Mental health, Sushant Singh Rajput, caste, and Bloomsbury’s Delhi Riots 2020 book ban. What is common here? It is the force of nature called Kangana Ranaut on Twitter. Now, you may ask, who died and made her the boss of gyan-giving? The power of Kangana Ranaut is that she doesn’t wait for permission or blessings. Instead, she just presumes and pontificates, making it all about herself.
And makes it all about herself.
The trouble is you can’t even say ‘OK boomer’.
She may have just joined Twitter, but Kangana’s ‘voice’ on the micro-blogging site had joined much earlier thanks through her sister and manager Rangoli Chandel’s handle, which spewed vitriol on her behalf everywhere. Now Kangana has officially entered the Twittersphere with the handle ‘KanganaTeam’, in true Rahul Gandhi-style, who in 2015 had also joined Twitter as ‘Office of RG’. Since Kangana has joined in her own voice, her sister’s handle has gone relatively silent.
Kangana Ranaut, true to her reputation, creates waves with everything she does, be it with her controversial interviews or questionable ‘social commentary’. She is the self-proclaimed guardian of the ‘outsider brigade’ in Bollywood, valiantly battling against the so-called ‘Bollywood mafia’, armed with her own brand of ‘logic’ and ‘expertise.’
While we may question Kangana’s credentials or logic, we cannot deny the effectiveness of her marketing strategy — ‘make everything about me’.
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How to make it personal
On 21 August, when Kangana Ranaut joined Twitter, hashtag #BollywoodQueenOfTwitter was trending on the social media platform.
Kangana has already been hogging the limelight in the Sushant Singh Rajput case, launching attacks on everyone she has issues with. In the garb of ‘seeking justice’ for the actor, she has renewed her holier-than-thou battle against Bollywood.
Vikas Singh, the lawyer of Sushant Singh Rajput’s father K.K. Singh, recently said that the actress was neither Sushant’s friend, nor representative. He claimed that her speaking about the “general problems” in the industry was for her own, not Rajput’s case. A statement like this could have shut up anyone else, but not Kangana Ranaut.
Create an ‘army’ of fans
My use of the word ‘army’ is not accidental at all. Her loyal followers are made up of people who don’t just retweet whatever the ‘queen’ posts, but they also make sure nothing damaging to her comes to the fore, even if it requires attacking those who dare to write anything against her.
Kangana, despite the way she courts controversy with her comments on fellow artistes, enjoys a fan following that grew exponentially on Instagram after her ‘nepotism in Bollywood’ crusade post Rajput’s death.
This was proven once again on Monday, when the trending hashtag #BoyCottKanganaRanaut was ‘defeated’ by #Jhansi_Ki-Rani_Kangana.
Some of her ‘soldiers’ even make videos dressed up like her, almost in ‘veneration’ of her ideas. And once you have ‘cosplayers’, you know you’ve arrived.
Also read: If your Bengali girlfriend knew ‘black magic’, she would erase misogyny, not waste it on you
An expert on everything
Indians love to give gyan, especially when it is unwanted. From medicinal advice to life coaching, Kangana uses this much-loved trait to her benefit.
In less than a week of being on Twitter, she has shared her ‘expertise’ on various topics, including mental health, caste, reservations, the Bloomsbury book ban, occasionally sharing memories of her growing up in Himachal Pradesh.
क्यूँ छोड़ दूँ जी?हमारे घरों में PHD भी गर्व से खेती करते हैं, हम ज़मींदारों की ज़मीनें ना जाने कितने पीढ़ियों में बाँटती हैं फिर भी हम हाथ नहीं फैलते,मेरी बहन के पास 4 डिग्रियाँ हैं , यूनिवर्सिटी टॉपर है,भाई के पास 3 डिग्रियाँ हैं फिर भी जॉब नहीं, हम अपने दम पे आगे आते हैं?
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) August 24, 2020
Gunas change identity does not ?
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) August 23, 2020
SHAME SHAME SHAME !!! Tahir Hussain has been declared a criminal by Delhi court, yet one can’t publish true account of Delhi Riots, but another book where he is portrayed a hero makes it ???DEATH OF FREE SPEECH BY MESSIAHS OF FREE SPEECH ? https://t.co/Jtle9tOzum
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) August 23, 2020
Repeat after me, depression ka dhandha chalane walon ko public ne unki aukat dikhadi ?#CBIforShushant #SushantSingRajput #1stStepToSSRJustice pic.twitter.com/Yodb66hD67
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) August 19, 2020
If @deepikapadukone says she suddenly got depressed for a break up which happened 10 years ago, we believe her so give me and Sushant same respect if I say I am not mentally ill or if Sushant’s father says he wasn’t mentally ill believe us also na. Why you forcing illness on us? https://t.co/CArWXKoyRw
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) August 19, 2020
She is like the human equivalent of a Manorama Yearbook, with the added benefit of being a celebrity. Looking at the surging number of followers, likes and retweets she is continually amassing, it appears her approach sells.
You might be horrified by her statements, as many are. But logic has never really been the actress’ strong suit, unless it’s ‘Kangana logic’ which does not pay heed to any depth, nuance, or sometimes even fact.
Know your audience
We, Indians, love nuggets of gyan when it is delivered wrapped in grand gestures and language that ‘connects’ to the people. In simple words, mocking Kangana’s English diction is exactly what has helped her don the gyan-giving avatar so easily. It has made her more accessible to those we like to dismiss as ‘unimportant’ or ‘trolls’.
While Kangana has always been a social media personality, and is the smartest one when it comes to changing ‘avatars’.
She is adept at using her onscreen image to burnish her argument and keep her followers engaged. As her fans addressed her as ‘Jhansi ki Rani’, Kangana was quick to quote an incident from her 2019 film Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, where she was injured during the shoot. She surely knows how to magnify her avatar.
चूहों वापस बिल में चले जाओ वरना गब्बर आ जाएगा… फ़िल्मी स्टाइल हूल देनी है तो ऐसे देते हैं, #Boycott_Kangana ट्रेंड से मुझे ड़र नहीं लगता ? जाओ कुछ और ट्राई करो … pic.twitter.com/t8j6Q0jZin
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) August 24, 2020
मणिकर्णिका का पहला दिन था,तलवारबाज़ी का सीन एक महीना रेहर्स हो चुका था,मगर पहले ही शॉट में सह कलाकार ने रॉंग क्यू पे गलती से लगभग एक किलो की असली तलवार को मेरे सिर पे दे मारा. मैंने कहा लक्ष्मीबाई ने मुझे पेशवाओं का तिलक लगाया है जो सदा मेरे चेहरे पे चमकेगा #झांसी_की_रानी_कंगना pic.twitter.com/90HLxG29mq
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) August 24, 2020
From being the ‘helpless’ outsider to leading the crusade against the ‘Bollywood mafia’. Kangana shows no apprehensions about being ‘exposed’ for her contradictory statements in past interviews on issues like reservations or nepotism.
Source :Anna Vetticad pic.twitter.com/r0Z3wvdYeM
— Sumeet Blue (@BluePan10159831) August 24, 2020
And this is precisely why she reigns supreme — the sheer refusal to be accountable, because I mean if given a chance, we would all love to forget the age-old axiom ‘every action has equal and opposite reaction’. Right?
Kangana has cracked the code and found her audience, and you may or may not like it, but she rules over her kingdom.
Views are personal.
Many of us may not agree with all that Kangana has to offer all the time but we are all ears to whenever and whatever she speaks ..like her or not but you simply can’t ignore her…she gives courage and hope to millions of women out there
Fraud Tina das. Paid or.
Dear Miss Tina Das
We Indians are the largest democracy in thw world and we do not have to learn from you communists to what to listen or read. Who are you to spill poison on Miss Ranaut, she is a self-made Bollywood start who knows about industry much more than you do. If you have the right to speech why you criticising others right?
I can sense you are a paid journalist, isn’t it so?
Dear Tina Das
I read your article and the only conclusion I reached after reading the same is to support your journalism by controlling my Google feed because I no longer want to see the degrading things you wrote about a woman you have all the rights to exercise your “freedom of speech” and I my “freedom of choice” I thank you for helping me reach this insight and I hope in near future you learn to express your views in a manner that is not “bulling” “harassing” and “insensitive” and maintain the dignity of your profession and don’t bring disgrace
Dear Tina Das
I have decided to contribute to your journalism by deciding how I control what l see on my Google feed it’s my choice that I don’t want to see filth like this I condemn this way of journalism where one tends to put the other down to prove one’s point I think we as public also use our “freedom of speech” and not let the media “bully”, “target” , “corner” another “Superstar” and about Kangana Ranaut her talent roars louder than your opinions so keep them to yourself
This author who is a woman who writes about another woman in such disrespectful manner. What is wrong if She is giving her opinions? Unbelievable. The write is coming across as an elitist. If yo have a right to write the article why doesn’t she have the right to give her opinion?Shame on the writer. If I was the Editor I would have fired her.
Thank you for this. Good to hear there is still some sane people around. Insanity is spreading faster than COVID-19
Who is Tina Das by the way? Earn your stripes on your own merit in your chosen area of work, then speak, people will listen. Ms Das, finish your internship in journalism first, you might get readers too.
To draw attention to a problem and fight against a problem that has existed in the industry from decades, killing lives and souls, a little bit of extra force, fire, passion, grand gestures are needed. What’s wrong with that Tina Das?
Even if you project Kangana as ‘evil’, at least she’s lesser of the two evils!
And one more thing.. statements like “Indians love gyan-giving when it’s unwanted..” this kind of generalization, doesn’t it constitute a subtle form of racism?
To draw attention to a problem and fight against the problem that has existed in the industry from decades, killing lives and souls, a little bit of extra force, passion, grand gestures are needed. What’s wrong with that Tina Das?
Even if you project Kangana as ‘evil’, at least she’s the lesser of two evils. So the sensible thing to do is, withdrawal of your sword/pen Tina.
And one more thing..I don’t know but statements like “Indians love gyan-giving when it’s unwanted..” This sort of generalization.. is it possible that this constitutes subtle form of racism?
Somebody has drawn inspiration and learnt lessons from Donald Trump!
A jealous author….lol
Please take it….people are educated and need no help to differentiate between right and wrong…who are you trying to show what is right and what’s wrong
GOne are the days when people blindly worshipped so called actors… kangana says things as it is , in black and white … we are ok with her style of putting things across….you must get used to it too
@theprint will unfollow and report you I see pure hate about kangna you are paid media by idiots who’s there for buy anything and you chip people to sell anything hell no to your articles and worse journalism
Unfortunately millions of India do not have the mental acuity to understand that Kangana is as dangerous as a grenade without a pin. But that’s a lot a problem with developing countries who have nothing else to let their frustration out and thus have tendencies which glamourise hatred, hero worship and cheap thrills.
The writer has written on their only views but really if Kangana was telling all lies we public would have dismissed her. There is
Truth in every word she says. Like that Deepika Padukone depression story was a lie from the beginning we public knew about it and today it is proved . So stop writing negative articles on Kangana. This is actually making her more popular and likeable.
Pure jealousy and hatred being passed off as journalism. Do you really expect people to pay for it?
I have to agree with this commie author. Kangana needs help. She is a capable actress, but thats a different matter.
Tina Das seems to be very very jealous of Kangana Ranaut. And extraordinarily mean too.
Tina Das is clearly not as bright as Kangana Ranaut, not as accomplished as Kangana Ranaut, not as generous as Kangana Ranaut.
Not once has Tina Das been able to indicate what untruth that Kangana has tweeted. Not once has Tina Das been able to indicate anything wrong that Kangana has written.
Tina Das’s article isn’t even interesting gossip.