Kangana Ranaut: It is a drama and it’s a story against a very authentic backdrop of World War II, but the way it’s executed, the way it’s treated, the way it’s shot is very Broadway-ish and sometimes characters communicate through songs and exaggerated body language. Even Shahid’s character, who is a soldier, when he reveals certain aspects of his personality, he starts to sing. So the film has a Broadway-ish feel to it. Also, there are many characters, which is a signature style of Vishal Bhardawaj. Though there are primarily three characters, there are English actors and other actors who have participated, actually giving it a feel of a Broadway musical. And also the fact that there is a performing troop in the film which I carry with me because I am a performing artist also helps to have consistent language all throughout the film, which speaks in the same tone. I think it’s amazing that Vishal’s been able to pull it off.
Q. It is the third time you are working with Vishal Bhardwaj. What were your thoughts when you were reading the script or when he approached you and said he wants to make Rangoon with you?
Shahid Kapoor: First of all, I’m always fascinated by him as a filmmaker and as to how he has the ability to discover a new world and create an absolutely fresh universe within those two hours in which he weaves his magic. And I was very excited because he offered me a part which is very different from what I have done in the past. “Jamadaar Nawab Malik”, as the soldiers in the British Army were called, is a very heroic character, not as slightly deranged as Haider was, or as normal as Guddu or Charlie were, but this guy is a hero in the real sense. He is extremely patriotic but at the same time he is under the British, and then there is a love triangle out there as well. All these dynamics are extremely exciting and interesting and I felt that Rangoon will be a fascinating, fresh, different experience for the audiences. The best part about Vishal is that he is a very forward thinking contemporary filmmaker. So for somebody like him to be making a period film will keep it relevant, otherwise sometimes people get very literal about making a period film and everything slows down and nobody is interested. But his way of making cinema and the technique that he uses is extremely contemporary, so that’s why watching Saving Private Ryan is interesting because Spielberg tells a story which is relevant today and I think Vishal is that kind of filmmaker. You need a filmmaker like that to make a period film, otherwise it probably might feel irrelevant.
“Vishal Bhardwaj is an evolved filmmaker. He is the guy who does not think from that hero-, heroin-, and villain-point of view. He thinks of characters and he thinks of layers and he thinks of what happens in life, because nobody is a hero or villain in real life.”
Q. It’s been a while since you worked with Vishal. So what were your thoughts when Vishal approached you with the script?
Saif Ali Khan: I think it’s great when an actor gets a chance to be a part of the world, with production design and with care taken towards creating a different atmosphere. I don’t want people to think that the backdrop is boring. It’s highly exciting and highly interesting — even the historical background of the army. The role Shahid’s playing, of a character belonging to the British Army — actually this character wants to represent an India that hasn’t even been formed yet, under Bose allying with the Japanese. It’s an exciting time and it questions what loyalty even means. That’s kind of a backdrop. But I just enjoy working with Vishal, who directs the simple scene and adds a twist to it. He asks you to say it with a laugh or say it with a smile. So he thinks like an actor on set, which is really fun to work with for all of us. It’s a great pleasure to be a part of the film. I will always say that the films that I could be most proud of and which are the most international if any that I’ve worked in are probably Omkara and Rangoon.
Q. You said there is nothing similar to your character with Langda Tyagi, but what makes the film similar to Omkara? Is it that it also has a big cast which was the case in Omkara. This has, of course, three solo leads but what Vishal Bhardawaj does is he defines your characters. Each character has different layers.
Saif Ali Khan: There are some films that we do where we play main leads and if all of us are lucky enough to be in a good position, we get projects that are written for us. I wouldn’t say mine is the central part but I am still excited to be a part of it. I am happy to just share it — those moments Vishal makes special enough for me to enjoy.
Shahid Kapoor: There are different types of filmmakers. There are certain people who make films thinking that this is the hero, this is the villain, that’s there a vocabulary of cinema. And then there are filmmakers who write movies and write parts and those parts have their essential roles and their participation in the larger plot. And Vishal Bhardwaj is a more evolved filmmaker. He is the guy who does not think from that hero-, heroin-, and villain-point of view. He thinks of characters and he thinks of layers and he thinks of what happens in life, because nobody is a hero or villain in real life; everybody’s point of view is valid and he sort of justifies everybody’s point of view. And that’s why every character in his film is memorable. It does not matter if the character is grey, white, blue, purple.These terms are not right for his kind of movies. We need to be bit evolved in our understanding.
Q. Kangana, you have played very fearless roles of independent women in the past as well. But do you think this is the most fearless, out-going and bold character you’ve played?
Kangana Ranaut: This is the first proper love story that I have been a part of. Here I am in the centre of these two men, and even for Vishal this is his first love story which he literally has made. Before that he himself has said that events have always been in the forefront and the love story has been in the backdrop somewhere. But in this case, the backdrop is a certain event and the love story is in the forefront. So for me also it becomes a very exciting dynamic to see how Vishal portrays his idea of love. It’s dark, it’s beautiful and bright, and at the same time it’s very intense. He is true to his colour even though it’s a period drama. He has given a strong interpretation of the Broadway format, and so it’s been revealed in a musical form.