Kangana Ranaut's Gangster Director Had No Idea She'd 'Become Such A Huge Star'

New Delhi: Anurag Basu directed Kangana Ranaut in her Bollywood debut film Gangster seven years ago and the 43-year-old director told news agency IANS that Kangana has come a long way since then. "I saw a spark in her but had no idea that she will become such a huge star," said Anurag Basu. True, Kangana is a huge star courtesy, films like Queen and the Tanu Weds Manu series but last two years have been the best for the 30-year-old actress. Films like Katti Batti, Rangoon and Simran, which seemed potential hits before release, tanked at the box office. Rangoon made on a budget of Rs 80 crore (which the filmmakers never fully recovered from the ticket window) also received lamentable reviews. Simran, for which Kangana also got writing and screenplay credits, also failed to fetch positive reviews.

But Anurag Basu seems to differ from the critics' opinion. He told IANS: "She is fantastic. Kangana is growing with each film. I remember before starting shooting for Gangster, we had a workshop. We were working on her diction, looks and various things to prepare her and build the character. Now look at her, with every single character that she plays, she has mastered the art of character building. I look at her growth as an artiste and feel proud."

Anurag Basu, who last directed Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif in the ill-fated Jagga Jasoos, said that he is in touch with Kangana but not on regular basis. "After Tanu Weds Manu Returns became a huge success, I called her and talked about how great her performance was in the film, how she took it to the next level. I wish her best for her future," he told IANS.

Kangana's next film is Manikarnika: Queen Of Jhansi and after that she will direct and produce Teju, in which she'll also star.

(With inputs from IANS)