Kangana Ranaut Takes Dig At Naseeruddin Shah: Her Most Controversial Statements
Kangana Ranaut takes a dig at Naseeruddin Shah. From Bollywood feuds to political remarks, here are her most controversial statements over the years.
Few Indian celebrities command attention with their words quite like Bollywood actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut. Over the years, the four-time National Award winner has challenged nepotism, criticised powerful film personalities and spoken freely on politics, religion and national affairs. From political rows to explosive Bollywood feuds, Kangana has a long history of stirring the pot. Her candour has won her admirers, but her choice of words has also repeatedly triggered backlash, legal complaints, political rebukes and heated social-media debates.
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Recently, she locked horns with veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah in a fiery exchange of words that has once again put her at the centre of a debate. As the fresh war of words unfolds, here is a look at when the actress sparked massive controversies with her statements:
1. “Lomdi” Jibe At Naseeruddin Shah
The latest controversy began after Naseeruddin Shah commented on the silence of several Bollywood celebrities during the ongoing student protests in Jharkhand. Using the analogy of a dog unable to bark with a bone in its mouth, the veteran actor suggested that stars would speak when their conscience compelled them – or when the benefits keeping them quiet disappeared.
Piyush Mishra subsequently criticised the analogy, prompting Kangana Ranaut to enter the debate in his support. In an Instagram Story, she wrote that while everyone may be “someone’s dog”, she was proud to guard the country whose “roti” she ate. She then alleged that Naseeruddin Shah lived off India but fought for the neighbouring country. Kangana went a step further by calling him a “lomdi” (fox), and declaring that she would rather be a dog because loyalty had become rare.
Interestingly, the two actors had clashed before. In 2020, Naseeruddin Shah appeared to refer to Kangana as a “half-educated starlet” while criticising celebrity interventions in the investigation surrounding Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. Kangana responded by asking whether he would have spoken to her in the same manner had she been the daughter of an established film personality.
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2. “Generation Gutter” Remarks Against Gen-Z Protesters
In July 2026, Kangana strongly criticised young people participating in the Cockroach Janta Party-led protests that grew out of anger over examination irregularities. Reacting to protest videos, she described them as “puke-inducing” and asked who was “birthing and raising” the demonstrators. She also referred to the visuals as a concentration of “filth, garbage and ugliness”.
Her harshest comments were directed at young women. Kangana branded a section of them “Generation Gutter”, called them “ugly and corrupt” and accused them of flaunting freedom through drugs, alcohol and “endless body counts” while continuing to depend on their parents. The sweeping remarks drew criticism from political leaders, activists and actors, including Sonu Sood, who called such language shameful. Kangana later clarified that she had been referring to protesters who used abusive language, not the entire generation.
Days later, she softened her position and described Gen-Z as the country’s “greatest strength and asset”. The reversal came after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said the generation’s concerns should be heard. Meanwhile, an Agra-based lawyer reportedly initiated legal proceedings over the “Generation Gutter” remark.
3. Dragging Hrithik Roshan-Saba Azad Into New Social Media Row
Kangana and Hrithik Roshan’s explosive dispute can be traced to 2016, when she referred to an unnamed person as a “silly ex” during an interview. The comment was widely linked to Hrithik, who denied having had a romantic relationship with her and sent a legal notice demanding an apology. Kangana issued a counter-notice, and what followed was one of Bollywood’s most sensational battles, involving disputed emails, allegations and repeated interviews.
The controversy resurfaced in August 2026 when a social-media trend suggested that people owed Hrithik an apology. After Hrithik reacted to a post about the trend, Kangana accused him of “adding fuel to the fire” and told him to stop embarrassing his partner, actress-musician Saba Azad. The personal reference brought their decade-old clash back into the spotlight.
4. Alleging ‘Bangladesh-Like Situation’ During Farmers’ Protest
In August 2024, shortly after becoming an MP, Kangana alleged that the farmers’ agitation against the three now-repealed agricultural laws could have produced a Bangladesh-like crisis in India had the country’s leadership not been strong. She claimed that bodies had been left hanging and rapes had occurred during the protests, while also suggesting that foreign powers such as China and the United States were involved in planning the unrest.
The BJP issued an unusually direct statement distancing itself from her comments. It said that Kangana’s remarks did not represent the party’s position, expressed disagreement with them and advised her to refrain from making statements on party policy in the future.
A month later, she courted another controversy by suggesting that the three repealed farm laws should be reinstated and that farmers themselves should demand their return. After another rebuke from the BJP, Kangana withdrew her remarks, admitting that she needed to remember she was no longer speaking only as an artiste but also as a party representative.
5. Calling India’s 1947 Independence “Bheek”
One of Kangana’s most widely condemned statements came at a media event in November 2021. She claimed that what India received in 1947 was “bheek”, and that the country attained “real freedom” in 2014 – an apparent reference to the Narendra Modi-led BJP coming to power.
BJP leader Varun Gandhi accused her of insulting the sacrifices of freedom fighters, while political leaders demanded that her Padma Shri be withdrawn. Even Maharashtra BJP leader Chandrakant Patil publicly called the remark completely wrong. Kangana refused to retract it at the time and challenged critics to identify the war fought in 1947.
She extended the controversy by claiming that Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh had received no support from Mahatma Gandhi. Mocking Gandhi’s philosophy of turning the other cheek, she said that such an approach could only secure “bheek”, not freedom.
6. Referring To Farmers’ Movement As Khalistani Movement
After the government announced the repeal of the three farm laws in November 2021, Kangana posted a series of remarks about Khalistani elements and praised former prime minister Indira Gandhi for crushing them. A complaint by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee alleged that she had portrayed the Kisan Morcha as a Khalistani movement and used derogatory language against the Sikh community.
An FIR was subsequently registered against her in Mumbai for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, and the Delhi Assembly’s peace and harmony committee summoned her over the posts. Kangana maintained that her remarks were aimed at separatists rather than the Sikh community as a whole.
7. Bengal Tweets That Got Her Twitter Suspended
Following the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election results and reports of post-poll violence, Kangana posted a series of messages against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In one tweet, she urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show his “virat roop” from the “early 2000s” to “tame” Banerjee. Twitter permanently suspended her account in May 2021, saying it had repeatedly violated the platform’s policies on hateful conduct and abusive behaviour. Kangana accused the company of racial bias. Her account was restored in January 2023 after nearly two years.
8. Calling Rihanna “Fool” And Farmers “Terrorists”
When international pop star Rihanna asked why more people were not talking about the Indian farmers’ protest in February 2021, Kangana launched an aggressive response. She called Rihanna a “fool” and claimed that the protesters were not farmers but “terrorists” seeking to divide India so that China could take control of a weakened nation. Her posts triggered a major social-media storm and led to further arguments with actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh.
9. Feud With Diljit Dosanjh Over Farmers’ Protest
When the 2020 farmers’ protests gathered momentum, Kangana heavily criticised the movement. This led to a massive and vitriolic exchange with Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh, who publicly supported the protesting farmers. During the ugly digital spat, Kangana referred to Diljit as Karan Johar's "pet" and a bootlicker. The highly publicized back-and-forth became one of the most talked-about celebrity feuds of the year, with fans heavily divided.
10. Mahinder Kaur “Rs 100” Post And Its Legal Afterlife
In December 2020, Kangana shared a post that misidentified elderly farmer Mahinder Kaur as Bilkis Bano, the prominent face of the Shaheen Bagh protests. The post suggested that such women were available for Rs 100 to attend demonstrations. Mahinder Kaur, who was participating in the farmers’ agitation, filed a criminal defamation complaint.
The controversy returned to attention in June 2024 after CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur allegedly slapped Kangana at Chandigarh airport. In a video recorded after the incident, the constable referred to Kangana’s earlier Rs 100 remark. The use of physical violence was widely condemned, and the constable was suspended.
The defamation matter continued in court. Kangana was granted bail after appearing before a Bathinda court in October 2025 and described the post as a misunderstanding, expressing regret.
11. Branding Karan Johar “Flag-Bearer Of Nepotism”
Not every controversy surrounding Kangana’s remarks has damaged her public standing. Her 2017 appearance on ‘Koffee With Karan’, during which she called host Karan Johar the “flag-bearer of nepotism” and part of the “movie mafia”, transformed a long-discussed industry practice into a mainstream national debate.
Karan responded by accusing her of repeatedly playing the victim card and said she could leave the industry if she found it so oppressive. Their exchange divided Bollywood, fuelled the insider-versus-outsider conversation and began a feud that has continued through countless interviews and social-media digs.
12. Dismissing Taapsee Pannu And Swara Bhasker As ‘B-Grade Actresses’
During the nepotism debate following Sushant Singh Rajput’s death in 2020, Kangana described Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhasker as “needy outsiders” and “B-grade actresses”. She argued that although the two defended people such as Karan Johar and rejected her version of the nepotism debate, they still did not receive work from major Bollywood banners.
Taapsee mocked the idea of actors being assigned academic-style grades, while Swara also hit back. The exchange turned into a feud involving repeated personal remarks, including Kangana and her sister Rangoli Chandel branding Taapsee a “cheap copy”.
13. Her Crude Response To Jaya Bachchan’s “Thali” Speech
During a 2020 speech in Parliament, Jaya Bachchan criticised attempts to malign the film industry and invoked the Hindi expression about people making holes in the same plate from which they eat. Kangana responded that the industry had given her no such “thali”.
She then alleged that the plate offered to actresses consisted of brief roles, item numbers and romantic scenes obtained after sleeping with the hero. The language was condemned by Swara Bhasker as “sickening” and “shameful”, while others accused Kangana of insulting an industry veteran and trivialising the struggles of women in cinema.
14. Comparing Mumbai To Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir
In 2020, Kangana faced severe political and public backlash when she stated that the Mumbai police haunted her more than the “movie mafia”. She escalated the situation by comparing the city of Mumbai to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The statement led to intense political turbulence with the ruling government in Maharashtra at the time. Shortly after, a municipal crew paid a surprise visit to Kangana’s production house, issued a notice for alleged illegal construction, and carried out a partial demolition drive.
15. Her Showdown With A Journalist And Media Boycott
At a 2019 promotional event for ‘Judgementall Hai Kya’, Kangana confronted journalist Justin Rao before he could complete his question. She accused him of running a smear campaign against her and of unfairly criticising ‘Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi’. The journalist disputed her account, and their argument played out publicly in front of the film’s team.
The Entertainment Journalists’ Guild announced a boycott of Kangana until she apologised. Producer Ekta Kapoor expressed regret over the incident, but Kangana refused to apologise and released a video attacking sections of the media. The Mumbai Press Club and Press Club of India subsequently backed the boycott.
