A Feminist Is Anybody Who Thinks She Is As Good As Anyone Else

A Feminist Is Anybody Who Thinks She Is As Good As Anyone Else

- Priyanka Bhadani

Kangana Ranaut speaks to THE WEEK about being a woman in an industry dominated by men, what #MeToo means to her, and why women should fight for themselves, instead of expecting men to change things. Excerpts:

You are one of the few women from the industry who does not hesitate to speak her mind about anything. What gives you the strength?

To be honest, I do not go out thinking that I have to change society, or make it douchebag-free [laughs]. I am a good person, but not a great one. I am fighting for my rights. If I look like I am fighting for the rest of humanity, it is because fighting for your cause can also lead to a collective cause. I had to fight for my career and the money that I get paid. I have my houses and properties because I fought for them; not because of others.

Big production houses exploit actresses; they don’t get the kind of money you think they do. I am not being money-minded, but I’d like to know what is the future of a leading actress. You expect her to latch onto a big shot... a big businessman or hero, sleep with him and be his mistress. This is as good as it gets for a leading lady. Is this what I worked for? No. I am fighting for my rights because the condition of women is miserable. If you don’t want to latch onto a rich man, then you’re kicked out because there is always a younger person.

Because of all the bold statements you make, you are often termed a troublemaker. Do you think this would be the case if you were a man? And, how does it affect you?

People think that I am fighting a battle everyday. My life must be miserable. I must be having no future because I’m not friends with the Johars and the Roshans. It’s far from that. I am doing one of the biggest epics of 2018. No other film with a female lead has been made with a higher budget.