On Kangana Ranaut’s birthday, 5 milestone performances of her Bollywood career

Kangana Ranaut, who is all geared up for her directorial Emergency, has proved her mettle as an artist in many films.

Be it her unconventional characters or out-of-the-box scripts, the actor has not shied away from experimental cinema. Her charisma and screen presence not only got her critical acclaim but commercial success as well. At a time when women-oriented movies were rare in Bollywood, Kangana’s bold choices paved the way for strong female characters. A glimpse at some of her milestone performances that set a new benchmark for actors, screenwriters and filmmakers.

Gangster

Kangana was barely 18 when she played a complex character in Anurag Basu’s musical romantic thriller. Her on-screen chemistry with Emraan Hashmi and Shiney Ahuja added to the engagement quotient. However, apart from the music, electrifying romance and picturesque locations, it was the young actor who was the show stealer with her intense portrayal. She gave it her best shot while playing an alcoholic grieving the loss of her foster son and yearning for the love of a gangster who is on the radar of intelligence agencies. Her expressions and dialogue delivery are spot-on in the movie as she depicts the vulnerabilities, insecurities, fears and passion on-screen. One of the best debuts by a female actor that redefined artistry.

Woh Lamhe
Mohit Suri’s romantic drama starring Kangana and Shiney Ahuja was based on the life of late actor Parveen Babi. The film was based on Parveen’s alleged relationship with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. Kangana’s portrayal of Sana Azim brought realism to the movie. The audience resonated with her range of emotions as she showcased the heartbreak, disappointment, isolation and setbacks faced in the glamour industry. As the narrative of the film presented the dark side of showbiz, the actor did justice to the script by getting into the skin of her character. In her very second movie, with limited experience, Kangana set the bar for many aspiring actors with Woh Lamhe.

Fashion
Kangana nailed the character of Shonali Gujral in the Madhur Bhandarkar directorial that depicts the dark side of the world of fashion. The actor’s character was inspired by model Gitanjali Nagpal who was found begging on the streets. In the movie it is shown Shonali goes through several personal and professional setbacks. When she suffers an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction during a ram walk and is replaced by the modelling agency, she goes through the final breakdown. Kangana gave it her best shot as she essayed the role of an emotionally vulnerable, short-tempered and insecure supermodel who experiences downfall. Despite of Priyanka Chopra playing the main protagonist, Kangana once again turned the tables and won her first National Award for Best Female Actor in Supporting Role.

Queen

The Vikas Bahl directorial gave a major boost to Kangana’s movie career. The actor played the innocent Punjabi girl from Delhi with the utmost artistic finesse. Her performance as Rani Mehra is still considered one of her most memorable roles to date. While in her previous films, she played comparatively aggressive and bold characters, Rani in Queen becomes brave and confident by learning from life events. The slice-of-life movie showcases it is never too late to live your dreams and true contentment comes from within. Kangana’s expressions and subtle nuances in every frame are spot-on. The actor gives it her all with her soulful artistry.

Tanu Weds Manu franchise

Kangana, as Tanuja Trivedi, and Sangwan, aka Datto, once again broke stereotypes. The success of Anand L Rai’s rom-com franchise broke the myth about audiences only wanting to see Switzerland and London in love stories. Kangana’s portrayal of Kanpur’s rebellious Tanu, who is unapologetic about her life choices, to the feisty and fearless Datto, forms the narrative of the film. While Tanu is impulsive, her lookalike Sangwan is loyal despite hailing from a regressive family. The actor plays both characters with authenticity. In both Tanu Weds Manu and Tanu Weds Manu Returns, every time Kangana appears on-screen, the audiences are mesmerised by her acting prowess.