A girl, not interrupted

She’s the queen of controversy and is as unconventional as can be. But no one can refute Kangana Ranaut’s acting prowess that has been appreciated by critics and fans alike.

In a candid chat Kangana shares what’s keeping her busy post her last movie, as she hops by Bengaluru on a flying visit on Thursday evening.

Looking jetlagged and confessing to being bleary-eyed, she says, “I’ve flown down straight from Atlanta, US where I was preparing for my role for my upcoming film, which is based on a Gujarati NRI named Praful Patel. My US trip was fun but I’m so jetlagged now, and I’m sorry if I say some things that I’m not supposed to. It’s probably the right day for you to get any answer out of me,” she quips.

“Atlanta was helpful in understanding the character and getting into the skin of the NRI community there. I do travel abroad a lot, but I’ve never really lived there. I interacted with a lot of the Gujarati community there and immigrants who work there too. It’s going to be helpful to develop a sketch for the character I will be playing.”

Kangana states that sometimes hectic schedules can take a toll, but she states, “There are situations that you travel for 20 hours and reach a launch where you need to be focused. I stay fit and exercise regularly, but if I have a stressful and demanding day, I eat carbs. I don’t push myself too much as I might just fall flat on my face, and lose some important days of my career. I don’t stress about putting an inch here or there.”  

Ask her about her plans for Ganesh Chaturthi and what she likes about Bengaluru and she reveals, “I’m wearing one of the many ethnic dresses that have been gifted to me. I love the energy in Bengaluru and am happy to be here for the new Lifestyle store launch. It’s emerging as one of the most fashion forward cities. I’ve come here before to promote my movies. The first thing I did was to order a lot of filter coffee and south-Indian food.”

She admits to being rebellious even in her childhood days and nothing’s changed for this girl from Himachal Pradesh who went on to win national awards thrice. “Initially, when I was beginning my career I realised that no one was noticing me. I decided to make an effort to dress up whenever I would meet people, travel etc and be at my presentable best whenever I would step out. There was one point, when I was playing a mutant and I had bleached my eyebrows and I was in that spirit. A few people said I was going too far, but I think I pulled it off.”

She will be soon seen next with Shahid Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan in Rangoon, and Simran where she’s playing a negative character. About her upcoming movie with Shah Rukh Khan, Kangana adds, “It’s at a very premature stage.”