Actor and singer Jessie Gill, currently sharing screen-space with Kangana Ranaut in Ashwini Iyer Tiwari’s movie 'Panga', slated for release on 24 January, said expressing an opinion is everyone’s right.
“I don’t have any background in acting and I learn from people like Kangana. She is very serious when it comes to her work and I feel that being outspoken is not wrong and one has the right to put their point of view,” Gill told Sputnik while sharing his camaraderie with Kangana in the forthcoming film.
“I feel fortunate that I am working with Kangana in my second Bollywood film. We connected on the very first day of the shoot, as Kangana did her studies from Chandigarh and I was staying in Chandigarh. We had a blast on the set; it went really well,” he added.
Ashwini, who previously directed the 2016 "Nil Battey Sannata", is back with the epic tale of Panga.
Kangana, who has won multiple National Film Awards for her acting, plays the lead role in the movie inspired by the life of an Indian national-level Kabbadi player. It depicts the ordeal of a mother to become successful and shows her fights against stereotype mindsets that seek to prevent her from following her dreams.
The actress saw controversy by tagging noted filmmaker Karan Johar as a “flag bearer of nepotism” in his chat show “Koffee with Karan”. After the show, a war of words between the actress and some stars occurred.
The outspoken and popular actress again saw backlash - and praise as well - after slamming anti-citizenship law protesters for vandalising public property, including setting buses on fire across India.
Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act have raged across cities and turned violent in many parts of the country, resulting in vandalism, destruction, arson, and 25 deaths, while many more have been injured over the last few weeks.
Talking about Panga, Jessie said he likes films that deal with real-life issues.
“As a viewer too I like to watch such films that depict real-life stories of struggle and pain. Such movies inspire me always and make me think about our responsibility as an actor. I was waiting to work on such a project that people can relate to and I am happy with Panga.
“My character has a positive shade that will inspire people in many ways. When you work on such films, you get confidence to do even better next time,” he said.
He also thanked Ashwini for having faith in his abilities and believing in him.