The father of film star and national sensation Kangana Ranaut, who had been advising his daughter to not take on powerful lobbies of Bollywood, feels humbled today. Recently, Kangana shared on her social media pages, a video of a family conversation in which her father Amardeep Ranaut was anxious over the controversies surrounding his daughter. In the video, which went viral, Amardeep was heard telling Kangana not to be at loggerheads with anyone.
He was visibly upset after the ruling party of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena threatened and abused Kangana over her campaign seeking justice for actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who died in mysterious circumstances in Mumbai, on June 14 this year. The Maharashtra government has been accused of a cover-up in the case, which allegedly is linked to some powerful lobbies and drug mafia in Bollywood.
Kangana, one of the most acclaimed and successful actors in India, who has won several awards, including three National Film awards, is at the forefront of the campaign against nepotism, corruption and criminality in Hindi film industry. The 33-year-old spunky actor's views, which she expresses through her tweets, videos and interviews, have swept the public discourse in India since she championed Sushant Singh Rajput's cause.
"She does not spare even her Papa. To make me understand the meaning of her struggle, she shared the private family conversation with public on social media. After seeing the response of the nation, I now understand what this battle is about," Amardeep describing his daughter's feistiness and determination, told IANS in an exclusive phone interview.
A native of town Bhambla in Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh, Amardeep sees his daughter's struggle for truth in the context of the larger battle between good and evil. Her mission is like that of Lord Shri Krishna telling Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra for Mahabharata, 'Yada yada hi dharmasya, glanirbhavati Bharata, Abyuthhanam dharmasya tadatmanam srijamahayam/ paritranaya sadhunam vinashaya cha dushkritam, dharma-sansthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge!'
The quote is Bhagavad Gita's seminal verse which means, whenever there is decay of righteousness and rise in evil, then the Lord manifests itself in some form to establish righteousness.
"I as a parent, like all other parents, was worried about her welfare and safety. No matter how big or great a child turns out to be, a parent is always concerned and protective of his or her child. But now I am not fretting about it. I understand why her battles are important to her.
The Maharashtra government demolished Kangana's office-cum-home in Mumbai over charges of violation of municipality rules. Kangana and her legion of fans have alleged that the Shiv Sena-led coalition government in Maharashtra had done it out of political vendetta. The Bombay High Court pulled up the Uddhav Thackeray government for the demolition after Kangana's lawyers argued that the charges were flimsy.
"She is doing the right thing; she is fighting for all the self-made women and for the empowerment of women. That is why the entire country is behind her," Amardeep said confidently.
The family, which was once card-holding members of the Congress party, is now grateful to the BJP government at the Centre for providing Y-level security to Kangana, in view of threats to her life. Kangana's mother, a former school teacher, expressed her gratitude to the Modi government and has become an active supporter of the BJP on social media.
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