7 films where Kangana Ranaut was inspired by real-life characters

In her 15-year-old career, Kangana Ranaut has played some prominent roles on the silver screen. From being a criminal's girlfriend in Gangster, a supermodel in Fashion to a warrior in Manikarnika, Kangana has proved her acting prowess time and again. Apart from acing her fictional roles, the 33-year-old actor has given Bollywood some memorable characters which have been inspired by real people. As the actor announced on Friday that she would step into the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for Sai Kabir's political drama, we look back at all the times when she portrayed the story of a real-life personality. (Photo: Kangana Ranaut/Twitter)

Woh Lamhe: In the 2006 Mohit Suri directorial, Kangana Ranaut played the role of an actress who tries to die by suicide in a hotel room. The film was written by Mahesh Bhatt. In his interviews, Bhatt had mentioned how Kangana's character Sana Azim was inspired by the life of yesteryear diva Parveen Babi and her life story. (Express Archives Photo)

Simran: The Hansal Mehta film was based on the real-life story of Sandeep Kaur, an Indian origin citizen of USA who robbed four banks and was addicted to gambling. She was often called the 'Gambling Queen' and the 'Bombshell Bandit'. In 2014, she conned four banks to repay her gambling debts to a loan shark. Kangana's character of Simran/Praful Patel was inspired by Kaur. (Photo: Hansal Mehta/Instagram)

Rangoon: Kangana Ranaut’s character Jaanbaaz Miss Julia in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Rangoon was said to be inspired by Fearless Nadia — the swashbuckling stuntwoman-actress of Bombay cinema of the 30s and early 40s. Nadia, who did all of her stunts by herself, fought on moving trains, threw herself into raging waterfalls, socialised with the lions and jumped from horseback onto ladders dangling from airplanes. However, Kangana, at the time of the film's release in 2017, said was said her role "is not based on any living or dead person." (Photo: Rangoon The Film/Twitter)

Manikarnika The Queen of Jhansi: In the 2019 period drama, Kangana Ranaut essayed the role of Queen of Jhansi Lakshmibai. Born as Manikarnika, she was rechristened Lakshmibai after she got married to King of Jhansi, Gangadhar Rao Newalkar, in 1842. (Photo: Kangana Ranaut/Instagram)

Thalaivi: Kangana Ranaut will soon be seen as former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor Jayalalithaa in the upcoming biopic Thalaivi. Hollywood prosthetics expert Jason Collins of Captain Marvel-fame has worked on Kangana’s look in Thalaivi. (Photo: Kangana Ranaut/Instagram)

Manikarnika Returns: The Legend Of Didda: Kangana Ranaut recently announced the second installment in the Manikarnika franchise which will revolve around the life of Didda, Kashmir’s first woman ruler, sometimes described as the “Cleopatra of Kashmir”. Didda ruled Kashmir directly and indirectly for around five decades in the 10th and 11th centuries. (Photo: Kangana Ranaut/Instagram)