded the letter with an emotional note — “May your amazing talent grow with every film and may you prosper.”

Aamir Khan praised Kangana on a talk show and said of the film, “Guys, you have to watch Queen.”

Karan Johar said, “Kangana is beyond brilliance.” He further tweeted: “Queen is the most fun I have had at the movies in a very long time. Vikas Bahl is a star.” Rajkumar Hirani, too, expressed similar sentiments.

Ajit Andhare, COO, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, commented, “The film has touched a chord. As a studio that believes in the power of storytelling and puts characters above everything else, we feel gratified that a project envisioned at the script stage, has come to life.”