BJP’s Mandi district chief Nihal Chand Sharma expressed his frustration over her absence. “She has an office in her parliamentary constituency, but people keep calling me to ask about her availability,” Sharma told ThePrint. “She rarely visits the constituency. She should devote more time in her constituency to know people’s problems.”
Kangana also didn’t attend a 5 February court hearing in Mumbai in a defamation case against her by lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar. Her advocate informed the court she was unable to attend due to her “parliamentary commitments”. But a complaint by Jay Bhardwaj, Akhtar’s advocate, noted that she’d already skipped 40 court dates.
So, the question many are asking is: Where is Kangana Ranaut?
Her office said she’s been shuttling between Mumbai and Manali these past few months.
In January, she was caught up with the release of her much-anticipated film, Emergency, which—though it was a lesser flop than her last few films—didn’t do as well as expected at the box office.
And when the budget session convened in February, Kangana was busy fulfilling a childhood dream, opening her first restaurant, Mountain Story, in Manali. “My childhood dream came true,” she wrote in an Instagram post celebrating the launch. “She was in Himachal at her home and was busy with the promotion of a film during this period when Parliament was running,” her parliamentary representative Karan Singh told ThePrint.
Also Read: Kangana’s ‘Emergency’ crosses 10 crore—a lesser flop than her last few films
BJP’s star candidate
When Kangana Ranaut was chosen to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Mandi seat last year, the stakes couldn’t have been higher.
The seat had long been the stronghold of former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s family. His wife, Congress leader Pratibha Singh, represented the seat. Recognising the importance of victory in Mandi, the BJP assigned Himachal Pradesh Leader of the Opposition and former chief minister Jairam Thakur to oversee her campaign.
The effort paid off. Kangana trounced Vikramaditya Singh, Virbhadra Singh’s son, by a massive margin of 74,755 votes, delivering the BJP a crucial win in Himachal Pradesh.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to campaign in the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency, his support for her was unequivocal. He even attacked Congress social media chairperson Supriya Shrinate for making a controversial post about Kangana.
“You have seen how the Congress party humiliates daughters who have got success due to their own effort, how the Congress party used such a word for Kangana ji. This is an insult of Mandi, an insult of Himachal and you have to pay back the Congress party for this insult,” Modi said at a public meeting on 24 May.
The controversy erupted months earlier in March when Shrinate wrote in a post on social media platform X, “Kya bhav chal raha hai Mandi mein? (What’s the rate in the market?”)
An outraged BJP rallied behind Kangana over the remark, saying it was derogatory. Shrinate apologised and deleted the post, saying her account had been compromised.
Flying high
In her first session of Parliament, Kangana was everywhere—flaunting her designer outfits and bags, providing photo opportunities to journalists and giving daily TV sound bytes on Rahul Gandhi. She rarely missed an opportunity to mock the Congress leader. When Gandhi made his first speech as Leader of the Opposition, Kangana was quick to brand it as “standup comedy” and even went so far as to urge him to seek “therapy”.
“Apart from all the irresponsible statements that Rahul Gandhi ji made in his first speech as the Leader of the Opposition, he also mentioned that he is not one Rahul. In fact, there are two of him, one will now live for Constitution and the other one he has killed,” she wrote in a post on X. Adding, “This is not funny, Rahul ji should immediately seek some therapy sessions. A lot of psychologists would agree that the pressure from the family/mother to be someone else other than who you want to be can give one such identity crisis…”
Apart from all the irresponsible statements that Rahul Gandhi ji made in his first speech as the leader of opposition, he also mentioned that he is not one Rahul infact there are two of him, one will now live for the constitution and the other one …. The other one he has…
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) July 1, 2024
Kangana’s initial record in Parliament was impressive.
According to PRS Legislative Research, she participated in six debates, raising issues concerning her constituency, besides the need for a railways line to promote spiritual tourism in Himachal Pradesh and the need for a sports complex in the state.
She also participated in the budget debate and asked 26 questions, mostly unstarred, on topics ranging from tourism infrastructure at the Kumbh Mela to the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the impact of OTT content. For the first few months, Kangana’s headline-grabbing comments and attacks on Rahul Gandhi went down well with the party.
But this equation between her and the BJP was short-lived. BJP insiders say Kangana’s first disappointment came when she didn’t make it to the Cabinet despite her expectations.
She had expressed her desire to hold charge of any ministry during a conversation with a local media outlet in Mandi, but she soon reconciled with the reality since many senior party leaders were not inducted into the Cabinet either.
Fall from grace
The BJP distancing itself from Kangana wasn’t sudden but developed over nine months after the Lok Sabha elections. One of the main reasons for it was the party’s displeasure with her repeated controversial statements, especially involving farmers and Sikhs.
She found herself in hot water when she waded into the farmers’ issue—right in the middle of the Assembly elections in Haryana, where the farmers’ protests were a politically sensitive topic and Sikhs made up more than five percent of the population.
In August, Kangana told a Hindi daily in an interview that during the farmers’ agitation of 2020-2021, “bodies were hanging and rapes were taking place” and that there was a “plan to create a Bangladesh-like situation in India”. Her comments triggered a political storm, prompting BJP leaders in Haryana and Punjab to register their concerns before the high command. The Opposition labelled her remarks as a “gross insult to farmers”.
Not only did BJP president J. P. Nadda summon Kangana, but the party also dissociated itself from her statement and asked her not to not make such remarks in the future. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar reprimanded the actor, cautioning her against portraying Punjabis and farmers in a bad light. Despite the party’s rebuke and strict instructions, Kangana unleashed another political firestorm a month later by calling for the reinstatement of the now-withdrawn three farm laws. “I know this will be controversial… but I feel the repealed farm laws should be brought back. The farmers themselves should demand it. They are pillars of strength for the nation’s development and I want to appeal to them—demand the law back for your own good,” she said in Mandi district.
Rahul Gandhi immediately seized on Kangana’s remarks, questioning the BJP’s intentions.
With Haryana in the midst of a heated election campaign, the BJP was once again forced to distance itself from her statement and contain the political fallout. “The Prime Minister has invested huge political capital to mollify Sikh farmers of Punjab by scrapping the farm laws, celebrating Veer Baal Diwas to celebrate the courage of Guru Gobind Singh’s sons, visiting gurdwaras and opening Kartarpur Sahib,” a senior BJP leader from Punjab told ThePrint.
“But Kangana started to reopen old wounds within the Sikh community. She has gradually become one of the most hated figures in the Sikh community, which was reflected when a woman constable slapped her. Her continuous stand on farm protests, calling protestors Khalistani led to huge anger against Kangana. She thought it was her USP but the PM and the BJP top brass took a decision not to promote her and annoy the Sikh community more.”
Referring to her film Emergency, the leader added, “Even when her film was helping the BJP, a cautious BJP did not promote her film knowing the consequences in the Sikh community.”
Also Read: SGPC members make theatres refund ‘Emergency’ tickets. Vow to protest until it’s banned
Kangana gets cold shoulder
The BJP’s discomfort with Kangana was evident when her film Emergency, in which she portrayed former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, faced delays ahead of its scheduled release in September. With the Haryana polls campaign underway, the party was not in the mood to stoke Sikh sentiments by allowing the film’s release, fearing a backlash from Sikh voters.
That wasn’t the end of Kangana’s troubles.
The film wasn’t cleared by censors even though the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is headed by the BJP-appointed chief Prasoon Joshi and a BJP government is in power at the Centre. Facing protests from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Akali Dal over the film’s portrayal of the Sikh community, the censor board withheld its certificate, demanding multiple cuts. BJP leaders from Haryana and Punjab too urged the high command not to release Kangana’s film to avoid reopening old wounds.
Slamming the board’s decision to seek many cuts, a furious Kangana called the “censor act” another “emergency”.
“I don’t what we will show then—that there is a blackout in the film? This is an unbelievable time for me and I am very sorry for this state of things in this country,” she said.
She continued to vent her frustration after her film wasn’t cleared for its original release date of 6 September. “An emergency has been imposed on my film too. It’s a very hopeless state. I’m quite disappointed in our country and whatever the circumstances are,” she told YouTube journalist Shubhankar Mishra in an interview. “How much will we keep getting scared? I’ve made this film with a lot of self-respect which is why the CBFC can’t point out any contention. They’ve stalled my certificate, but I’m determined to release an uncut version of the film. I’ll fight in court and release an uncut version.”
Emergency, originally set for release in September, finally hit theatres in January 2025, but only after several cuts and after the Haryana election was over.
But what probably surprised the multiple National Film Awards winner was that the film wasn’t promoted by the BJP and among right-wing circles. Unlike other films that aligned with the party’s ideological messaging, there were no high-profile screenings in the national capital and no BJP-led state government granted it tax-free status.
Kangana had mortgaged her house to fund her film and spent all of January promoting it, managing publicity and scheduling screenings in different regions.
She managed to organise a screening for Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in Nagpur where Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was present. But otherwise, the BJP leadership maintained a conspicuous silence on the film that seemed tailor-made to bolster its narrative about the subversion of the Constitution in the period between 1975-77.
Neither Modi nor Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the film for highlighting the excesses of the Emergency. This was even though just last year, Shah had declared 25 June—the day Emergency was imposed—as Samvidhan Hatya Divas (Constitution Murder Day) to keep public memory of the period alive, particularly among the youth.
In contrast, when filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri released the controversial The Kashmir Files in 2022, depicting the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, Modi not only praised Agnihotri for making the film but also championed it at a BJP parliamentary party meeting.
“Such films reveal the truth and there is a conspiracy to discredit it,” Modi is believed to have said. Adding, “The entire jamaat (gang) that raised the flag of freedom of expression has been furious for five or six days. Instead of reviewing the film on the basis of facts and art, there is a conspiracy to discredit it.”
Modi even invited Agnihotri and others associated with the film to meet him in Parliament, and several BJP state governments screened the film and granted it tax exemption.
Similarly, when actor Vikrant Massey-starrer The Sabarmati Report, depicting the 2002 Godhra train burning, was released, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under Ashwini Vaishnaw held a special screening in the Parliament library on 3 December.
Modi attended the screening along with Nadda, Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the entire council of ministers.
And when The Kerala Story, another controversial film directed by Sudipto Sen released before the Karnataka Assembly election in 2023, not only did Modi mention it in his speeches but the BJP held a special screening in Karnataka with Nadda present.
“The Kerala Story is based on a terror conspiracy. It shows the ugly truth of terrorism and exposes terrorist design. The Congress is opposing the film made on terrorism and standing with terror tendencies,” Modi had alleged during a public meeting in Karnataka.
Also Read: Kangana Ranaut says she is like Jai Prakash Narayan. ‘I am a rule breaker too’
No meeting with Modi for Kangana
While Kangana got the cold shoulder, performer Diljit Dosanjh, who had supported the farmers’ protest, met Modi in January. This was despite a boycott threat from the VHP and Bajrang Dal which prompted him to take a dig at the latter by quoting poet Rahat Indori at a concert, “Kisi ke baap ka Hindustan thodi hai” (India does not belong to any one person).
Modi shared their interaction on Instagram and praised Dosanjh as a “multifaceted artist”.
A fantastic start to 2025
A very memorable meeting with PM @narendramodi Ji.
We talked about a lot of things including music of course! pic.twitter.com/TKThDWnE0P
— DILJIT DOSANJH (@diljitdosanjh) January 1, 2025
A senior BJP functionary said Diljit’s case couldn’t be compared with Kangana’s.
“Diljit has a huge following in the Sikh community, particularly the youth. So, despite his support for the farmers’ protest in 2020, the Prime Minister didn’t think twice about meeting him. Politics is all about expanding your reach. Diljit’s meeting was beneficial for the party. Despite being a BJP MP, Kangana’s criticism of the farm protest was against the party’s interest,” the functionary added.
During these months, Modi also met the entire Kapoor family to celebrate the centenary of legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor. But Kangana was not granted a personal audience.
She showed her disillusionment and frustration in the interview with YouTube journalist Shubhankar Mishra in January. “I am a lone warrior in my life. Nobody is with me. When I was struggling in life, that time too I was alone. I was disillusioned,” she said.
“I have not met the PM in these years, even when he came to campaign in Mandi, only courtesy exchanges happened. I met him at a TV event. I tried many times to meet him but I never met him personally. People from Bollywood say they have met the prime minister for hours. I too want to share many ideas with him.”
Despite being sidelined, Kangana hasn’t spared any effort to praise Modi in every interview. She even edited a book titled Prime Minister Modi From Red Fort released on Modi’s birthday on 17 September last year.
‘Politics not her cup of tea’
Some BJP leaders were of the opinion that Kangana wasn’t cut out for politics.
“Politics is a serious affair. Politics is not her cup of tea. She should concentrate on films and acting. She has become a habitual offender due to her reckless comments. She has offended the sentiments of the Punjabi people frequently. Even her comment on Gandhi ji was unnecessary,” former Punjab minister Manoranjan Kalia told ThePrint.
Last year on Gandhi Jayanti, Kangana posted an Instagram story downplaying Gandhi’s role in the freedom struggle. “Desh ke pita nahi, desh ke to laal hote hai. Dhanye hai Bharat maa ke ye laal (The country does not have fathers; it has sons. Blessed are these sons of Mother India),” she wrote alongside a picture of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, whose birthday also falls on the same day. The post was widely criticised by BJP leaders.
“The entire world recognises Gandhi’s contribution to the freedom struggle. The father of the nation has a special place in PM Modi’s heart. The prime minister does not like those who humiliate Gandhi,” said a BJP functionary who did not wish to be named.
Adding, “When Pragya Thakur humiliated Gandhi, not only did Modi speak against her but she was also dropped from the next election from Bhopal. Similarly, six-time MP Anant Hegde, who called Gandhi’s freedom struggle a ‘drama,’ was dropped in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.” Other leaders too slammed Kangana on the Gandhi issue.
“She should not comment on every issue. She is not a spokesperson and does not know the ramifications of her statements. When she spoke about Gandhi, she didn’t realise that Shastri was one of his biggest followers. This shows her lack of knowledge,” said Harjit Grewal, a BJP leader from Punjab.
But despite the growing rift between her and the party leadership, many BJP leaders still believe Kangana Ranaut’s political career is far from over. As one BJP leader put it, “Her graph has been down but not out. If she makes a course correction and speak less, the party gives everybody a fair chance of becoming a good leader.”
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
Also Read: How Sikh outrage, BJP’s caution led to CBFC asking for more changes in Kangana’s ‘Emergency’
