Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; August 5, 2018)

Kangana Ranaut has chalked out her own unique path. As one of Bollywood’s leading ladies, she doesn’t follow the diktats of the industry, instead, she lives by her own rules. She is all set to turn the tables once again, as she gets ready not to be interviewed, but interview spiritual guru Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. In an exclusive chat with BT, the actress spoke about this initiative, why practical solutions are the need of the hour and how playing the Rani of Jhansi in her upcoming film was a spiritual experience. Excerpts…

You will be interviewing the yogi and mystic Sadhguru. What prompted you to do this?
I have been interested and fascinated by mysticism. I have read all the holy books including the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, some chapters of the Quran, books on quantum physics, the Vedanta and books by modern philosophers like Deepak Chopra. Having read them, I have been meaning to have a conversation with Sadhguru. He has written a book called Inner Engineering and the thoughts in the book are not borrowed from already-existing concepts and spaces. It’s not a mishmash of all that has been written so far in this space. I want to ask him some questions and that’s how the idea to interview him took shape. It will also give many others a chance to participate in this activity. I am calling some of my friends and they will also get an opportunity to ask him more questions. Many people are intrigued by mysticism.

Everything you say and do is closely followed. You have openly shared your views on women empowerment. Is there a message that you are sending through this initiative?
We are on the threshold of a new India. Either, we can go completely right or we can go completely wrong. We are at an important juncture. Rather than having personal ideas and goals, what we need to have is collective goals. That’s what I truly believe. We need to examine what we have as a society and what we lack. These are primarily going to be my points of discussion. Participating in this dialogue can perhaps motivate somebody or inspire others. More than finding peace or nirvana, what we need to provide is food and electricity for half the country, because people are deprived of these basic needs. Instead of focusing on nirvana, we are going to discuss the needs of millions in the country. Probably, the generation after us can talk about nirvana and peace with mystics. It should be a healthy debate because spirituality by itself is passive. I want to ask Sadhguru where it will land us. I want to ask him these questions as there are some conflicting thoughts in my own mind about spirituality and breaking karma bondage.

How has spirituality or modern philosophy helped you personally?
Swami Vivekananda’s practical and scientific approach to things has impacted me deeply. Essentially, I am impressed by what he says about cause and effect in his philosophy. As a working woman, it has helped me deconstruct my own goals into smaller units. That helps me approach one unit or one thing at a time.

Often actors say that playing a certain character can be a spiritual experience. Do you think playing the queen of Jhansi in Manikarnika - The Queen of Jhansi was spiritual?
It was spiritual because you go beyond the personal deeds and pains. The experience is not limited to the physical. So, people who have taken steps keeping humanity, in mind have elevated to that dimension and lived on a spiritual level more than just the physical level. She is a martyr, who laid down her life for the spirit of nationalism. It has brought about a different dimension to my personality. Also, I tend to get influenced by the characters I play on screen. It’s not conscious, but when I look back, I realise that I get attached to my characters. And sometimes, I also tend to think like them.