Mumbai, Mar 23 (IANS): Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut is celebrating her birthday on Saturday. Over the years, Kangana has created a niche for herself because of her performances. The actress boasts of 4 National Awards and 1 Padma Shri.

While she is set to make her 2nd directorial with her upcoming film ‘Emergency’, it’s some of earlier works that continue to charm the audience. The vintage Kangana, who once absolutely ruled the hearts of both the mass and the class audience, is something else. The kind which inspires a generation of actresses with her works.

As the actress soaks in the celebrations of her 37th birthday, here are 5 of her performances in her earlier films that have left a fine imprint:

‘Gangster’: The actress made her debut at the age of 19 with ‘Gangster’. While the film received a positive response from the audience for its music and storytelling, it was Kangana’s performance which stood out more so when there were two established actors sharing the screen with her. The actress essayed the role of the girlfriend of Shiney Ahuja’s character in the film. Her role is said to be inspired by Monica Bedi.

‘Fashion’: The film, which changed the game completely for Kangana was the Madhur Bhandarkar directorial ‘Fashion’. While Priyanka essayed the lead role in the film, Kangana received a lot of positive response for her work as a drug addict model in the film. She also clinched her 1st National Award owing to her performance in the film.

‘Queen’: Then comes the fan-favourite, the one that catapulted her to massive stardom, ‘Queen’. The film marked the directorial debut of the #MeToo accused filmmaker Vikas Bahl who recently directed the R. Madhavan and Ajay Devgn-starrer ‘Shaitaan’. Kangana essayed the role of a reticent girl whose suitor breaks the marriage just days ahead of the ceremony. Hurt and shattered, she embarks on a solo trip to Europe, a journey that transforms her and gives her the confidence to lead life on her own terms. Once again Kangana laid her hands on the National Award given her stellar performance in the film.

‘Tanu Weds Manu’ franchise: Kangana’s performances in both the parts of the film franchise are a treat to watch. While she played a woman who falls in love with her suitor in the 1st part of the franchise, in the second part, she returned in dual roles and once again conjured one hell of a performance. ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ gave Kangana the 3rd National Award of her career.

‘Judgementall Hai Kya’: The last film on the list is Kangana’s 2019 release ‘Judgementall Hai Kya’ in which she shared the screen with Rajkummar Rao. In the film, she played the role of a wealthy dubbing artiste who suffers from hallucinations and is caught in a web of crime involving a serial killer. Her performance as a woman with an unstable mind was praised by the audience and critics alike.

The actress is currently busy with the work on her upcoming film ‘Emergency’ in which she essays the role of the former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.