Kangana Ranaut made an impactful Bollywood debut with Gangster back in 2006, but despite the praise she received for her performance, the actor recently revealed that her parents’ reaction to the film deeply upset her. While promoting her upcoming movie Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata, Kangana spoke about how her family struggled to accept her career in cinema and how things only changed after she received national recognition.
Speaking about her early days in the industry, Kangana said her family viewed the film world with suspicion and believed it was heavily influenced by the underworld. Although they trusted she would manage her life independently, they were uncomfortable with the choices she had made.
Recalling their response to Gangster, Kangana shared that her father barely reacted after watching the film. When she asked her mother about it, she was told that the family felt uneasy seeing her perform certain scenes at such a young age. Kangana admitted she was devastated that instead of appreciating her acting, her parents were more worried about how society would judge the film and her role in it.
She said the experience left her emotionally hurt and eventually made her stop expecting any feedback about her films from her parents because cinema was never really a part of their world.
Kangana further reflected on how differently artists viewed her work compared to her family. She remembered feeling emotional when Amitabh Bachchan sent her a heartfelt letter praising her performance in Queen. She said it made her realise that while artists could understand and appreciate her craft, her father came from a completely different background and perspective.
According to Kangana, things changed significantly after she won the National Award. She described receiving the honour from the President of India as a turning point that finally made her parents proud and helped them understand the value of her work.
Kangana received her first National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for Fashion. She later went on to win Best Actress awards for Queen, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, and jointly for Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi and Panga.
Her upcoming film Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata is inspired by real-life events and explores the resilience of healthcare workers during a crisis. Instead of focusing solely on violence and chaos, the thriller highlights the courage shown by hospital staff members who worked tirelessly to protect lives inside a government hospital while tragedy unfolded outside.
The film portrays how nurses, ward boys, cleaners, security personnel, lift operators and administrative staff united during a terrifying night to save nearly 400 people inside Cama Hospital.
Presented by Pen Studios, the movie is backed by Pen Studios, Manikarnika Films and Paramhans Creations in association with Eunoia Films LLP and Floating Rocks Entertainment Pvt Ltd. Directed by Manoj Tapadia, the film also stars Girija Oak, Smita Tambe, Amrutha Namdev, Esha Dey, Priya Berde and Asha Shelar. The film is scheduled to release on June 12.
