Kangna: “People tried to shame me for not speaking English”

During the early years of her career, Kangna Ranaut got quite some slack from the industry for her dress sense and the way she spoke.

Coming from a small town in Himachal Pradesh, Ranaut didn’t feel ashamed of her roots. Speaking to DNA India, the ‘Queen’ (2014) star shared how she was able to maintain her individuality. “I do not find anything embarrassing about my born existence. People tried to shame me, coming from small town, not being able to speak English, not being able to dress up properly. But that didn’t shake anything in me. I always operated from the place of my individuality. Even today when I work, the first reaction I get from people is ‘oh she is a delicate beautiful girl’ but as I go about my work, it disappears.”

Ranaut also went on to say how she thinks women should believe in themselves more to be treated equally. “Women have to first believe in themselves as equals, only then they will get that sort of treatment. Today I can proudly say, that within five days of shooting any film, I am treated like anyone else on sets.”

She feels immensely pleased that more women do voice their opinions and people listen. Ranaut knows as individuals, actors do have a stand on certain issues and do follow what is happening around the society.  “As individuals we do belong to the country but in a very individual way, we all care about what is happening the country, in politics, what leaders are doing. In a democracy what a leader does is the reflection of what we have chosen for us.”