Kangana Ranaut is in a pleasantly reflective frame of mind as she looks back at Julia, her character in Vishal Bhardwaj’s upcoming Rangoon , set during World War II. The fictional character isn’t the legendary Mary Ann Evans a.k.a. Fearless Nadia alone. But, as Ranaut puts it, she’s “an amalgamation, a celebration” of several women action stars of the Indian film industry of the 40s. The outspoken, free-spirited actor, known for her own unconventional choices — personal as well as professional — is forthright about how the liberated, enlightened ways of the early female leads, and, in turn, the industry back then, left her surprised. “We keep talking about empowerment and gender equality these days, but it was a revelation for me to learn that a lot of the stunt women back then were central to our filmmaking; [they] were the reigning superstars,” she says.
What also stoked her interest and posed a challenge as a performer was the fact that Julia is actually supposed to be a bad actor. Ranaut had to work hard to be good at being bad. Complicated? “There are these actors in every era, those who can dance very well and can do action but can’t act,” she simplifies. “They have to live with that image and the prejudices that come with it. I had to draw humour from that, work on my dialogue delivery.” So her Julia is a bad actor, yet one who has star appeal. She is insecure about her craft, seeks the mentorship of a sugar daddy, carries baggage of her own, but, at the same time, is successful at what she does, which isn’t acting but dancing and stunts.
Revisiting history
Ranaut spent considerable time abroad and learnt dance, from ballet to Kathakali, and even the martial art form of Kalaripayattu. It is obvious that she has given quite a lot of time, space and thought to the film. This is not just a personal take on the character, but also on the period the story is set in. “India was a very confused place. There was a British influence on the upper class. It was about confused cultures, races and nationalities, and art also reflected that.”
It was exciting for her to revisit those ‘muddled up’ times and even more so to go back to the early days of filmmaking, “to be able to see our cinema evolve over the years”. She hasn’t gotten over how there were no monitors on the sets, how the director used to sit atop the crane with the director of photography (DoP) to monitor a shot. In its own way, the film also helped her revisit the nation’s freedom struggle days more closely. “These are things that don’t go beyond the history chapters for you,” she says.
The man to bring it all alive for Ranaut has been director Vishal Bhardwaj. It has been her first time making a film with him and she has lots to say. “He is aspirational, inspirational, struggles hard to bring the best out of you, and has a great process in place. He is a multi-faceted artiste, very likeable as a person and also very sensitive; he can get upset as well.”
It has been Ranaut’s first time shooting in Arunachal Pradesh as well. “(In the film) we are meant to be stranded near the border, lost in a virgin place with no sign of civilisation around,” she says. “It is meant to be an untouched place.” So they shot in Kabang. “There were no hotels. We had to drive in to the jungle.” It was beautiful, but you also have to pay a price for the beauty, she says with a touch of innate philosophy and wisdom. “Life there can be pretty arduous.”
She is unhurried and relaxed, giving good thought and enough time to each of the queries thrown at her. She also springs questions back, having remembered a meeting when I was still working in Delhi.
Ranaut also spends a considerable time discussing how daunting it was for her initially to adjust to Mumbai. To its lack of infrastructure, malls, theatres back then, and to its busy, frantic pace.
Of strength and vulnerability
Having witnessed the worldwide Women’s March, Ranaut has strong thoughts to share on the culture of protest, resistance and activism as well. For instance, while shooting in the Capital for Queen they wore black and walked on the streets against the Delhi rape case. “When something integral, in your core, is not answered, when things become unbearable, when the despair builds up, you just run out of the four walls surrounding you and march in protest.”
However, as an actor, she is drawn as much to the vulnerable characters as to powerful ones. So, her Julia might be an amalgamation of several actors, but the one real-life heroine she would want to bring alive on screen is Madhubala.
Ranaut goes on to explain why, in lucid, measured words, aware of her own life echoing in that of the legend. “She was born on the day of love, she was dragged to court for falling in love, her love letters were read out in court. She even had a hole in her heart. She lived with an unbelievably broken heart. Like La La Land, there can be something poetic, achingly beautiful here in the depiction of a lover’s heart,” she says.
Staying independent
That’s a dream for the future. As of now, Julia has been demanding, has taken up a lot of time and energy and Ranaut wonders if she has matched up to her. She admits feeling incompetent and inadequate at times. “If there are these five aspects to her and I would have matched three then I would have done justice to her.”
What she continues to be clear-eyed about is to challenge herself, not beat around the bush and get caught in the rat race. It has been true of her other colleagues and the industry at large. “We are going through a phase of empowerment, it’s a phase of transformation,” she says.
And yet, as in every other field, you may also get pulled up for your independent thinking. “I was sent notices, dragged to court,” she says, quite clearly alluding to the Hrithik Roshan controversy. “You also have to pay a price for having a mind of your own.”
But then, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
