Kangana Ranaut's Directorial Debut in Emergency

Bollywood powerhouse Kangana Ranaut is making news again with her upcoming project, Emergency. Ranaut’s latest venture comes as the actor’s directorial debut, in which she will also play the lead. Not only is her contribution to the film a milestone for her, but it is also indicative of broader industry trends. In her days as an actor, Kangana has often taken ambitious and sometimes controversial positions. As such, her directorial debut reflects not only her own groundbreaking abilities but also the trajectory of the modern Bollywood industry.

In some notable interviews, Kangana had shared some rejections she had made and the potential projects she had passed on. For example, she said her refusal of an item number in Ram Leela ultimately paved the way for Priyanka Chopra in the film. Throughout her career, she has also reportedly turned down projects with some of the top actors in the industry, including Ranbir Kapoor and the three Khans. Besides, the actor was reportedly offered endorsement deals for fairness creams amounting to between ₹10 and 15 crore. Yet she refused them all since she did not want to support the caste system and colorism through her career activities.

Also, Kangana claimed that there was a conspiracy by both industry actors’ casting directors to dissuade them from working with her. However, she persistently stuck to her guns even as Mr. Salman Khan blamed others for turning against her. Nevertheless, the actor noted that Khan was also among her several key supporters, calling him the biggest and most misunderstood star in India. Tales of working with stars also has it that Ms. Deepika Padukone took the role of Ram Leela seamlessly professionally. Meanwhile, her opposite, Ranveer Singh, had a golden attitude and always had a smile on his face. Hence, most people are apparently not familiar with the professionalism Bollywood’s greatest actors show behind the scenes. Similarly, Kangana’s response and projects indicate that the days when women would perpetuate illogical stereotypes about gender in the industry are firmly in the past. Instead of this, more and more actors seem to take ambitious positions and resist industry trends.