A True Romance

They are both originals. And outlieSabyasachi Mukherjeers. Brave in their approach to life and fashion, Kangana Ranaut and Sabyasachi Mukherjee have both stayed away from the straight and narrow. Their style collaboration for her debut at Cannes for Grey Goose sparked this spirited and heartfelt conversation. A Bazaar exclusive.

Sabyasachi Mukherjee: Where does your confidence come from?

Kangana Ranaut: I’ve never really been able to answer this question, but it could be [rooted in] my curiosity for the world around me and my genuine liking for people and cultures. If I like something, it becomes a part of me for the rest of my life. When people see something new, they react in two ways— either they shut themselves down or they just embrace it. I think I’m in the latter category.

SM: Both of us have a similar trajectory in our lives. We’re both successful in a very mainstream way but we are still outsiders.

KR: I think we did it our way. That’s the most important thing. Many artists begin with their strong individuality but they cannot stick to it. People really beat that out of you. When I started, the first thing they pointed out about me is the way I look or how my hair was. Everybody just wanted to fit me into a mould.

Similarly, if I look at your work, your clothes are so individualistic. They have a character of their own and you retain that. You did not compromise on that. I identify with your clothes. You represent India’s culture and heritage. Each of your garments is about finding pride in our own existence rather than trying to be somebody else. I love that about you. I think you’re a great artist. It’s a privilege to model your clothes.

I feel that we took our own sweet time to be successful, and while we could have been somebody else and maybe tasted success earlier in our careers, we did not compromise on our vision and remained true to who we are. We find pride in it.