Mom thought someone will make an adult film with me: Kangana Ranaut

These days Kangana Ranaut is busy shopping in the fashionable city of Paris. Not just that, the girl with the curly hair is also planning to stay back for a few more months and do a cooking course in French cuisine. Next on her agenda are plans to trek in the mountains of Kenya, sometime next year. All this doesn’t come as a surprise, bearing in mind the actress’ precipitate nature.    For someone who has always followed her heart and incidentally achieved success, and for someone who has come from a place (Manali) which lacks even the basic source of entertainment such as a movie theatre, Kangana’s travel to glory is a classic example of an indomitable spirit and is an inspiration for small town aspirants.   In a conversation with the press, Kangana reveals:    Are you happy with the phase you’re in today?   I feel I’m in the best phase of my career. Since my first film, Gangster (2006), I had this perpetual complaint that I don’t get the kind of roles and opportunities that I should ideally get. If you read my early interviews you’ll realise how whiny I was!   Have you managed to make good friends in the industry?   I don’t have that many friends in the industry but Hrithik (Roshan) is one of the few people who give me good energy. He’s been always respectful and kind towards me when people around were nasty and judgmental. He stood by me and that means a lot.   You’ve achieved stardom but you haven’t worked with the top stars till now. Why is that?   If you work with big stars then they become the lead actors. It’s not that I don’t want to do films with big stars, but I would rather do the films where I get the title roles.   Why haven’t you done a big banner film?   Yash Chopra never approached me for any film. I’m working in a Karan Johar production, Ungli. I’m also working with Rakesh Roshan, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Anurag Kashyap. For me they are really big.   Where did you get the courage to step out of home at the age of 16, as small town girls are usually looked upon as being gullible and vulnerable?   My moving out of the house wasn’t planned. But there’s a saying, if you know where you’re going, the world will step aside and make way for you. I think that’s what happened with me. I knew I wanted to be someone big. That aside, I’ve always been a bit stubborn and rebellious since my childhood. If my father would gift my brother a plastic gun and get a doll for me, I would not accept that. I questioned the discrimination.    After your parents saw your debut film, what did they think?   My father went into depression. I had worn backless and done kissing scenes in the film. People in small towns are very simple. They don’t see movies the way we do. I understand that today. But back then, I felt betrayed by my parents. I thought they will understand that they had given birth to an artiste!   How often do you visit your hometown Manali? What is life like there?   Once a year. Going back to the valley is always a treat! Mountain people are very sweet and simple. There’s no nightlife or any other source of entertainment there. Except a tiny theatre in Shimla, there’s no other movie theatre. People have their dinner at 5 pm and go to sleep.   Will you ever go back to Manali?   I would never be able to spend all my life in a busy city like Mumbai. I haven’t lived a single quality moment in the last eight years here. I would at some point, like to retire there. I want to buy property in Manali and convert it into a house from the Victorian era. I can ride horses and go skiing. I want to do organic farming.   How did you mend the troubled relationship with your parents?   My parents didn’t approve of my acting career for a very long time. In fact, when I got the offer, I excitedly called them up. When they learnt that I’m doing a film with the same director (Anuraag Basu) who made Murder (2004), they were horrified. I was very young then and my poor mother feared that someone would exploit me and make a blue film with me.   Who are the stars you’d want to work with, other than Salman Khan?   I never said I wanted to work with Salman. But like every newcomer, I’d thought that you can be a big star in this industry only if you get to work with big stars and a few big directors. But it’s not true. You can be successful on your own and you don’t need big names. I am one example and the other big example is Vidya Balan. Till sometime back, the success of an actress was measured with the barometer of her pairing with a successful hero. But luckily things are changing now.