A number of Bollywood celebrities such as Priyanka Chopra and Aishwarya Rai among them, followed by Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt have already made the cross-the-pond hop. Now, Kangana Ranaut is all set to join them with her debut international film. According to Variety, the actress will feature in Blessed Be the Evil, an American horror drama.
Interestingly, the announcement is made years after Kangana had voiced disinterest in working in the West. She had stated, in a 2017 interview with Mid-Day, that she wasn’t keen on working in Hollywood.
It would be foolish for anyone to make the transition to the West at this time. Their theatre industry is collapsing due to the arrival of digital media. Asia, however, is where Hollywood was 15 years ago. It is a profitable time for entertainment here. These are baits that I won’t fall victim to,” she had said.
She had further explained that her preference would be for projects that benefit Indian cinema and economy.
“If an American film (‘The Jungle Book’, 2016) is making business worth Rs. 100 crore, and not all of our films are doing so, then we will perhaps not find sufficient screens for home-bred films 10 years from now. I appreciate world cinema, but it must be a movie that brings work and revenue into our nation. I don’t want to serve myself on a platter to another industry.”
Kangana will be seen in ‘Blessed Be the Evil’ with Teen Wolf actor Tyler Posey and Tulsa King star Scarlet Rose Stallone. The film, which goes on floor later this summer in New York, is being directed by Anurag Rudra. He also co-penned the script with Gatha Tiwary, president and founder of Lions Movies, who will also produce the film.
The film is about a Christian couple who are grappling with the shock of a miscarriage. They purchase a secluded, abandoned farmhouse with a dark history, and their faith and relationship are challenged by dark, supernatural elements.
The producers deliberately selected U.S. locations to ‘steer clear of confronting any ambiguities due to the newly declared Trump industry tariffs’, according to Variety.
