- Taapsee Pannu is promoting her Netflix film Gandhari amid a renewed feud with Kangana Ranaut
- Kangana Ranaut indirectly called Taapsee a B-grade actress on Instagram stories recently
- Swastika Mukherjee said she was unaware of the feud and defended Taapsee's on-set behavior
Taapsee Pannu is busy promoting her upcoming Netflix film Gandhari, and what she seems to have become embroiled in once again is her very public feud with Kangana Ranaut, which has been ongoing for years. Interestingly, it resurfaces every time Taapsee Pannu has a project around the corner.
Their infamous war of words has recently returned to the spotlight as Taapsee Pannu, who mostly stays away from the limelight until a release, was seen promoting Gandhari. She addressed her equation with Kangana Ranaut, stating that her opinion about the Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata actress reflected her "upbringing," just as Kangana Ranaut's behaviour reflected hers.
This sparked a fresh round of indirect jibes, with Kangana Ranaut taking to Instagram stories to respond - not directly naming Taapsee Pannu, but once again using the phrase "B-grade actress" a title previously used by her sister Rangoli Chandel.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Taapsee's Gandhari co-star Swastika Mukherjee candidly shared her views on the matter.
Swastika Mukherjee On The Spat
Asked about Kangana and Taapsee's latest clash, Swastika Mukherjee admitted she genuinely had no idea about it.
She rejected the notion of calling it a "catfight", "I used to really like Kangana a lot as an actor. I still feel she gives us great fashion goals - and that's about it. I don't think these are catfights, because I believe both people have to engage in it. Nowadays, you mostly see one person having an opinion, or as happens in our film industry too, you'll find one or two such characters who bash everyone. They just don't have anything good to say - whether seniors, colleagues, contemporaries, or juniors."
She continued, "For anything and everything, it's just a lot of negativity. I'm very happy working in the film. And I don't know, I've seen people say the most common thing is, 'Oh, she's very impolite.' I've not seen that about Taapsee at all. She's very grounded. She's normal."
On Taapsee Pannu's On-Set Behaviour
Swastika Mukherjee realistically noted that you cannot expect an actor to always be smiling on set, "You can't expect an actor to be sweet constantly on set. She might be focusing on her lines, she might be focusing on her role. She might not wave at you when you're passing by. That doesn't make anyone rude. You don't need to be all smiles all the time. I think she's just normal. But I really didn't know that Taapsee and Kangana had a longstanding issue. I think it will happen every time she has a release, no?"
This indeed seems to be a pattern - Taapsee is consistently asked about Kangana whenever she steps out for promotions.
The Rivalry Between Taapsee and Kangana
The public feud between Taapsee Pannu and Kangana Ranaut has been a long-standing one, beginning in 2019. From Taapsee remarking that Kangana needed a "double filter" for her opinions while promoting Manmarziyaan, to Rangoli Chandel calling Taapsee a "sasti copy" in 2019, the bashing has been relentless - direct or indirect.
In 2020, during the heated nepotism debate and the controversy following Sushant Singh Rajput's death, Kangana directly attacked actresses like Taapsee and Swara Bhaskar, labelling them "B-grade actresses" and "needy outsiders" who did not stand up against Bollywood insiders.
In recent days, both actresses have exchanged fresh comments - through media interactions and Instagram stories - reigniting their rivalry.
Taapsee Pannu's Upcoming Project
Taapsee Pannu's upcoming project is the action-thriller Gandhari, releasing on Netflix on September 3. The film is directed by Devashish Makhija and written and produced by Kanika Dhillon.
ALSO READ | 'Khatam Kyun Nahi Hone Dete Yeh Baat?': Taapsee Pannu Reacts To Kangana Ranaut's 'Upbringing' Jibe