The Kangana Ranaut Story: Prodigal Daughter, Bollywood Princess, Wannabe Politician

Kangana Ranaut has surely pitchforked herself into a higher orbit in the wake of the Sushant Singh Rajput episode. As she finds herself in a direct row with the Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra, a few facts about her have acquired her an extra buzz: her outsider status in Mumbai, her regional identity as a Himachali, and a much closer alignment with the BJP. All of that seems tailor-made for the next move.

It helps that she is feisty, strident, aggressive and outspoken, with a huge social media profile that she milks for her new avatar. Never one to shy away from controversies, she had already shown herself as a cut of a different cloth바카라�taking up cudgels against powerful lobbies in Bollywood. Her stand against nepotism and the 바카라�movie mafia바카라� is exactly what now flows into the debate over Sushant바카라�another 바카라�outsider바카라�. But Y-security from the Centre and a demolition in Mumbai have taken her far beyond the confines of that debate. She is now, clearly, the BJP바카라�s sword-arm바카라�and she has taken to the role with as much energy and gusto as she would pour into any film role.

Her journey from placid Himachal Pradesh to the fringes of Bollywood was just the first of her spectacular leaps from one realm to another. Her family hails from Bhambla, a Rajput-dominated village in Mandi district. Her flight from those limited horizons is a story of inspiration for girls with less privileges and lack of opportunities바카라�but perhaps not one that many parents who now root for her would wish for their daughters to emulate. It was greatly an act of rebellion too.

Kangana with her mother Asha Ranaut

바카라�One can바카라�t imagine how this girl next door, born in a simple and then not-so-well-off family, went on to rise to fame. It바카라�s a fact that when she disclosed her plans to take up modeling, while pursuing her undergraduate studies at DAV School Chandigarh, the family declined to support her. She rebelled and the rest is history,바카라� says Shashi Sharma, a college lecturer and neighbour.

Kangana바카라�s early education happened at her village, in a private school; DAV School, Chandigarh, came after that. Her parents바카라�especially her mother Asha Ranaut, a retired school-teacher바카라�wanted her to become a doctor. Kangana had her own plans and dreams. Modelling beckoned at first, and eventually the film industry.

From the fringes of Bollywood to stardom was a mini-epic in itself바카라�she had to fight her way up every inch of the way. Kangana faced enough odds; as years rolled by, she also got into controversies about her personal life and relationships with Bollywood stars. This did not deter her. Rather, she spoke openly about her personal affairs, instead of covering up, as many stars do. 바카라�This is a quality which only a few possess. She was also ridiculed openly for her Pahadi accent. Yet, all this never deterred her,바카라� says Shashi Sharma.

Kangana herself plays up her attitude. In one of her TV interviews, she admitted being a 바카라�stubborn and rebellious바카라� child. 바카라�If my father gave my brother a plastic gun and got a doll for me, I would not accept that. I questioned the discrimination,바카라� she said.

Kangana with her mother Asha Ranaut

Rebellion was not the only thing that came early to her바카라�ambition wasn't absent either. The young Kangana perhaps had clear dreams about being a wealthy girl too. Once she did not like her grandmother objecting to her demand for a bigger family car (they had a Maruti 800). She declared to her, "Amma, let me grow up, people will see the world's most expensive luxury cars around me. And I'll have palatial bungalows to live in," recounts Sharma.

Back home, politics was always in the air바카라�except, its flavours were different. Her great grandfather, Sarju Singh Ranaut, a freedom fighter, was Congress MLA from Gopalpur twice. That connection seemed to survive when, in 2015-16, the Congress government headed by Virbhadra Singh wanted to make Kangana Ranaut an international brand ambassador for the state바카라�s tourism. The idea was floated by former minister Major (Rtd) Vijai Singh Mankotia, who was then chairman of HP Tourism Board. She too was initially willing to take up promotional ads but things did not work out.

Her father Amardeep Singh Ranaut, a businessman, still lives in the ancestral village. 바카라�My daughter is fearless from childhood. She never hesitates to speak the truth. This time, she has 96 per cent of India standing by her, besides all the overwhelming Himachali sentiments,바카라� he says. He refuses to speak much on perceptions gaining ground about her posturing as someone playing the BJP바카라�s game. 바카라�It바카라�s not so. She had threats from the Shiv Sena, even others. We have only thanked home minister Amit Shah and CM Jai Ram Thakur for providing her security,바카라� he told Outlook over the phone.

Major Mankotia, who is also president of the Indian Ex-Servicemen League, backs those sentiments. 바카라�She has exposed the drug mafia, so this Himachal ki Beti is being victimised and harassed. Himachal is dev bhoomi and veer bhoomi, we will go to any extent to save Kangana바카라�s honour,바카라� he says.

Locals clearly admire her for being a person connected to her roots, despite her three national awards and a Padma Shri바카라�and the flow of political identification is quite natural too. 바카라�Her success has not taken her away from her village roots. Kangana is a devoted Hindu, practises all religious rituals. She got a beautiful temple built near the village and makes it a point to visit it on every trip, also organising puja,바카라� says Col (Rtd) Inder Singh, local BJP MLA and family friend. 바카라�She has brought so much pride to the state, inspired many girls. She talks tough, and has spoken against the exploitation of young girls and youth. This has annoyed the nepotistic movie mafia. The Shiv Sena-led government is only acting out of political vendetta,바카라� he asserts.

Kangana Ranaut at a temple in her village in Himachal Pradesh.

The bulldozing of her office in Mumbai created such waves in Himachal that the state BJP Mahila Morcha chief Rashim Dhar Sood threatened to raze Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi바카라�s bungalow in Shimla바카라�a threat that Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur quickly disapproved of. 바카라�Because Kangana Ranaut is Himachal바카라�s daughter, such anger is not unexpected. But neither the government nor the party approves of such a statement,바카라� he added.

On whether the BJP plans to rope her into politics, Thakur merely said: 바카라�It바카라�s something our high command decides. I can바카라�t comment. I can only say the Shiv Sena government and its leaders have acted with political vendetta. She is our daughter, we will stand by her.바카라� 

Members of Jan Kalyan Samiti stage a protest against Shiv Sena to extend support to Kangana Ranaut. (PTI Photo)

Kangana is not the first Bollywood star from Himachal Pradesh. Preity Zinta comes from the Jubbal-Kotkhai area, the apple belt around Shimla district. Preity바카라�s maternal uncle, Jaswant Chajta, who is also district Congress president (Shimla rural), admits Kangana is a fine actress who has touched the hearts of the people, and certainly a daughter of Himachal. 바카라�My personal view is that it바카라�s also important that she must not become a tool of a political organisation. What the BMC did to her is unfortunate, and hurt Himachalis. But politics, or becoming a political tool, should not be a recourse,바카라� he says. Speaking to Outlook, he recalls that Preity Zinta too was lured by both the BJP and the Congress to fight elections but she declined.

For Kangana바카라�who spent the entire lockdown in Manali, where she has built an independent bungalow바카라�the journey seems to flow logically, unlike with Preity. Indeed, it was films with a political edge that gave her profile a political persona. After Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, Kangana could be seen openly playing her Rajput roots on social media. The script, the set바카라�everything seems set for lights, camera and action.