I have great admiration for traditionalist directors, Says Kangana Ranaut
Kangana Ranaut is on a roll with back-to-back movies. In an exclusive interview, Kangana tells Deccan Chronicle why actors are banking on South filmmakers for box office success
Q.When you watch trailers and your own movies, do you do a post-mortem of your performance thinking this could have been better or complimenting yourself on a fantastic portrayal of your character?
No, I do not do it at this stage. If you have any doubts, you can go and see the edit and voice your concerns there itself. But once the final edit is done and the trailer cut and released, you should simply surrender to what it is and not get too caught up in what could have been as it is too late in the day for that.The day you do the shot that day also if you have some doubt, you can reshoot and improvise. But after the post production is done, you simply enjoy whatever is there even if it does not work. You cannot look back now.
Q.You've done Manikarnika and recently Chandramukhi 2. You have done a lot of powerful women characters. How does it feel to become the go-to person for playing the protagonist in female centric movies?
It feels very good that I get to play empowered and iconic roles. In fact,in Chandramukhi 2, I have the sword fight with Lawrence Master’s character in the climax and I think it is wonderful because this was a gritty fight sequence and the team thought which woman can Master the fight and they considered me for that. So,it is very nice to know that I can give “takkar” (fight) to Heroes.
Q. Do you take a break between the movies to transition from one character to the other, especially if it is a very powerful and intense character like Chandramukhi 2 or Thalaivi?
Oh Yes. Break is very important to transition from one character to the other. I would go crazy if I blend in the characters or try transitioning without a break. Having said that, a character that you have played a part of it always stays in you like an experience that you have had. Science also says that anything that we have imagined or whether it has really happened, our mind cannot differentiate between the two. So, everything that you feel as a character is true for you and that is how a character always lives in you and always lives through you. It becomes a part of your memory bank no matter what you do, you cannot erase it.
Q.So between these characters with costumes like a period movie Vs a modern-day drama, which one do you enjoy the most?
I do not enjoy modern world drama so much. I like period films as in my personal life also I am a very vintage kind of a person. I listen to Jazz; I listen to Kishore Kumar or Lata Mangeshkarji. I like to wear more of hand-woven dresses and my house is full of vintage artefects. So, I am an old soul. I like period dramas. In my last movie Chandramukhi 2as well, the story is spread over present and the past and my character is in the past and I liked that very much.
Q.How was it working with Lawrence?
Lawrence Master and I hit it off immediately. I think partly it is because we have similar backgrounds. Master is also not from a film background like me. He was a group dancer and then he became a choreographer and then he became a filmmaker and a leading hero. So, master and I have had similar backgrounds and the way he moved up. I think his humour or his stories or his overall personality I just get it because I have also risen from that kind of a middle class non film background. I have never had this kind of a friendship or understanding with any co-actor before.
Q.You have worked with several directors. How was the experience with P. Vasu and what is his working style?
I do not think I have worked with any one of these titans of cinema belonging to traditional school of cinema before. P Vasu is one of those old school directors who are traditionalist. He would tell me how to walk and how to look as if every movement and every beat in the film is predestined or pre-designed. Whereas in the kind of films that we do today, you come to the set and the director says that okay this is what is happening and just stage the scene and you can enact it whatever way you deem fit as per the scene’s requirement. He further tells you that these are your lines and discusses those with you. Hence, it is more collaborative, more spontaneous whereas these typical old school filmy directors know that this scene will be coming right after a comedy scene and it will be filmed exactly like this. So, you go to the set and find that the first thing today you are very angry and you are like okay and you hit that note as soon as you understand where they are coming from. So, it has been enlightening for me and I have been fortunate to learn from this kind of cinematic approach and brilliance.
Q.What are the similarities in you and these directors?
I have only to learn from these legendary directors and I have great admiration for traditionalist directors who have actively contributed to cinema. For example, the kind of role Vasu sir has played in the rise of Rajinikanth sir and the role he played in the rise of Tamil film industry. These are the pillars of the entire era that a certain region has seen, a community has seen. I do not think any filmmaker is so significant in today's time in Hindi cinema whereas you have people like Rajamouli sir even in Telugu film industry and I have only to learn from them and I am just so happy to be working with Vasu sir and I would love to work with Rajamouli sir. There are just so many of them I would love to work with and learn.
Q.You have worked both in south film industry and Bollywood. What is that one big difference you have observed in their working?
Look, the kind of the generation of film makers and artistes that I worked with in Bollywood, I think they are more westernized in their approach to film making whereas in south people are more emotional in their approach. When I say emotional it is not only the script that I am talking about, they are emotional about their culture, their traditions, their language catering to the emotional needs of the audience. I think Indians overall, whether in North, South, East,or West, are inherently very emotional people. And that's why nowadays, westernized Bollywood filmmakers are not able to cater to the pan Indian audience across metro centres and tier 2 and 3 towns side by side. That is why they are now appreciating filmmakers like Rajamouli Sir, Sukumar Sir. So, the primary difference that I see is that somewhere the Bollywood filmmakers have lost touch with the emotions and pulse of the nation. I think this disassociation and disconnect with emotions of the nation is such an enormous tragedy considering the glorious past of the Bollywood.
Q. How do you unwind? What is Kangana doing when not facing the camera?
I listen to music to unwind. I like to listen to all genres of music and I am a very big fan of regional music as well. So, yes, music is my stressbuster.
