We need to discourage English films from taking over our screens: Kangana Ranaut to WION

Kangana Ranaut looked stunning in a saree as she came to New Delhi for promotions of her film ‘Thalaivii’ on the life and rise to power of late J Jayalalithaa, 6-times chief minister of Tamil Nadu and people’s favourite Amma. 

Speaking to media at an event at The Imperial in the Indian capital city, the megastar Kangana Ranaut detailed her filming experience, playing Thalaivii on reel life and the ongoing controversy around multiplexes not releasing the film in major metro cities. She spoke to WION about the need to discourage Hollywood films and promoting our Indian regional film industries instead.

Shot in several Indian film languages with a purpose of widening the reach of the film based on the life of a feminist icon, Kangana did not mince words as she spoke about multiplexes bullying the film’s producers and not releasing the film in Hindi in the northern belt where the language happens to be the most-spoken one. “The film will not release in multiplexes unfortunately and will be available only on the single screens while they have in the past given preference to big hero films by big studios. This kind of groupism and gangism happens but we must support the film. I would like the audience to give the film its love and support.”

Speaking to WION, Kangana candidly mentioned that the way forward for filmmakers of the country is to support one another in lieu of her pan-India film. Since Thalaivii has been shot in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil, it was a conscious decision by makers to make the film accessible to all Indians. Kangana told WION, “We need to discourage American films, English films from taking over our screens. We need to behave like one nation with one purpose. We need to stop dividing each other based on South India-North India. We need to enjoy our films first.” 

“There are so many films like the Malayali film industry, Tamil film industry, Telugu industry and even our Punjabi film industry is coming up. We need to encourage regional industries. It’s important we develop our own infrastructure as far as the creative industry is concerned. Otherwise the day is not far, the way Hollywood has destroyed German film industry, French film industry, Italian industry and made a monopoly all across the globe. That's what they are doing here also. And the fact that we don't appreciate each other and we’d rather see a dubbed Lion King, dubbed Jungle Book. We don't give a dubbed Malayali film that chance. That will not work in our favour. We must give our people a priority, our industry a priority and that is the only way to make an Atmanirmar Bharat,” she elaborated. Read our review of the film Thalaivii here.

Watch Thalaivii Hindi trailer here:

Kangana also told WION that she hopes to look back at this film as a turning point in her career. She said, “In terms of an actor, it is a film which has given me tremendous scope to rise from where I already was and if it is appreciated, accepted the same way; then it will definitely be a turning point in my career.”

Kangana Ranaut feels the entertainment quotient of 'Thalaivii' is beyond every other film she’s done. While not one to compare between her films, she did say that since this is about the life of a very popular person, you also take back a lot from Thalaivii.

Kangana Ranaut starrer ‘Thalaivii’ was released in cinemas today all over the country.