Kangana Ranaut’s Bollywood battle with Taapsee, Anurag explained

Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut’s explosive statements about the seamier side of the Hindi movie industry and their toxic working culture has unearthed some deep fissures. Actors have started airing dirty laundry about each other and directors are feuding among themselves.

Several egos have been bruised and disgruntlement is a dominant emotion among many star players. Ranaut — who is on a mission to find justice for late actor Sushant Singh Rajput and is convinced that he ended his life due to emotional lynching by Bollywood’s biggest — has ruffled several feathers in one swipe. The drama that is unfurling will put many dramatic potboilers to shame. Try to keep up …

Kangana Ranaut vs Taapsee Pannu: In 2018, while promoting her film ‘Manmarziyaan’ (pictured), Pannu cheekily remarked in an interview that she would gift Ranaut the gift of ‘double filter’, alluding to Ranaut’s capricious nature. Ranaut’s sister Rangoli, who handles her publicity, didn’t take it lying down and shot back calling her a ‘sasti [cheap] copy’ of Kangana’.

Perhaps, it was a cheap shot, but their mutual animosity didn’t end with this exchange. After Rajput’s death on June 14, Ranaut in a televised interview with Republic TV labelled Pannu and many other talented stars as ‘B-grade’ actresses who protect powerful producers and directors such as Karan Johar, and their alleged nepotistic style of functioning. Pannu didn’t like being labelled ‘B-grade’ and put out a series of sarcastic tweets to refute Ranaut’s declarations. Her tweet saying she didn’t know she was being “graded” by Ranaut was widely shared.

Kangana Ranaut vs Anurag Kashyap: The director and actress used to be thick friends at one point. She attended all his premieres as a mark of solidarity, but their relationship turned sour when Pannu, the leading lady in his directorial ‘Manmarziyaan’, dared to comment on Ranaut’s loose-cannon personality.

Kashyap’s decision to use his clout to broker peace between them backfired spectacularly. In an interview this week, he spoke about how his overtures to Ranaut to mend ties between the two stars didn’t go down as expected. Kashyap is no longer Ranaut’s ally and she makes it clear at every juncture she can.

Anurag Kashyap vs Ranvir Shorey: When Shorey tweeted his support for Ranaut, Bollywood’s maverick independent filmmaker Kashyap was his first casualty. His tweet was his missile: “So many independent-film-crusaders have turned mainstream-bollywood-flunkies now. These are the same people who used to rant 24/7 about the “system” for attention before they were given entry into the pearly gates of mainstream Bollywood. #Hypocrisy much?”

Bollywood folklore has it that Kashyap wasn’t a fan of mainstream filmmakers like Karan Johar (pictured) who patronised star kids, but his aversion reduced when he started fraternising with privileged industry heavyweights. Kashyap’s switch was seen as a betrayal by those who weren’t fans of mainstream, commercial producers.

Kashyap wasn’t about to let this one slip past him. “Do you really mean that @RanvirShorey. If you do please explain . Please say exactly what you mean and whose flunky is who?” To this, Shorey responded: “I always say what I mean, @anuragkashyap72, you know that. And I don’t think what I’ve said lacks any clarity. It pretty much explains everything. As for taking names, that’s beneath me. I’m not trying to sling mud, but just reminding people where they come from.”

Nagma vs Kangana Ranaut: Actress and politician Nagma retweeted a meme that claims Ranaut’s career was bolstered by nepotism. The meme read: “Kangana Didi’s [sister] entire career is standing on a pillar of nepotism. Kangana Ranaut introduced in Bollywood by Aditya Pancholi. - Boyfriend (nepotism). 1st film Gangster produced by Mahesh Bhatt (nepotism). 1st film lead role opposite to Emraan Hashmi (nepotism). Didi career flipped then relaunched by Hrithik in Kites. Didi career again flipped, again relaunched by Hrithik in Krish 3 (nepotism). Didi hired her sister as a manager (nepotism). Didi never talked or helped before Sushant demise, but suddenly after demise, she is fighting for Sushant or running propaganda against those she has a problem with. Didi is hypocrite.”

Ranaut’s team responded with a series of tweets to disprove the claims in the meme. Addressing Nagma as ‘Nagmaji’ they listed out how Pancholi (pictured) became her tormentor and how she was subject to abuse by him. Her team claims Pancholi did not introduce her to director Anurag Basu, who launched Ranaut in ‘Gangster’. They also shot down theories that Hrithik Roshan — her alleged boyfriend — had given her multiple roles to prop up her career.

Kangana Ranaut vs Rajeev Masand: Ranaut believes that film critic and journalist Masand wrote blind items (gossip articles) that ruined Rajput’s reputation and caused him emotional turmoil. In an interview, she blasted Masand for regularly writing negative, confidence-killing articles on Rajput. These conspiracy theories are yet to substantiated with evidence, but Ranaut has sworn to return her Padma Shri — highest Indian civilian honour — if her allegations aren’t proven right.

Chetan Bhagat vs Anupama Chopra/critics: Author Chetan Bhagat has used Ranaut’s tactics when defending himself on Twitter. Bhagat had tweeted that ‘elitist’ critics should not review Sushant Singh Rajput’s final film ‘Dil Bechara’ by acting over-smart. The writer didn’t name any particular critic, but journalist Anupama Chopra responded saying the discourse was “hitting a new low”. This prompted Bhagat to hit back at her and say that her husband, director and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra, took his story and made it into a film — ‘3 Idiots’ — without giving him due credit.