Top Gun
Elle India|March 2017

Fear has no place in self-styled movie star, feminist and truth-bomber Kangana Ranaut’s narrative. In her first interview with elle, she tells Mayank Shekhar why you can’t stop at the top.

- Mayank Shekhar
Top Gun

Although Kamlesh, who had come down from Chicago to try her luck in Bollywood, was pretty much Kangana Ranaut’s mother’s age, they shared the Asha K Chandra’s working girls’ hostel in Juhu—a popular orientation school for beginners in Bollywood.

One evening in early 2005, Kamlesh and Ranaut stepped out to catch Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black at a neighbourhood theatre. As Ranaut recalls, “When I saw Rani Mukerji perform, I told Kamlesh aunty, ‘I can do this.’ She tried to calm me down, took me out for dinner to the JW Marriott hotel, and we talked at length about what I had said. Kamlesh aunty eventually laughed hysterically at the thought that I could actually act like Rani in Black.”

“It was hurtful. But was she right? Was I being delusional? That night I came home, stood in front of the mirror, imagining it to be the camera, and repeated scenes from the film—trying to be blind, using sign language, making blank faces and sounds, choking myself in such a way that I wasn’t actually choking myself… I knew I could do this.”

Given that I’d planned to have a conversation with Ranaut, 29, that would cover various turning points in her life that have led her to where she is now—a bona fide Bollywood star—I asked if Kamlesh aunty’s taunts that night didn’t count as the trigger. She was 18 then, living on her own, working as a part time model in Mumbai, auditioning for roles in films.

“That was one instance, yes,” she says. Bhansali’s Black, quite literally a dark film, which centred on the female character, gave Ranaut hope: “Around that time, the film industry was dominated by beauty queens, item numbers and female leads who hardly got three proper scenes.”

この蚘事は Elle India の March 2017 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

この蚘事は Elle India の March 2017 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

ELLE INDIAのその他の蚘事すべお衚瀺
Bridal Trends, 2024 Edition
Elle India

Bridal Trends, 2024 Edition

Bralettes, corsets and mermaid skirts emerge as the new must-haves when it comes to wedding dressing

time-read
4 分  |
ELLE Wedding Book 2024
All The Feels
Elle India

All The Feels

Maahi Shah takes a deeper look at the big little moments in a bride's life as she prepares for her wedding day

time-read
5 分  |
ELLE Wedding Book 2024
ISLAND ESCAPADE
Elle India

ISLAND ESCAPADE

Here's why Fiji is the ultimate destination to celebrate your love.

time-read
1 min  |
ELLE Wedding Book 2024
ROMANTIC ESCAPES
Elle India

ROMANTIC ESCAPES

Wondering where to head for a honeymoon getaway? Isha Mayer recommends five luxurious destinations for your honeymoon

time-read
3 分  |
ELLE Wedding Book 2024
The Taste Of Weddings
Elle India

The Taste Of Weddings

What goes behind planning those extravagant grazing tables and indulgent bites at weddings? Top gourmet caterers let Isha Mayer in on their processes

time-read
4 分  |
ELLE Wedding Book 2024
Challenging Convention One Ritual at a Time
Elle India

Challenging Convention One Ritual at a Time

Maahi Shah speaks to five female priests who have been breaking new ground while upholding faith and pursuing a passion for learning

time-read
6 分  |
ELLE Wedding Book 2024
FIJI: A TROPICAL FOR INDIAN HAVEN WEDDINGS
Elle India

FIJI: A TROPICAL FOR INDIAN HAVEN WEDDINGS

From pristine beaches to cultural familiarity, discover why Fiji is the perfect destination for Indian weddings.

time-read
2 分  |
ELLE Wedding Book 2024
MAKE YOUR WEDDING FANTASY A REALITY
Elle India

MAKE YOUR WEDDING FANTASY A REALITY

The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace offers luxurious venues, exquisite dining and unforgettable moments

time-read
3 分  |
ELLE Wedding Book 2024
SHINING BRIGHT EVERYWHERE
Elle India

SHINING BRIGHT EVERYWHERE

Lab-grown diamonds for every occasion—luxury and affordability

time-read
1 min  |
ELLE Wedding Book 2024
BRIDAL BEAUTY, REDEFINED
Elle India

BRIDAL BEAUTY, REDEFINED

Christine Ko, CEO of Moira Cosmetics, shares her insights on makeup for brides and the art of achieving radiant skin.

time-read
1 min  |
ELLE Wedding Book 2024