Here's what Kangana Ranaut spends her money on: Clothes, cars, land

Kangana Ranaut pads into her kitchen barefoot and comes out with a French press carafe of freshly-brewed coffee. “Luxury shouldn’t take away the small joys I have in doing things on my own. I find joy in making my own coffee,” she says, as she sits straight down on the floor, on a fluffy rug. Her dog Pluto, a small German spitz, occasionally interrupts us with a series of high-pitched yapping.
We’re at Ranaut’s large apartment in suburban Mumbai, her living room done up in an eclectic jumble that reflects some of her personality. The walls have a roughly-hewn feel, there are kitschy signs that hint at her sense of humour, a Marilyn Monroe portrait, stunning chandeliers and invitingly soft sofas. Ranaut is wearing her hair in a sharp bob, no makeup, tiny denim shorts and a racer t-shirt. It’s evident that she defines luxury in a deeply personal way, going by the way she picks her words during the conversation:

What does luxury mean to you?
It isn’t just comfort. That’s a primitive idea of luxury. That doesn’t mean I don’t like spending money and enjoying a feeling of grandeur. Being actors, we have a tough life – the characters we do, shoot timings and the locations. I’ve made peace with that. But I seek art and tasteful things. I like things that are special, which punctuate certain days and occasions, finer experiences that break the monotony.

I have an artistic take on money. For example, look at my house. When I bought it, it was fully ready. It had the most expensive Italian marble floor and fancy tiles. I broke everything down and did these clay walls, slate flooring and wood logs. I like high ceilings and I paid a lot of money for this one (laughs). I wanted my house to look human, with a raw, organic energy. It shouldn’t look so refined that it loses life. There’s a fine line between being artistic and living the mainstream idea of luxury.

Has your idea of luxury changed since your teens?
Back home (Himachal Pradesh), I’m fortunate to be in an environment where we don’t seek luxury. Mountain people are the coolest and toughest you’ll come across (laughs). I used to run to my school along this tough hiking track in about 45 minutes like it was nothing. Today I have to have trekking gear and hiking sticks to cover that distance.

There were people in my house who raised animals. I used to lie under a cow, while they squeezed milk into my mouth. For us kids, luxury meant sleeping longer on Sundays. I come from that raw environment. For my parents, luxury was about buying gold, having a comfortable car or fairly good furniture.

Does the idea of luxury differ within your family?
Well, there is a division because my parents are still back home and working. My mother is a teacher and my dad runs a construction factory that crushes stone, sells bricks and he has a transport business too. Common businesses in the mountains. But I’m this movie star who makes, well…

You’re one of the highest paid stars in the business…
(Laughs) So what they spend on and their idea of money is very different. They can’t understand my first class tickets, my bags. They can’t wrap their heads around my dresses. They don’t understand why dresses that look the same, have such different prices — they can’t get the concept of high street brands and high fashion. They’re like, ‘What is the damned difference?’ They’re poles apart like that. They’re simple people and so am I. It’s just that my job demands a certain lifestyle.



What are your favourite shopping destinations?
I like to go to London or New York. Depends on which part of the world I’m in, then I make a quick trip. Now there are more international brands in India. But actors can’t shop here, right, because they’ll be mobbed and it gets uncomfortable.

Over here, people who work for me bring a selection and I pick what I like – it could even be just a pair of socks – but I can’t go and buy that for myself. When I’m abroad, I can shop myself.

Are you into retail therapy?
No, I like shopping, but not when it’s a compulsion. When I’m running out of something or there’s a list of 20 things that I have to pick up from shop to shop, then that feels like work to me.

What do you splurge on the most?
Clothes, things for my house. I do constructive things with my money too. I’ve bought land in Manali, cars over here. On a personal level though, not for business purposes.

I’m building an organic farm, horse stables and a nice Victorian cottage because it snows there. My roots are in Manali and my parents live there, so it’s important to me to have a base there. My parents live in a kind of Rajshri films family. I have no privacy there. They can’t tell my relatives to not lie down on my bed when I’m there or to not hug me (laughs). You know how parents are. An aunt could be pulling my cheeks and I’d say, ‘Mum, tell her not to do that’ and she’d reply, ‘I can’t, she’s my buaji.’

You mentioned stables.Do you enjoy horse-riding?
I do. It’s also about creating recreational activities. What else can you do in the mountains? It can get boring. In fact, growing up, I just saw horses on television. I didn’t know it could be a sport. I thought horses were for those people who didn’t own cars.

Which are your favourite hotels in the world?
There isn’t a particular chain of resorts I prefer. I try to capture the mood of the place I’m at. New York is about Soho Grand hotel. Its architecture is so modern, it captures the city’s spirit. In Paris, it has to feel French and renaissance, so I like Le Meurice. In Maldives, it’s the Four Seasons. In London there are several options, but I prefer Courthouse because it’s vintage and right at Oxford Street. Perfect for when you have too many shopping bags.

Read More: Queen of Bollywood Kangana Ranaut believes in living within a budget