"I Feel that this is the Time for Us to Go Beyond Our Roti, Kapda, Makaan Needs": Kangana Ranaut

Kangana Ranaut in a recent interview on the occasion of Ram Mandir bhumi pujan,  spoke about  the mega event and how her next directorial venture Aparajita Ayodhya will capture the entire six century old journey of the Ram Mandir.

It was a big day for Indians as Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Ayodhya for the Ram Mandir foundation stone laying ceremony. While it's been a battle fought over several decades, this has brought in a sense of joy among the country and countrymen. The PM, while addressing the countrymen, said, "The temple should be constructed on the foundation of mutual love and brotherhood." 

Now, Kangana Ranaut has also opened up on the historic moment that will truly go down as one of the memorable incidents in India's history. 

When asked Kangana on how she feels, the Queen actress, replies in pride. "The Ram Mandir isn't just a temple, but an emotion. For me, Ayodhya is very symbolic and this journey of the last 500-600 years that we have had as a civilization is very exciting for me. I want to not waste the limited time we all have and I'd rather do things that cause a shift in the way we live, we think. From whatever study I've done in the old times, our society was sophisticated and one of the greatest in the world. I see that we, as people, had a certain structure in the society that we followed. But with rapid invasions, we have not only lost our wealth, but we have also lost that blueprint which our Indian greats left for us. They had established a moral and ethnic code for our civilization," she shares. 

Kangana further explains that now is the correct moment to introspect and act upon things that need to change within the society. "I personally feel that this is the time for us to delve and go beyond our 'roti, kapda, makaan' needs, and see what we lack as a society and how we can revive that. For me, a temple isn't about pillars, bricks or just a structure. It's a symbol of something that our civilization considered the highest. Ram is not a God, he's Purushottam - an elevated man. He's no more but his qualities continue to live. The temple is a symbol of those qualities. He established Ram Rajya which to a great extent was followed by Mahatma Gandhi and that's how he got us freedom, so his consciousness prevailed through so many great beings and continued to save us and affect our lives."

The superstar heroine is all set to make a film on the temple's 600 year old journey, that she will be directing. After Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, writer KV Vijayendra Prasad will reunite with Kangana for Aparajita Ayodhya.

"This temple has been a struggle of 600 years even when it was invaded by Babur and demolished. After that, 72 battles were fought and even during First Mutiny, the British used the temple (in the 19th century) when it was divided into Hindus and Muslims. Because Hindus and Muslims were fighting for independence and this was an attempt to divide them," she explains

Kangana further adds that today's iconic moment will also be a huge episode in her directorial venture. "In my film, there are several  real Muslim characters who have fought in favour of the Ram temple. So it's a story of devotion, faith and above all, unity in the country. Ram Rajya is beyond a religion and that's what Aparajita Ayodhya will be about. It's a very tough screenplay as it travels across 600 years and the Ram Mandir bhumi pujan will very much be a part of my film. Vijayendra sir has put it together in a beautiful way. It could have been a logo launch for us today because it was a perfect day. Nevertheless, we have high hopes that we will be able to go on floors very soon. I can't wait to narrate the film to my actors."

Kangana Ranaut is ably balancing her time between acting, direction and production. Aparajita Ayodhya will be launched under her banner Manikarnika Films announced earlier this year.