Ready for her killing machine act in Dhaakad, Kangana trains with M4 carbine for teaser
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 9, 2019)

Before she faces the camera, Kangana Ranaut is known to painstakingly prep for her roles. It hasn’t been any different for Dhaakad — the actor underwent training with an M4 carbine gun to shoot for the teaser of the actioner. “The gun was so heavy that I could barely hold it,” laughs Ranaut, who found herself in unfamiliar territory as a mean killing machine for the Razneesh Ghai-directed film. “It took all my strength to lift the gun, and firing blanks was even more difficult. My director was having a good laugh, seeing me struggle with it. Hopefully, he will make me use dummy guns for the film’s shoot.”

On his part, Ghai asserts that it was necessary to employ real guns to lend an authentic look to the teaser. “Being an army kid, I have a lot of knowledge about weapons. I thought it was necessary to use a real gun as you can easily make out [a fake one] on screen.”

The teaser shoot was preceded by an on-the-job training for the leading lady. “I am aware of how it functions, so along with a stunt coordinator, I helped Kangana understand what needs to be done,” adds Ghai.

Proud to conceptualise a woman-led action film — a rarity so far in Bollywood — Ghai says the Diwali 2020 release will have international action directors choreographing the stunts. “We plan to roll in February, and Kangana has given us two months’ time for preparation.”