Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has always made headlines for her remarks, and this time, the Queen star has compared her struggles with those of King Khan, Shah Rukh Khan. Speaking at an event
in the capital city, Kangana talked about how her struggles have been greater in comparison to those of other actors.
“Why did I get so much success? There is probably nobody else who came from a village and got such success in the mainstream. You talk about Shah Rukh Khan — he is from Delhi, convent-educated. I was from a village that nobody would have even heard of – Bhamla,” the actor said while talking about her roots and humble background.
The actress further added that people might disagree with her statements, but that is because she is honest. “Maybe others may disagree, but I feel it’s because I am brutally honest — not just with people but with myself too,” Kangana continued.
When Kangana talked about declining films with Shah Rukh Khan
During her appearance at News18 India Chaupal, the actress was asked why she has chosen not to work with Bollywood superstars like Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, and why she declined big-budget films like Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Zero.
Replying to the question in her trademark unapologetic style, Kangana said, “There was a time when I wanted to work with them. But my journey in this industry over the last 10 years has been a struggle. I was dismissed; people said I wouldn’t make it because I didn’t fit into the typical mold of ‘item numbers’ or ‘comedy scenes.’ But when I didn’t get that kind of work, I found success in my own way with films like Queen, Tanu Weds Manu, and Manikarnika. A woman has established her own identity in this industry.”
“The audience has shown immense love for me. So why should I stand next to someone and do a side role? Or perform an item number for two scenes? What is that worth? Hai kya woh? Hum bhi hai na,” she further added.
Kangana and Shah Rukh Khan on the work front
On the film front, Kangana Ranaut made her acting debut with Anurag Basu’s Gangster in 2006, produced by Mahesh Bhatt. She went on to appear in films like Woh Lamhe (2006) and Life in a… Metro (2007) before landing the milestone project Fashion (2008). Kangana was most recently seen in Emergency, in which she portrays former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In addition to playing the lead role, she also directed the film.
Since his last film, Dunki, in 2023, Shah Rukh Khan has appeared in a cameo in his son Aryan Khan’s web series The Ba***ds of Bollywood, which he also produced. He is currently filming King, directed by Siddharth Anand, which marks his first on-screen collaboration with his daughter Suhana Khan. The film also features Deepika Padukone, Rani Mukerji, Jaideep Ahlawat, Arshad Warsi, Jackie Shroff, Abhay Verma, Raghav Juyal, and Anil Kapoor. King is slated for a 2026 release.
