Kangana Ranaut wants to direct a film

MUMBAI: While Ranaut’s niche seems to be playing a manic, crazed woman in Bollywood films, the actor says she wants to direct.

“I’m quite happy with how my career is moving, but in terms of the future, I’d like to direct a movie. I have a script in mind. Let’s see where it goes,” Ranaut told IANS in an interview.

The 23-year-old sailed into Bollywood with the crime-based romantic saga, Gangster - A Love Story (2006), directed by Anurag Basu.

Other notable roles came in Woh Lamhe and Life in a Metro.

She won a National Award for her role in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion as the supermodel who finds herself cast out onto the streets.

“It’s been quite a journey ... I came to the industry when I was just 17 with no real idea of what to expect. I was fortunate that Gangster was a huge hit at the box office. I won a lot of awards and the industry gave me another chance.”

“Otherwise, it’s an industry that’s very unforgiving towards outsiders. This year I’m trying a lot of new genres, different films. It’s been a lot of hard work but also lots of fun,” revealed the actor.

Kangana Ranaut’s upcoming films include Double Dhamaal, No Problem, Tanu Weds Manu, Rascals, Game and Tezz.

Her next release is Knock Out, which stars Sanjay Dutt and Irrfan Khan. Ranaut plays a journalist in the psychological thriller, which is releasing on October 15.

“Knock Out is very different from anything I’ve done before. The entire film takes place in two hours and was almost shot in one location. It’s a fast-paced action thriller that I think people will really enjoy,” she said.

Directed by Mani Shankar, Knock Out is a Bollywood adaptation of the Hollywood film Phone Booth, which starred Colin Farrell.

Ranaut says she researched her role.

“I studied the body language of journalists reporting from crime scenes for my role, but there was this one point in the film where I actually got a chance to experience the urgency and intensity journalists experience every day. This was a shot where a car was supposed to fly up in the air and land on the ground. Instead of landing like it was supposed to, the car caught fire and came spinning at a very fast speed towards me. I managed to get out of its way in time, but got a real first-hand experience of the dangers journalists face on the job,” she said.

Even though she plays a crime reporter, Ranaut  sports stilettoes and off-shoulder dresses in the film.

Apart from acting, she is also trying her hand at designing. She designed her wardrobe for her films Rascals and Tezz, and may soon launch a clothing line.

When asked whether she was looking for love, she said, “With so much work on my plate, I’m happily single for now!”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2010.