Happy birthday Kangana Ranaut: 10 reasons why she is a truly great actor

Kangana Ranaut made her debut in the Hindi film industry with the film 'Gangster' in 2006. She portrayed the rold of a bar girl who falls in love with two men -- a musician and a gangster.

Kangana was next seen in Mohit Suri's film 'Woh Lamhe'. The film, which was reported to be based on the life of the troubled actress Parveen Babi, her battle with schizophrenia and her relationship with producer-director Mahesh Bhatt.

In the 2009 film 'Life in a... Metro', Kangana portrayed the role of a young woman who is in a doomed relationship with her married boss. The film, which was directed by Anurag Basu, also starred Dharmendra, Nafisa Ali, Shilpa Shetty, Shiney Ahuja, Kay Kay Menon, Sharman Joshi, Konkona Sen Sharma and Irrfan Khan in leading roles.

Kangana Ranaut won a National Award for her role in Madhur Bhandarkar's 2008 film 'Fashion'. She played the character Shonali Gujral, a successful model, who experiences a downfall due to drug abuse.

Set in Mumbai in the '70s, the film 'Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai' was directed by Milan Luthria. Kangana Ranaut played the role of a Bollywood superstar Rehana who falls for top smuggler.

Kangana Ranaut showed the lighter side of her personality in the 2011 film 'Tanu Weds Manu'. The comedy-drama was directed by Anand L Rai and starred R Madhavan and Jimmy Shergill in other roles.

In 'Krrish 3', Kangana played the role of Kaya, the villain's female henchman who is created by fusing the serum of a woman and a chameleon.

In her critically-acclaimed film 'Queen', Kangana played the role of a naive Delhi girl who goes on a journey of self-discovery against the odds and emerges a winner.

Kangana's performance in 'Revolver Rani' was also appreciated. 'Revolver Rani' was a satirical love story set against the back drop of politics. Kangana portrayed the role of Alka Singh, the leader of a political party.

Like a true star, she doesn't perform for awards but for creative satisfaction and for her fans.

As the sultry actress turns a year older, we tell you what gives her an edge over her competitors. It cultivating the best acting technique is the best way to be a serious actor, adding depth to emotions and sustaining one's quality is equally important. Kangana Ranaut has all that it takes to be a quality actor and her performances in the distant and recent past explains it. Read on.