dont want to be another Parveen Babi

Kangna Ranaut played a serious, mature and an intense character in "Gangster', but when you speak to her you realize that she is still a child at heart. Barely 19 years of age, you feel there's a lot about her that still needs to be explored.

TWF correspondent Vickey Lalwani caught up with her on the eve of the release of her latest film 'Woh Lamhe' where she essays the role of late Bollywood siren Parveen Babi who was mentally traumatised.

Q: How is the feeling on the eve of the release?
I am already feeling the fatigue of being in the profession and plan to take a break. I attribute it primarily to the emotionally draining experience of playing Sana Azim where I play a mentally traumatised character inspired by the late Parveen Babi (pauses).

Q: Elaborate...
'Woh Lamhe' has drained me out completely. I'm tired at the end of it as I had to go through all those myriad emotions Parveen went through in her life. I have been shooting continuously even otherwise.

Q: How did 'Woh Lamhe' happen?
I was in South Korea for 'Gangster' when I got a call from Mukesh Bhatt saying that he wanted to cast me in 'Woh Lamhe'. I was excited, but also realised it was a very big responsibility. It was halfway through 'Gangster' when 'Woh Lamhe' began. I had not completed 'Woh Lamhe' when Suneel Darshan's 'Shaka Laka Boom Boom' began (sighs).

Q: It's said that Mahesh Bhatt is riding on his personal life and trying to make commerce from someone's emotions?
Well, he talks about his emotions too in the film. So it's nothing to do with only Parveen's emotions. How he uses her and just when he is about to dump her, he realises her pain and then rallies around her.

Q: What made you take up this role of Parveen Babi?
I did this film simply because I know that what the man (Bhatt) I look up to underwent at the time of her death. This man claimed her (Parveen) body and stood by it. He cannot lie. If he was lying, he would not be standing here in our midst.

Parveen was involved with other men too, who chose to remain away earlier and came forward only later when they saw Mahesh Bhatt so loving, resilient and persuasive.

Q: After 'Woh Lamhe' and 'Shakalaka...' what?
After this, I have Anurag Basu's "Metro" which we have also started shooting for. I've been working on one film after another. I'm honestly tired now. I want to take a break. I'm only 19 years old. People here don't understand that, they think you're a machine.

I'm still at an age where girls are falling in love with boys, but the industry is very demanding. My parents want me to take it easy. They are saying 'don't work yourself up or you'll really become another Parveen Babi'.

Q: Where do you plan to go for your break?
I've made some good money and so I'm planning to go to New Zealand. After 'Metro' gets over, I am not going to sign some films for sometime. I have two other films with UTV, but I will not start shooting for them till I rejuvenate.

Q: Tell us about your roles in those two films?
In 'Shakalaka Boom Boom' I play a glamorous, aspiring singer. It's a relief to play a light character for a change. I feel Bobby Deol is a bit serious. But that could be because we don't have a very big track together, so he doesn't know me too well.

In 'Metro', I have a very different look. I have short hair in the film. I'm playing a girl from Kolkata who works in a call centre. It's a movie about how single girls live alone in the city.