EXCLUSIVE | 'Emergency' star Kangana Ranaut: 'In my first film as a director Manikarnika, I was deeply tormented and exhausted because…'

In part two of an exclusive interview with Firstpost, actor and filmmaker Kangana Ranaut spoke about preparing for the portrayal of former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi, the sweeping shots that we see in her films, and working with late actor Satish Kaushik.

Edited excerpts from the interview

How did you prepare for this role since you were not only acting but directing too?

You know this is going to come to you so you have to do it unlike my first film. In my first film, it came on to me accidentally. I was taken aback, exhausted, and deeply tormented by the process because I was not prepared for it. And because I was the producer for this film also, and Anupam Kher would agree, you do need help. I did my prep. I did my homework and only when I was hundred percent ready, I felt I was ready to go on floors.

A director does not have a talent of his own. A director is the most talented person on the sets. There is somebody to act, there is somebody to make music, to make costumes, to do art, to do light. You just have to align everybody. You don’t know how to light yourself or how to do makeup. You can’t do it yourself but you can say ‘I don’t think this is right.’ I had a great crew. My actors loved me because I’ve been an actor. Nobody can see actors the way a good director can. They all saw me with had so much compassion and kindness.

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Be it Manikarnika or Emergency, there are some sweeping shots in these films. What does it take to mount a scene?

It takes a story first of all. Your film should have soul and a meaning to it. Most of the directors make the mistake of seeing a scene in isolation. In my case, I’m not shooting that scene, I’m always shooting the next scene. You need to keep moving and that’s probably my biggest takeaway.

What are your views on Jayprakash Narayan, the role Anupam Kher essays?

There are some people who are just so enormous in their personality. He’s the hero. At time, to be able to take on someone like Indira Gandhi and he wasn’t a leader. He became a leader much later. The one mistake people make is thinking Indira Gandhi jailed leaders but they all became leaders much later. He was honest, upright, and powerful. Casting is the most important aspect of filmmaking.

And the way Anupam Kher is, his personality and his awareness about the country. He’s a grounded person, yeh hawa mein Rehne waale filmstars mein se nahin hain. He’s also multi-faceted. On some day he’ll be launching his book with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on some day he’ll be on a Sooraj Barjatya film set, one some day he’ll be at his acting school and on some day he’ll go to Hollywood. He’s a dynamic person. Half the battle was won when he came on board to play Jayprakash Narayan.

What are your memories of directing Satish Kaushik?

He’s such a delight. He and Anupam Kher are just good Karmas on the set. We used to have lunch together and Anupam ji used to tell Satish ji ‘Meri line Tere se zyaada achchi hai abhi main bolunga,‘ and he used to tell him ‘Mera role tere se better hai.’ It’s so cute. And Satish ji being a director himself, he used to come on the set and say ‘Good good Karo Karo.’ It’s a beautiful role that has come out.

What has been the one takeaway for you from the experience of Emergency?

I will remember not to make a political film again. (Laughs)