Kangana Ranaut birthday special: From gracing the ramp in ‘Fashion’ to the walk of liberation in ‘Queen’; Revisiting her finest on-screen characters

Whether it was walking the ramp in ‘Fashion’ or walking the path of liberation in ‘Queen’, time and again Kangana Ranaut has proved her mettle in the Indian film industry with rich content driven movies she chooses to work in. She has made sure to make heads turn with her on-screen energy, power-packed performances, while we cheered for her from the seats of the theatre and eventually fell in love.

Along with this, Kangana’s well-defined characters, allowed us to connect and resonate with her as they aren’t devoid of depth. The actress is all set to rule our hearts and play more distinctive characters with her upcoming movies ‘Thalaivi’,‘Tejas’, and ’Dhaakad’. As she turns a year older today, let’s revisit some of the finest on-screen characters of the superstar!

Back in 2008, this was one of the best performances of Kangana Ranaut where she portrayed the character of a supermodel - Shonali, who eventually meets obscurity after kissing stardom. Kangana’s raw and grit portrayal of a stunner, being a victim of drug abuse, her powerful ramp walk, and then losing herself in that journey struck a chord among viewers and critics. Kangana also won the National Award in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in ‘Fashion’.

Set in the backdrop of the British reign, ’Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi’ was Kangana’s first historical period drama, where she played the role of the brave warrior princess Manikarnika aka Rani Lakshmibai. Along with this, she also made her directorial debut with the historical saga. From being a fierce warrior to a loving wife and a doting mother, her fine performance in the movie, garnered her immense appreciation.

The movie portrayed Kangana as a bold and outgoing character named Tanuja Trivedi - a loud mouthed, tattooed, yet a sanskari small town girl. The style and swag showed off by her character in the film won hearts of her audience. Despite a clichéd storyline, the unpredictable series of events taking place with the impeccable performance of Kangana helped the film gain appreciation from all quarters.

7 years ago we met Rani, a young charming lady who navigated the world and her life, with innocence, resilience, and a lot of 'sense of humour’. The film chronicles the misadventures of Rani, who sets out for a solo trip to Paris and Amsterdam which was supposed to be her honeymoon getaway, as her fiancé tells her he no longer wishes to marry her. Rani learns to fall in love with herself, slowly begins to gain confidence by taking control of her decisions, thus allowing one to reflect on their journey towards self-love and independence.

Panga allows one to enter into the life of Jaya Nigam, a traditional housewife who was once a kabaddi champion, but her dreams are impeded once she has the responsibilities of carrying out the household chores. When opportunities knock her door, her family supports her to achieve her dreams as she makes her comeback fighting internal conflicts and societal expectations. Jaya pushes us to realise our potential no matter how old we are. It’s never too late to achieve what one is truly capable of deserving. Kangana did justice to the role with finesse and perfection.