Kangana Ranaut is one Bollywood actress whose box office successes have not depended on a male lead.
Her talent has won her fans such as veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan. Now she is likely to star with Shah Rukh Khan, but says the project is at a very early stage.
Rumours have been circulating that Khan and Ranaut are going to work in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film together.
“Sanjay sir just spoke to me about the film, saying that he wants to make it with me and Shah Rukh sir. But it’s at a very premature stage. It’s not that I am working with Shah Rukh sir tomorrow or something like that,” she said.
The actress was the showstopper for designer Tarun Tahiliani, who kicked off the Lakme Fashion Week winter-festive 2016 on Tuesday night in Mumbai. The five-day fashion gala runs until Sunday.
The “Queen” of Bollywood says she feels fortunate to be a part of such grandeur.
“I am an actress and my film characters are usually not very fashion-inspired. As an artist, I don’t know where and how these opportunities just come my way where I get to work with the finest artists in the country and get to display or wear their designs and even get to see their collections,” said the National Award winner.
She says these chances help her learn more about fashion and understand it better.
“I am an artist and I love to be inspired. If I wasn’t walking the ramp, I would never get exposed to these collections. I am so busy that I can’t participate in the whole fashion scene that is going on in the country, but because I work with designers and their shows, I get to know so much about them and the fashion industry,” Ranaut said.
Tahiliani called her a “fashion chameleon”.
“As a chameleon changes its colour, Kangana also does,” he said on the sidelines of the show. “She is one of those few people who can change their look and vibe. A very few people can do that. That’s the most unique thing about her.”
The designer’s collection was inspired by sculptor Mrinalini Mukherjee. Ranaut wore a black satin skirt, paired with a black top and an embellished jacket.
The actress said: “I am very happy to be a part of the show. I love this outfit. This is a ready to wear and I feel it is prefect for working women like us.”
On the big screen, Ranaut will be next seen in a biopic about Lakshmibai, a queen of Jhansi who took up arms against the British in 1857 to free her state.
“I think Jhansi Ki Rani is a very relevant film for many reasons and one of those reasons is the reminder of the amount of sacrifice and work that has been put out by people. It’s also a reminder to value things much more than we actually do and to instil that passion and pride for our country which people even in testing times had,” she said.
Ranaut believes the present generation is “lost somewhere” and she feels the movie will serve the purpose of helping people value the freedom.
“I do identify with it [her story] obviously... She is a very inspirational woman not just for me, but for so many other people,” she added.
