HT summit: Imtiaz Ali, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kangana Ranaut on film industry
Ali broaches a host of topics from their childhood, issues of body type in the industry to challenges of the craft
New Delhi: The first day of the 13th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit brought writer-director Imtiaz Ali in a fun conversation with actors Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kangana Ranaut.
The two-day event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and saw discussions with eminent personalities like chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav and minister of human resource development Smriti Irani.
Beginning with a quirky discussion on how the two actors began their careers with male roles in stage plays, Ali went on to broach a host of topics from their childhood, issues of body type in the industry to challenges of the craft and how the audiences have learnt that art and commerce can go together as far as films are concerned.
Ranaut, known for breaking stereotypes with strong female characters in her recent outings Queen (2014) and Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015), emphasized that she had come a long way since 2006 when she had made her film debut.
Ali, who is known for his new-age film ventures Jab We Met (2007), Highway (2014) and most recently Tamasha (2015), had the two leading ladies discuss how people often harbour the misconception that actors lead extremely comfortable lives.
While Ranaut admitted she gets into the skin of her characters and often feels empty once the camera is turned off, Khan, who is remembered for her unconventional roles in Chameli (2003), Dev (2004), Omkara (2006) and director Ali’s own Jab We Met (2007), claimed she was more of a switch-on and switch-off performer. However, both agreed that shooting is far from a pleasant experience, often requiring actors to step out of their comfort zones.
The floor was also thrown open to questions from the audience who used the opportunity to grill their favourite celebrities on everything from their role models to the wage-gap between male and female professionals in the industry.
The Hindustan Times Summit aimed to bring eminent leaders from all walks of life together to debate and deliberate upon a range of issues including India’s imminent emergence as the global bright spot.
The second day of the summit is scheduled to have sessions with Hollywood actor Nicole Kidman and chief minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal, among others.
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