Kangana Ranaut and her ‘Art of Leaving’ tough questions unanswered

After setting television channels on fire with her fiery interviews starring Hrithik Roshan in a villainous role, it was now time for Kangana Ranaut to meet digital media scribes. Unlike TV interviews, digital print interviews are usually group interviews where journalists from different digital media houses are clubbed together for a single interview. I find group interviews much more entertaining simply because you get to hear all sorts of interesting questions. So there we sat packed like sardines in a plush an airconditioned hall of a five star on a weekend waiting for Kangana to walk in. I fortunately got to ensconce myself on the sofa right infront of the chair reserved for Kangana. A little while later our Queen arrived. Dressed in a rose print sleeveless Dolce and Gabbana midi dress, Kangana looked splendid. Our eyes met for a brief second while she was entering the room. As a bunch of phones and recorders piled up on the table, Kangana quickly settled into her chair and we were good to go. I decided to extend a pleasant and vivacious greeting to kickstart the interview.

Me: Kangana ji kaisi hai aap?

Kangana: Majja ni life

Me: Kanganaji a lot has happened…..

Kangana: Aap bahut excited lag rahe hai

Me: Saara nation excited hai Kanganaji

Kangana: Aap thode se calm ho jaayi….

Me: I am calm

Kangana: I have read a few of your articles about me….aapne toh poora daava bol diya hai mujhpe (You have gone all out against me).

I decided to clarify that I held no bias against her and informed her that I had not just written open letters in her support but was also the first one to ask Vidya Balan and Amitabh bachchan about her valiant fight against Hrithik and what I wrote recently about the publicity stunt was merely my opinion. The moment Kangana heard me utter Hrithik, her smile vanished and she looked at others and said, “Let’s talk about some other things too.”

“Ah okay. There she goes diplomatic again,” I told myself.

For the next 10 minutes, Kangana happily answered all positive questions relating to her film and life.

I thought it was time to slip in a few tough ones and asked her if it was becoming difficult for her to find love in Bollywood.

“Yeh toh aap meri saheli jaisa pooch liya,” said Kangana with a laugh and went ahead to answer it with little trepidation. I followed it up with a question Hrithik and whether she felt manipulated.

And the inevitable happened. Her manager intervened. “She has spoken enough on this matter.”

But we are meeting her for the first time, “ I registered my protest.

“I have discussed this enough…You can’t suddenly assume things about others. I can’t ask about your neighbor……You have to have a social limit of the kind of questions you ask. You sound like my distant mausi!”

I sensed this is Kangana of the yore back to her diplomatic best.

“If you don’t want to answer, that is okay,” I replied nonchalantly.

“I have spoken about this matter. And also it has to be absolutely my prerogative about who I want to share my personal life with. I have utmost respect for Rajat Sharma because he has shown that sensitivity towards me for me to open my heart before him,’” said Kangana

Wonder whatever happened to her plegde- I will answer every time anyone asks me anything about Hrithik, “ I thought. Not wanting to disrupt the interview of others present in the room, I smiled and said no problem.

This has always been Kangana’s game plan. Save for one rare occasion, Kangana has always avoided answering tough, controversial questions about her life especially relating to Hrithik when she meets members of the entertainment press. The first time she met the press after the Hrithik controversy broke out was at the launch of a lifestyle brand last year. I was the first one to ask her if she will ever forgive and forget Hrithik. Kangana remained mum and required consideral amount of prodding from other journalists at last to bring her to say anything on the issue. The next time I met her was at the cover launch of a fashion magazine. The magazine had published Kangana’s picture on its cover with the headline – Ordinary is my superpower. I quizzed her on using the superpower to defeat a superhero. PRs intereved and Kangana remarked, “ You are always into scandals.”

I expected nothing different this time as well. Kangana, in my opinion, is more comfortable being part of interviews where only questions and no counter questions are asked. She gets to speak about her side of the story and that’s that. In the current scenario, Kangana knew television channels combined with the respective You Tube channels would give her side of the story maximum amplification without there being any attempt at any serious cross questioning as it happens in a real courtroom.

And as far as Kanagana’s decision to open up only before Rajat Sharma and a few other select journalists, here’s something to ponder about.

“ If you are inviting the press, you can’t dictate or expect them to stick to questions that you want to be asked. It is the prerogative of the press to ask whatever they want to ask.”

Not my words Kangana. These are the words of the legendary Amitabh Bachchan.

So dear Kangana, here’s a word of advice. It is your right to decide whether to speak or not. But whatever option you choose, do apply it equally to all your press interactions like Mr. Bachchan does. That is hallmark of a true Queen.

And does this episode make me anti-Kangana. Not in the least!