Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; January 21, 2020)

She took to the battlefield as the braveheart Queen of Jhansi, and now, with the slice-of-life sports drama, Panga, Kangana Ranaut is all set to up her game. And this time with jumps, dives, skill and tact on the playing field. In the film, she plays a 32-year-old mom, who chases her dream to be a kabaddi player. Much like the Kangana we know, who dares to dream big and fight every hurdle along the way. In a chat with BT, she talks about her real-life pangas, precious relationships and her idea of an ideal partner. Read on...

There is a song in Panga with inspiring lyrics, which says, Man ki jo sune, hai wohi changa. Lele, Lele Panga. Is that the mantra you live by?
I think so, and I would like to believe that I only listen to my heart and what I feel is right. I left home at an early age, so I didn’t have any overpowering figure in my life — a father figure or anyone else like that. I started working at 17, so I have taken panga since that age. Even back then, I did what my heart told me to. It could probably be the most immature thing to do, but I still did it. I thought, why should I pretend to be someone else? Why should my reactions be like my father’s or anyone else’s whose experiences are different from mine?

So, you have taken responsibility for all your choices and decisions, right or wrong...
Yes, always! When I left home, it was a very decisive moment in my life, because there was obviously a feeling like… what if it doesn’t work out. But then, I told myself…Whatever the consequences are, deal with it alone. Your parents didn’t sign up for this, so don’t turn around and go back to them’. It is not that my parents would object if I went back, but I knew that, hereon, I have to take 100% responsibility for whatever happens in my life. I have seen hard days; there were days when I slept hungry, and my parents could have easily afforded a meal for me, but I didn’t go back. I felt that it was unfair. I had chosen a path, so I had to figure it out and stick by it. Over the course of time, it becomes your second nature. You become that person.

When Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari (director) approached you with this film, you were going through a difficult time in your life. So, what convinced you to take on this role, knowing that the project will be very demanding?
Ashwiny met me during a dramatic phase of my life. In my mind, I had completed Manikarnika - The Queen Of Jhansi (2019), but I got to know that the studio was not okay with the film and wanted to bring another director on board. Eventually, I took over. I left a film called Imli and was also toying with the idea of not doing Panga. At that time, I thought I was not in the headspace to do this film, but Ashwiny told me that she would help me through it. I was shooting two units and would sometimes land on the Panga set, thinking, ‘Where am I?’ It was very unlike me. I was so lost, and she helped me through it. She is one of the most organised people I know, and her homework is on point. We both are very passionate about our work and operate from a place where we are on our own.

Panga focuses on how a supportive family can play a huge role in helping you achieve your dreams, however implausible they might seem. Your family is a big support in your life, likewise, you are like a rock-solid support system for them, too, right?
I have seen both the sides. I have also seen how miserable your life can be without your family. Initially, when I started out, my family did not support me and that was probably the worst phase of my life. Even though at that age I must have felt… to hell with them, over time, I realised that there are only those many people in the world who will be there with you all along. That’s when I decided to mend my relationship with them and be close to them, because the distance had become way too much. I wanted to nurture our relationship and have people around me, who I could share my life with. That’s precisely what we are talking about in Panga, too, that building a relationship with your close ones is everyday work and a process. Even now, while my family and I are there for each other, we can’t take it for granted. We have to work on it and invest in it emotionally, every day. I also think that I could go back and mend my relationship with them because of my success.

Could you explain that?
It would have been very unfortunate if I was not successful, because the kind of person that I am, it would have been difficult for me to mend the relationship. I am not someone who is good with failures, especially when I am dealing with people. When I fail, it does not change my perception of me, but when I look into people’s eyes and see their perception shift, I can’t take it. I completely block myself out and don’t meet anyone. I don’t think that it is anyone’s business to judge me like that. I am sure that I would not have gone back to my family if I had failed, because of my own ego, no matter how much they would have tried to help me. I am sure that I would have made a different life for myself. I am not here for people’s drama, with anyone throwing lines at me like, ‘Kaha tha humne tumhe (laughs!).’ I wouldn’t let anyone do that to me. Now, at least I can say, ‘Maine kaha tha tumko…’

You recently said that after seeing the relationship that Ashwiny and her filmmaker husband, Nitesh Tiwari share, you feel that marriage is not such a bad idea, after all? What are your reservations about marriage?
When you have so much going for yourself, you tend to get thoughts like… ‘The world needs me, why should I belong to one person (laughs!)?’ Also, with time, you can become compulsively independent in the way you live your life and operate, and the way you create your personal space. Then, marriage seems like a trap. When you are functioning better on your own, than with a partner, then, marriage doesn’t make sense, right? As partners, you should function doubly better. I see that Rangoli (sister) and her husband function well with each other. Emotionally, financially and spiritually, I should do better with my partner than I am doing on my own. If two people are doing doubly well together in these aspects, I am open to marriage. Even if it does not double up, it should not bring me down from where I am. I can see how Ashwiny and Nitesh function beautifully together and enhance each other. They are raising a lovely family together. When I see that, I think, ‘Okay, this works. This is how it should be.’

Panga also highlights an important thought in the context of our society — that a woman has no reason to stop dreaming and pursuing her dreams irrespective of her stage (marriage, motherhood) in life. While there has been a huge change in urban India, do you think films like these will bring such conversations into focus in smaller towns of our country?
A mother is the person who is most taken for granted in the family. When we were growing up, we didn’t know where the food came from, when the utensils were cleaned and how we got freshly laundered clothes every day. Everything was functional because of my mom. When I started running my own house, I had a team of four people doing all the work, and yet, it seemed a lot. My mom would do so much more for us, all by herself. We start believing that our mothers don’t have emotional needs or dreams of her own. Now, my when my mom opens to me, I can see that she is so vulnerable, and she has always been this way, but we didn’t see it. That is what should change with the film — we need to humanise our mothers; we most often don’t do that. Jaya (my character) is so much my mother, I dedicate this film to her.

How was your equation with your on-screen husband, Jassie Gill? While talking to BT, he said, ‘Mujhe bada dara ke bheja tha set pe, lekin jaisa suna tha waisa kuch hua nahi’. The film also boasts of some fabulous actors like Richa Chadha and Neena Gupta. How was the energy on the set with so many fabulous actors?
Even Ashwiny would get calls where someone would tell her, ‘She (Kangana) will destroy your film’. Jassie would get calls saying, ‘Tumhe toh bhagwan bachaye’. I think these are petty games that people play. It’s a bubble that bursts, because within 12 months, I am releasing two-three films. So, I don’t think that too many people believe in this narrative. Jassie is multi-talented, he is a fabulous singer, too. A director’s energy translates on to the entire set. Ashwiny was so homely and positive that it rubbed off on all of us. Even with someone like Richa, we may have different political beliefs, but that does not come in the way while working. The realm of art is such that it rises above political beliefs. I was the happiest to know that Javed Akhtar sir is writing the lyrics. For me, it is an honour to be working with him, even though our political ideologies are different. When I become a producer, I will pledge to never be coloured by any prejudices or people’s personal choices. Whether it is your belief, sexuality, colour or caste…how does it matter and why should it matter when you are working on a film? That is the kind of standard and behaviour I stand up for.

Initially, there were stories about Ashwiny and you not getting along, but she cleared those rumours and even says that today, you both are close friends and there are no pretenses whatsoever…
Personally, I feel that most people I work with and have an equation with, are 100% sweet on my face, but then they talk differently when they go into the media space. I never expected Ashwiny to speak so highly of me, because I have learnt this lesson in the industry that if you are an outsider, it suits their narrative to talk about you in a certain way. Even Ashwiny was surprised to see how some people met me so warmly, but behind my back they were different people. She comes from such a positive place that there were never any insecurities with her.

Kangana Ranaut on reuniting with the filmmaker, family dynamics and why she had to take charge of her period drama
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 25, 2018)


Only Kangana Ranaut would dare to take ‘panga’ with kabaddi…
(Laughs) Well, like many sports in our country, kabaddi too has been largely ignored. I played it when I was young, but never took it up on any platform after that. Today, when I watch a match from the sidelines, it never fails to stimulate it. But this story is not just about the sport, Ashwiny (Iyer Tiwari, director) and Nitesh sir (her writer-husband) have also woven in family and children, relationships, values and a job in the Railways into the story which makes it an exciting film for me because this is a world I’ve never known or lived while at the same time it’s the story of every woman with a dream.

I turned vegetarian five years ago, and have been more into yoga than gymming. When Ashwiny tells me about my character’s signature move, I wince and tell her, “Ab meri haddiyan tudwa rahe ho.” But after the physically challenging Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi this seems like a softer film and came to me ready, with even a studio on board. Ashwiny can roll with it tomorrow if I give her the go-ahead.

The film was recently announced with a video of Ashwiny and her actors sharing moments with their families and the tagline “from the team backed by its families”. How much has your own family contributed to your success story?
My family is very emotional and has always been very protective of me, maybe even a little controlling in some ways. I grew up dependant on them till my dream to be an actress and my desire for independence took me away and brought me to Mumbai when I was still in my teens. But films, a busy social life and multiple relationships could not fill the void in my life, and when I was hit by professional lows, the emptiness only grew till my sister, Rangoli, came along and bridged the gap. I was back with my family when I was around 23-24. Now, they are a little more open to what I want to do while I am more sensitive to their needs. We are in a happy space with my sister’s son, Prithviraj, arriving and my brother Akshat getting his pilot licence.

Doesn’t your mother push you to get married and have babies too?
Of course she does, more so now that I am 31, but the family understands that I need a life partner who will be my match in every way so doesn’t push me into making a commitment. Whenever I’ve been in a relationship, even my mind skittles in that direction. But men and women want different things from a relationship. Men are driven by their primal instincts while women are not. They want more than physical gratification and are judged for that by being called ‘clingy’ and ‘needy’. Right now, I am single and not seeing anyone so there’s no maternal instinct and urge to extend my family, I’m happy with the one I have. If God wants me to have more, it will happen when the time is right.

What’s it been like shooting for a film intriguingly titled Mental Hai Kya?
I’ve been wanting to do a film that looks at a situation from two perceptives, objective and subjective... A film that offers two different versions with both being right according to the players concerned. Kanika Dhillon is a fresh writer with unique ideas and has penned an exciting script. The director, Prakash Kovelamudi, has a quirky take of his own to offer and it’s satisfying to be associated with talent that takes you into a different world. And despite the title, it is not a dark or depressing film, it’s trippy. (Smiles) The year did not begin on a significant note, but it’s been good so far.

Yeah, it’s reunited Anurag (Basu) and you eight years after Kites and 12 years after he launched you in Gangster.
What I love about Anu from all those years ago was that as a debutante, when I would face the camera, he would tell me repeatedly, “Kangana, acting kyun kar rahi ho!” I would wonder then why he was saying this when it was my job to act, but now I understand. He taught me what ‘acting’ truly is and I owe my interesting career graph to him. We met again after a long gap during which I have grown as an actress, but with him I’m still a child who has a lot to learn.

As a creative person, Anurag is really special. Jagga Jasoos may not have been everybody’s cup of tea but you can’t accuse him of not taking the leap. He has so many concepts and asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I’d do whatever he wanted. I know he doesn’t like sharing the script too early but offered to do it this time. I told him, I didn’t need it. (Smiles) It’s the right time to go back to him and I know Imali will be special.

I was to start rehearsals for Panga in September and kick off Anurag’s film in November but Imali has now been pushed to next year because Manikarnika is priority. I even cancelled a five-six days schedule of Mental Hai Kya in Lonavala, Prakash being considerate and pushing it to a later date, because we have to finish the patchwork on Manikarnika that has come up after the first edit because that film will release first. We underestimated the process every epic goes through.

There have been talks, after it was revealed that you will be taking charge of the period drama with Vijayendra Prasad and Prasoon Joshi as director Krish is busy with the NTR biopic, that you’ve had a fallout with him.
Not true, we speak every day. Krish has another release on January 11, and could give dates only after that. After unveiling the first poster on August 15, we had the choice of coming on Republic Day or Independence Day, 2019. We decided to push for the former. The writers want certain transitional scenes shot before the release, I’ve assured the studio I won’t leave Manikarnika even if it means rescheduling dates and sacrificing personal time.

We don’t want to bring another director on board nor do I want to take away anyone’s credit. It’s a huge responsibility, I broke down the other day. Now, I’ve decided to take it one day at a time and do what I can to the best of my ability. From 8 am to post midnight, I’m consumed by this film. Fortunately, I have a great team with me.

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; June 21, 2018)

After a lot of speculation, filmmaker Anurag Basu has zeroed in on the lead cast of his upcoming love story, Imli. While Kangana Ranaut had already been signed for the film, Bombay Times has exclusively learnt that Rajkummar Rao has been roped in to play the male lead. The two actors have worked together previously in Queen (2014) and are shooting for their upcoming film Mental Hai Kya, making Imli their third outing together.

A source close to the project confirmed, “Rajkummar has been signed for the film opposite Kangana. This is his first film with Basu. He is very excited to work with him, as it was always his dream to be a part of an Anurag Basu movie. Raj also happens to be a fan of love stories, so that makes this all the more special.” The film is touted to be a love story, which deals with relationships on a very human level, but with Basu’s vision. The shoot will begin in November.

As far as Kangana is concerned, the actress will reunite with Basu, who directed her debut film Gangster (2006), after a gap of eight years. They last worked together on Kites (2010), after which there were rumours of a fallout between the two. However, the source added, “Kangana respects Basu a lot. Those were just baseless rumours.”

Film to go on the floors towards the year-end
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 19, 2018)

Back in 2004, Anurag Basu had introduced Kangana Ranaut in his crime-drama Gangster, which also featured Emraan Hashmi and Shiney Ahuja. Though still in her teens, the actress had made an instant impression and bagged some of the year’s coveted awards. Fourteen years later, Kangana and her mentor are all set to team up for the third time for a film interestingly titled Imli. Kangana who is currently in London filming Ekta Kapoor’s Mental Hai Kya with Rajkummar Rao, is apparently playing the protagonist whose name has a sharp tangy taste to it and that’s the flavour of this young urban love story too.

According to a source close to the development, the actress will flag off Imli after she wraps up Ashwini Iyer Tiwary’s kabaddi drama which rolls in October and for which she has already started attending advanced yoga lessons, and will also train with national-level kabaddi players. “The prep for Imali is expected to begin by August but the film should roll only towards the year-end. The search for the male lead is on,” informs the source.

Kangana and Anurag had previously reunited in 2010 for the Rakesh Roshan-produced Kites during which there were talks of a fallout between the two. The actress was reportedly upset that the other leading lady, Barbara Mori, had got more screen space while her role had not shaped up the way it had been narrated. She was later quoted as saying that she had done the film only because Anurag would not take “no” for an answer and he was one of the few people she could not refuse, given that he had launched her.

Buzz is, after seeing Queen, Anurag called Kangana and told his protégé that he was proud of her. Since then, everyone’s been waiting for a hat-trick from the duo.

When we contacted Kangana, she said, “It’s too early to talk about Imali as we are starting the film around the end of the year. All I can say is that Anurag is my godfather and everything I am today is because of him… I can’t wait to go back to the beginning.”