- Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has revisited one of the most turbulent phases of her life
- Reflecting on the period, the actor recalled how she was branded a "witch"
- Ranaut alleged that she was subjected to what she described as a targeted attempt to malign her image
Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has revisited one of the most turbulent phases of her life, opening up about the intense scrutiny, personal attacks, and sensational allegations she faced in her late twenties.
Reflecting on the period, the actor recalled how she was branded a "witch" and accused of practising black magic amid a highly publicised fallout with her former partner.
In a recent conversation with ANI, Ranaut alleged that she was subjected to what she described as a targeted attempt to malign her image.
Speaking candidly, she said, "My ex who filed a case on me... and on top of that, kuch khade ho gaye ki ye to chudail hai khoon peeti hai kaale kamre mein kaale parde lagake kaala jaadu karti hai (some people stood up and said she's a witch, she drinks blood, she does black magic.) So there was a witch-hunt. There was evident and very apparent witch-hunting happening at that time, and I was hardly 26 or 27 years old."
She further questioned the expectations placed on her during that time, adding, "So when this is how they're going to treat me, why should I make them look good... I have no reason to make them look good."
Looking back, Ranaut maintained that she was simply doing her best under difficult circumstances. "Even today," she said, she believes that "I was just doing the best I could do."
The actor also credited her professional journey and achievements for helping her stay resilient. Citing her breakthrough film Queen, she highlighted how it redefined her career. "My journey, my own success... in spite and despite of all of them. There was no hero like in 'Queen'.... because 'Queen' had happened," she said.
Ranaut pointed out that the film stood apart from conventional Bollywood narratives, adding, "This was a film which was without a leading star, without action, without women to make them look like damsels in distress."
She also emphasised how her role challenged stereotypes associated with female leads. "Here was a film that I did in a kurti and bell-bottoms. I played a 'Behenji'. I was not even the sexy girl roles that I was getting in 'Fashion' or 'Krrish 3'... and that has made me like the topmost actress in the country."
Background
The controversy surrounding her personal life had previously made headlines after her former partner, Adhyayan Suman, made startling claims in a 2016 interview with DNA.
He alleged, "One day, Kangana called me at home in the night to do some puja. I reached at 11.30 pm as the puja was to start at 12. She had a small guest room in her apartment, and she had covered it in black, including black curtains. There were some random statues of God, fire all around, some scary things (kept) puja. She asked me to chant some mantras and locked me in. I was terrified." He further claimed that he was later asked to perform rituals at a graveyard, which he refused.
Additionally, in 2017, Aditya Pancholi and his wife Zarina Wahab filed a criminal defamation complaint against Ranaut and her sister Rangoli in an Andheri court over statements she had made about her past relationship with Pancholi.
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