Kangana Ranaut is recognised for her dramatic performances, but she’s been in the spotlight more recently for her provocative views. Kangana Ranaut’s comments on India’s hard-won independence from British colonialism has provoked a firestorm of criticism. On Thursday, she remarked that the independence acquired in 1947 “was bheek [a giveaway], and true freedom was only achieved in 2014.” She was clearly alluding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s win in the 2014 general elections, since she has been a prominent supporter of him. Some on social media defended her, claiming that her remarks were insulting to India’s liberation heroes.
Her words were labelled “insensitive” by the biggest opposition party, the Congress. MP Anand Sharma described her comments as “shocking and terrible” in a series of tweets, urging the President to revoke the Padma Shri award, India’s fourth highest civilian honour, which she received lately.
Varun Gandhi, a member of Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, also chastised the actress. Ranaut isn’t a stranger to controversy. She’s frequently in the headlines for making controversial remarks that ignite social media crazes.
She has accused her Bollywood peers of nepotism, drug trafficking, and sexual assault in the past. Twitter deactivated her account in May after she reportedly incited violence in a message.
She is noted for her powerful performances in a number of films, although her most recent ventures have not fared well at the box office. Her early campaigning against the “casting couch,” a term for situations in which directors and producers request sexual favors from newbies in return for opportunities, was lauded.
She was praised for carving herself a reputation for herself despite hailing from a tiny village and then defying patriarchal conventions in Bollywood.
