EXCLUSIVE Rangoon actor Kangana Ranaut: I want to start a family, five years down the line

Kangana is gearing up for her next big release, Vishal Bharadwaj’s Rangoon, co-starring Shahid Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan. In an exclusive conversation with indianexpress.com, the 30-year-old got candid about the film, her friends in Bollywood and plans of settling down.

Also read | Rangoon making: Saif Ali Khan will turn bad. Will Kangana Ranaut be the reason? Watch video

Rangoon has been directed by Vishal Bharadwaj and is set in the times of World War II.

Her adventures in Rangoon and equation with Shahid Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan

“Rangoon is a very special film for me, and Julia’s character is very close to my heart. I think every girl would relate to her. Vishal Bhardwaj has tried to make a beautiful film with a bold and beautiful backdrop on a huge scale. I have trained myself to become as close as I can to Julia’s character. Julia is from a time when the industry was crude and theatrical. She used to do her own stunts, so she was powerful. She is powerful and sensual, and falls in love with two men. Her love with Rusi is dark, and her journey towards the end of the story is remarkable. Saif and Shahid have both worked with Vishal Bhardwaj, this is my first time with him. But as time passed I got very comfortable with all of them. Saif has a classic charm about him. He is the kind who would open the door for you or pull a chair for you; he is great to work with, he makes you very comfortable on the sets. But Shahid is competitive, and boyish; he would come with his headphones on and tease you.”

Kangana Ranaut in a still from Rangoon.

Controversies and why nothing affects her

“The industry is not ready for women who speak their mind. At no point I feel that I am misunderstood, I just speak up and I am perceived differently. And I don’t blame anyone. I cannot expect people to see me the way I see myself, they will see me the way they want to. But that doesn’t affect me. When I have a difficult day in particular I just take a long hot bath and end my day”

WATCH VIDEO | Bloody Hell, Kangana Ranaut Is Now A Bartender

She doesn’t have friends in the industry

When asked whom she considers her friends in the industry, Kangana said, “I have a lot of friends, but none from the industry.”

Where she sees herself five years down the line

“I want to start a family! And I want to become a director. I don’t have a knack for production, but I definitely want to direct films. And I want to act, I want to do many different kinds of cinema and portray many different roles.”

Kangana Ranaut in a still from Woh Lamhe.

Character from her past films which she would revive

“I would like to redo my character in Woh Lamhe. I was only nineteen then, so I didn’t know how to play (a character suffering from schizophrenia) well. Mental illnesses are not madness, so I would like to give it a mature treatment. I am not happy with that character.”

Watch | Rangoon | Official Trailer

Kangana Ranaut is in the best phase of her career right now, she recently also spoke of being in a happily relationship. She says that Julia is her favourite character that she plays in Rangoon, and post the film, we are looking forward to a couple of developments in her personal life too. Rangoon releases on February 24.