From Bollywood disruptor to politics: Actor Kangana Ranaut gears up for new innings in LS | Bollywood

New Delhi, she sparked a debate on nepotism in Bollywood, was given the runaround when she compared the Maharashtra government to PoK and was banned from Twitter for her comments on violence in West Bengal. Staunchly political and outspoken, actor Kangana Ranaut is now heading to Parliament as the BJP MP from Mandi.

The 37-year-old, who was also sued for defamation by industry veteran Javed Akhtar, is known as much for her scathing comments as for her films. Showbiz fame makes headlines, and not just on the entertainment pages.

As she makes her political debut, Ranaut, who defeated Congress' Vikramaditya Singh by 74,755 votes in her home state Himachal Pradesh, will be in the spotlight in the Lok Sabha.

Will she do like some of her colleagues and remain silent in the Lower House or maintain her reputation for speaking her mind?

If his track record is to be believed, it will be the last.

On Tuesday, as trends pointed to her winning the election, the four-time National Award winner said, “Her sincere gratitude to all the people of Mandi for this love and trust… This victory belongs to all of you, it is the victory of your trust in Prime Minister Modi and the BJP, it is the victory of Sanatan and in honor of Mandi.

Soon after, she said, “Mandi ki sansad.”

The Queen star wasn't the only actor seeking votes. Alongside him were BJP's 'Ramayan' star Arun Govil from Meerut, two-time MP from Mathura Hema Malini and TMC candidate Shatrughan Sinha from Asansol.

However, Ranaut was certainly the most talked about candidate among them, running her entire campaign on the theme of being a daughter of the earth. She also gained public sympathy through derogatory comments from opposition leaders regarding her acting experience and the name of her constituency.

In an industry where actors mostly conceal their political affiliations, Ranaut was among the handful of Hindi film stars to openly extend their support to the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling themselves a fan of the leader.

Ever present in the media and on social platforms, Ranaut was an important and leading voice supporting the ruling party on issues such as the Citizenship Act in 2019-20 and the farmers' protests in 2020-21. His Twitter encounter with Diljit Dosanjh has become part of the public discourse.

Akhtar filed a defamation case against Ranaut for her comments that he had threatened her. The matter is still before the courts.

After comparing the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government to PoK, the actress saw her Mumbai office being demolished by the BMC. This became a major flashpoint between the state and the Center in September 2020. Soon after, she was provided with Y-level security by the Union Home Ministry.

The following year, 2021, she was banned from Twitter following her comments on the post-election violence in West Bengal. Unfazed, she moved to Instagram, where she continued to make headlines for her political views.

Ranaut is back on the microblogging site.

She won the enviable National Award four times for Best Supporting Actor for 'Fashion', Best Actor for 'Queen', 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns' and third for her roles in 'Manikarnika' and 'Panga'.

Ranaut, who was also named a Padma Shri recipient in 2020, was 17 when she made her Bollywood debut in 2006 with Anurag Basu's 'Gangster' opposite Emraan Hashmi. It was a critical and commercial success that made everyone take notice of the fresh-faced newcomer, who seemed different from the quintessential Bollywood heroines of the time with her curly hair and propensity to speak her mind.

The actress proved she was no fluke by continuing to deliver strong performances in “Woh Lamhe…”, “Life in a… Metro” and “Fashion”, where she played a model on a downhill track.

She was also praised for her small stint in 'Once Upon a Time in Mumbai' and cemented her position in the industry as a leading lady with her role in 2011 hit 'Tanu Weds Manu'.

This was followed by a period of struggle and his brief role “Krrish 3” did little for his career, which then seemed to be on the wane.

It was 2014's “Queen” that reestablished the Ranaut brand in Bollywood. The film about a runaway bride who rediscovers herself made her a bona fide star in the industry, mostly driven by male stars. In 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns', the actress played a dual role and was widely praised for her acting skills.

Ranaut has been praised for her views on feminism, the industry and how she worked on herself to become a better performer. The chat show's hosts seemed impressed by her outspokenness on thorny industry issues.

In 2015, Ranaut opened up about being mistreated while she was struggling in the industry.

“What happens is that a heroine always depends on the producer or the hero, so no one thought that if someone becomes Kangana Ranaut and she will never work with me as a producer or actor. They should be ashamed before mistreating women. They assume 'Kya karegi?' She's just a girl,” the actor had told PTI in an interview.

During an appearance on Karan Johar's celebrity chat show 'Koffee With Karan' in 2017, Ranaut shocked everyone, including the host, by calling him a “flag bearer of nepotism”.

It was the start of a long fight between the two men and a public debate about how the children of stars prevent outsiders from excelling in an industry full of camps. She also raised the issue after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in 2020.

This was not the only controversy Ranaut faced at the time.

Her battle with 'Krrish 3' and 'Kites' co-star Hrithik Roshan quickly became a tabloid story. Ranaut accused the actor of denying their relationship while Roshan maintained that he never had a personal connection with the actor.

Controversies seemed to follow the actor everywhere. She eventually started producing her own films, including the biopic “Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi” in 2019. The film generated controversy after Ranaut claimed a co-director credit on the film from Krish Jagarlamudi. This caused a major rift between them.

A similar controversy followed her over Hansal Mehta's “Simran” where she received co-writing credits and screenwriter Apurva Asrani took umbrage and distanced himself from the film, which turned out to be a failure.

She also ventured down South by starring in J Jayalalitha's biopic 'Thalaivii'.

Although she made headlines, Ranaut's last film 'Tejas' did not do well at the box office.

The actor in a media interview has already spoken about her desire to focus entirely on her political career if she is elected from Mandi.

Next up for the debutant MP is her next directorial venture, Emergency, in which she plays former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The release was postponed due to the elections.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modification to the text.