Kangana Ranaut
Many people are insecure of many people.
For my life, I need to make my own choices.
Even when I was rebelling against my father, the point was to follow my own intuition and instinct.
In Bollywood, if you work with a superstar, even if you are a newcomer, you become a superstar. That didn't happen with me.
I'm my own hero on the sets; why should I work with other heroes? The Khans did not want to work with me when I started. Why should I work with them now?
Imagine: in the medieval ages, there was no evidence of how the history of mankind has been affected by witchcraft. But there is significant factual history of how brutality and sadism of mankind have been displayed in the most obscene manner in the name of witch-hunt.
What people see is just your career graph and the films you do. But that's a very small aspect of my life.
I feel that we, as Indians, have a knack for loving a stereotypical, sobbing, sympathy-seeking personality. I feel that we need to promote quirky, cool and youthful talent. We have to stop propagating the sob-story angle of celebs, where they try to be larger-than-life. That is very outdated. It is so boring that it puts you to sleep.
I know the consequences of my decisions. I've said no to the biggest of brands. So when I say no to something, I know how much business I will lose out on.
No one can guarantee success of a film.
Our society loves raw character; we love raw women. We don't love our mother because she is hot and sexy: we love our mother because she is our mother. We love our granny because she is our granny. We value her. We don't remember anyone's face from our childhood; we love our granny's face.
I am not ashamed of anything - not my past, not my affairs, not my body, and most definitely not my desire.
I don't find anything upsetting or gross or degrading about fighting with a mental illness: Bipolar or Schizophrenia.
I really don't want to be known as a fashionista. I'd like to be someone more than that.
It's not like what I do or what I wear is my copyright. What I'm wearing now also is an inspiration. It is how I saw it on the mannequin, and I just wore it, so it's in a way copied. But obviously, I wouldn't want to spend my life thinking about dresses. It is such a waste of life.
I think the rejection - if it's taken in the right spirit, it can make you a better person. And I think that is what I've always striven for. If one thing didn't work out, a project or anything, it doesn't mean that I lose my own confidence. In fact, I give myself a lot more confidence and opportunities.
They will always assume that this guy - an upcoming actor, what if he becomes a star tomorrow? He would not work with me then... so I might as well choose to be nice. But women are not treated with the same attitude. Women they treat really badly.
In metros, girls are very independent, conscious and aware. But in the interiors of our country, where education is not given importance, they continue to be oppressed. But it is important for every woman to acknowledge what she wants from herself rather than going for what people expect from her.
A lot of my friends are getting married, but I don't think that is what I need. I am under no such pressure that if everybody is having a boyfriend, I too should have one.
In India, it's a matter of fact that a girl child is seen as a liability. Probably the only expectation is that you grow up to a presentable young woman who can get a decent spouse.
My parents gave me the easy option that if you're going to go your way, that's the highway. You can expect no funds and no support, which I think was legitimate; that was a fair option.
When I moved to Bombay, it was very harsh. I was nothing like what I am today. I couldn't speak a word of English. In England, people might be very understanding about that, but in Bombay, they're not very forgiving. 'If you don't speak English, how do you expect to work in Hindi films?'
I liked the fact that my father had a lot of expectations from my brother. I probably wanted to be that person who he could be proud of.
This man who was my father's age hit me hard on my head when I was 17. I started bleeding. I took out my sandal and hit his head hard, and he started to bleed, too.
In my film 'Queen', there was a funny moment with the bra. My director called and said they are blurring the bra. They said it is vulgar. Our director was furious about it. We are artistes... We see props as they are. A woman's bra is not a danger to the society.
Image means a lot. It is everything in the business that we are in.
The kind of roles which you get, people identify with your roles, and it then leads to the kind of brands you get.
You spend so much to buy these media net stories or full page ads to build perception... you can rather save this money and put it in the making or marketing of the film.
It is true that some people are interested in the buying part of things... They want to buy everything from the movie reviews to the media net to the opinions and so on.
Tone matters more than words.
When you are romancing a woman in a relationship, it should be poetic. It should have layers.
All beautiful things in this world are because of women.
Item numbers are not my cup of tea.
Women empowerment does not mean you create complex among men. Then it will take 20 more years to empower men. It is all about evolving as a soul, as a human being. It does not mean that you become a sexist.
In 'Rangoon', I play an action star of the 1940s.
Nobody is like Tanuja Trivedi in this whole world.
I am extremely proud of my rags-to-riches story. It's fun to be a misfit or an underdog if you acknowledge your gifts and befriend your obstacles.
I think the kind of films and roles I do takes a whole year... I think it is justified. At some point, we have to come to that place where we are equally paid. It is a small step... we are headed to that direction.
There is a huge gap between the remuneration of an actor and actress.
Male actors get into production, share profit, and they don't take money at times but are involved in some capacity which is economical and resourceful. These things suit them; as they have made a place for themselves, they have command over the box office.
It's very hard to live in an environment where you're reminded, constantly told that your existence just happens to be here... That you are not meant to be here.
From my side, there was no acceptance to this fact that I am any less than anyone around me. So there was a certain discomfort that I felt growing up that I am not seen as I want to be seen as.
To expect this larger-than-life, holier-than-thou sort of existence from us is not possible. We as much want to make our own mistake as a man does.
As it is, relationships are difficult, aren't they?
Relationships can be very traumatic. But being in a healthy relationship can be very empowering.
Physically, it is very demanding as an actor, and I don't want to put a lot of focus on that, but I think it is emotionally and mentally a lot more... It can completely twist you... We abandon ourselves for days and months, and by the end of it, we are twisted people which you make fun of.
When I did these psychological characters like the drug addicts, the ones who were rejected and dejected, I started to feel a sort of melancholia which was very unnatural for me to have at a teenage. Then I avoided those characters.
I dread shooting with animals. I hope I never get a script with snakes.
I am now in a position to choose roles. I did not have so many offers before 'Queen,' but now things have changed a lot.