Kangana Ranaut visits Dubai

The star of the new Bollywood film Queen tells us about Hollywood, strong female characters and writing.

Kangana Ranaut as Rani in Queen. Courtesy Phantom Productions. March 2014

In Dubai to promote her new comedy Queen, the Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut is visibly excited about her role as the bubbly, optimistic Rani, a small-town girl in India who is jilted a day before her wedding but decides to go on her honeymoon to London anyway – even though it means going solo.

On your role in Queen, what if you had been faced with this situation in real life? What would Kangana do?

I’d say it’s not one of those things that you can really move on from immediately. It does take some time. That said, if it were me, just like Rani, I would not cancel the honeymoon. I would go. At the same time, I would not put too much pressure on myself to enjoy myself.

Are you looking for more roles like this one? What are your thoughts on films that focus on female characters?

I’d love to because I think it gives us so much opportunity. Women-centric films are great, especially if they are not too intense and full of suffering. So, lighthearted films such as Queen and dark comedies such as Revolver Rani are better than films such as Fashion and Woh Lamhe, which show a woman being raped or having a breakdown.

Are you preparing for Hollywood?

I would love to work in Hollywood; I think those films have a lot more reach than Hindi films. Also, I think we still don’t have that one Indian actress who we can relate to in Hollywood – someone who doesn’t have an American image in American films.

Are you going to follow in the steps of other Bollywood stars and branch into an alternate career?

I might decide to take a break from acting and just direct a film or do something else. I am 26 now and before I turn 30 I would like to do something different. I like to write, so maybe scriptwriting or a book.

If you were not an actor, what would you be?

As of now, definitely a writer.

• Queen is out in UAE cinemas now