Kangana Ranaut recalls calling out rape culture on Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate: ‘Maine sab ko dushman bana liya apna’

Kangana Ranaut reacted strongly at the recent reports on the Hema Committee’s report on the extreme discrimination and sexual exploitation that women face while working in the Malayalam cinema. In her new interview with India Today, Kangana said that she has been talking about these topics from long ago, but no one took any notice of it. She also shared her disappointment at the women in the industry for promoting item songs and not taking onus of their work. (Also read: Kangana Ranaut says Emergency can be compared with Nolan’s Oppenheimer: ‘It is so much like Macbeth’)

What Kangana said

When Kangana was asked about the rape culture of the Kerala industry, and whether it is true for every film industry, she said, “I have nothing to say about the industry, it is a hopeless place. I have put everything at stake from my career to my choices. I have two cases on me. I have started the MeToo movement which did not go anywhere by the way. I started the parallel feminist cinema but these women attacked me! These women who get to do these films for me because I actively fought for pay parity. I didn’t do Khan films, Kapoor films, Kumar films. When my film Emergency does well they are in hiding. Ten years ago, you can see mine and Aamir Khan‘s episode of Satyamev Jayate. I am calling them out for their screenplays where girl is saying ‘No, no, no!’ but boy is saying ‘Yes, yes, yes!’ I am calling out the rape culture, item numbers.”

‘Maine sab ko dushman bana liya apna’

She continued, “Maine sab ko dushman bana liya apna (I have made everyone my enemy). Where do we end up now? Same kind of sexist cinema, promoting violence on women is doing better than ever! So… about this report about Kerala, I have been talking about it for so long. Where did it go? It did not go anywhere. It is a hopeless place. I think I have wasted so much of my time trying to bring changes. It brought changes in my life maybe… I have come to a very safe and secure place as a woman. But I am sorry I am very disappointed in girls who promote and do these item numbers, who do not take onus on sexualization of young women. I am very disappointed in women who do not promote other women’s work. I am very disappointed in women who tell me that why you have so many fights, they don’t understand who am I fighting for? Am I fighting for myself? I have only lost on opportunities, on money, on brands, on everything! I am very disappointed in them.”

Kangana will be seen next in Emergency, where she will play former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The film has been directed as well as written by her. It also stars Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhary, Milind Soman, Shreyas Talpade, Vishak Nair, and the late Satish Kaushik. It releases in theatres on September 6.