Kangana Ranaut Reveals How Much Weight She Had To Gain To Act In The Jayalalithaa Biopic Thalaivi
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Kangana Ranaut is known for her enviably slim figure and outspoken view. The actress recently revealed that she had to gain a massive amount of weight to play the role of the late Tamil Nadu politician and former actress, J. Jayalalithaa. Considering Jayalalithaa’s impact on Tamil Nadu politics, it is safe to say that Kangana had some big shoes to fill out. Known for her method acting, Kangana revealed that she had to gain a massive amount of weight as she played Jayalalithaa through the ages. Let’s see what Kangana had to say about the weight she gained for her role in the film:
Lifestyle Changes
It’s no secret that many actors and actresses have to change their appearances to match their characters’ roles. Whether it is Christian Bale losing 27+ kgs for his role in The Machinist or Aamir Khan gaining 25 kgs for his role in the film Dangal, actors have proven time and time again that they will be willing to risk it all for a role. Like many before her, Kangana had to take on some drastic life changes to play the lead role in Thalaivi. Her team shared an image on Twitter of her performing a complicated yoga asana and wrote, “I had gained 20kgs for Thalaivi. Now that we are very close to completing it, I need to go back to my earlier size, agility, metabolism, and flexibility. Waking up early and going for a jog/walk …. who all are with me ?”
The actress had also shared images of her eating home-cooked food and joked about how gaining weight was super fun, but losing weight feels more like punishment. This isn’t the first time Kangana has had to undergo a drastic change in her lifestyle. For her role as the Rani of Jhansi in the film Manikarnika, she had to specialize in warrior training from famed Hollywood stuntman, Nick Powell. Kangana and Nick trained for over a month preparing for the role as Kangana did not want to make use of a body double. She had even shared a video of herself training with two (authentic) swords for the film. Her performance in Manikarnika won her many praises from celebrities and fans alike. Pyaasa actress Waheeda Rehman had said, “Well, I am highly impressed by Kangana’s performance and direction in Manikarnika. She looks absolutely fabulous and beautiful. I am really happy and proud of her.”
Fan Reactions To Thalaivi’s Trailer
Although the trailer of the film appeared promising, many fans were disappointed with the prosthetics that Kangana was wearing. Without fail, internet trolls decided to make memes and jokes targeting Kangana and shared it on Twitter. Kangana’s sister and spokesperson, Rangoli Chandel, spoke out in support of her and stated that the brilliance of prosthetics could be observed by “anybody who had eyes.” She also referred to those who were criticizing Kangana’s appearance in the film as “samosa gang” and stated that they were inconsequential. Many fans reacted to Rangoli’s odd Twitter outburst and stated that they simply expected better from the prosthetics team. One user pointed out that even her fans were disappointed with the prosthetics and photography and stated that they don’t need to troll everyone under the sun.
Another Twitter user pointed out that Kangana has always been appreciative of constructive criticism and that Rangoli needs to take a step back and let Kangana speak for herself. Kangana’s team had shared images of herself getting fitted with the prosthetics on her Instagram account. They spoke about how Kangana was going through prosthetics makeup from famous Los Angeles makeup artists, Jason Collins. Jason has worked on major Hollywood productions like Captain Marvel and others. After the promo for the first trailer was shared, many of Kangana’s fans compared her to characters from popular cartoon TV shows, “Chota Bheem” and Thomas the Tank Engine. Some even went so far as to share collages of Kangana in character besides a potato.
In the film trailer, we see a young Jayalalithaa dancing on the sets of the Tamil film, Vennira Aadai. The trailer then transitions to Jayalalithaa as a politician and waving at the thousands of fans she has amassed over the years. In the trailer, Kangana is seen perfecting Jayalalithaa’s graceful smile as well as her iconic “victory sign and wave”. Rangoli Chandel had also spoken out about the intense transformation that actors and actresses have to go through to fit the role that they are playing. She had revealed the number of injuries and accidents that Kangana had sustained while preparing for her roles in the films. Rangoli revealed that in Kangana’s blockbuster film, Tanu Weds Manu, Kangana had injured herself severely during a biking accident.
Regardless of the numerous controversies that Kangana may be involved in, the reality is that she is a brilliant actress and has been commended for her performances by veteran actors and contemporaries alike. To watch the first look and trailer of Thalaivi, click here. Do tell us your thoughts on this article in the comment section below.
