Kangana Ranaut, who has recently ventured into the political arena, finds herself amidst controversy once again. Known for her outspoken nature, Kangana faced criticism from members of Congress regarding her past remarks about actress Urmila Matondkar. The controversy resurfaced during a recent Times summit where Kangana defended her previous statement referring to Urmila as a “soft porn” actor.
Addressing the issue head-on, Kangana questioned the societal stigma attached to terms like “porn star,” citing examples of individuals like Sunny Leone who receive respect despite their association with the adult entertainment industry. “Are ‘soft porn’ or ‘porn star’ objectionable terms? No. It is just a word that is not acceptable socially. The amount of respect porn stars get in India, just ask Sunny Leone, nowhere else in the world is that the case.”
During her defence, Kangana spoke about the distinction between different forms of art, asserting that intellectually stimulating work holds greater significance than what she termed “massy art.” She compared her own body of work to that of Urmila’s, highlighting her avoidance of “item numbers,” which are often criticised for their objectification of women
Further delving into the debate surrounding Bollywood’s portrayal of women, Kangana questioned why terms like “tandoori murgi” and “item girl” are accepted while “soft porn actor” is met with criticism. She asserted, “If these actresses are comfortable with words such as tandoori murgi, item girl, Sheila ki Jawani, why is it seen as something violating? It is a matter of fact, if they are comfortable with this, why do you want to shame them? I personally do not think I had any intention of shaming her (Urmila Matondkar) because she is very comfortable in that role.”
Despite the controversy, Kangana expressed respect for Urmila’s artistic abilities, acknowledging seduction as a legitimate form of art. Kangana said, “All I tried to say is that I respect your art, and seduction is an art form. If I respect your art, why don’t you respect my art?
