Actress Kangana Ranaut has intensified her offensive against colleagues Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhasker by calling them "chaploos" or sycophants in an interview to a TV channel. She also said in an interview to Pinkvilla that Taapsee, Swara and Richa Chadha "have bills to pay." Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhasker responded on Twitter, as they do, opting for sarcasm over outright attacks. The actresses have been locked in an exchange of hostilities after Kangana called Taapsee and Swara "B-grade actresses" on national TV. Kangana has co-starred with Swara in the Tanu Weds Manu films and has history of friction with Taapsee.
Asked to respond to comments about her from her colleagues, Kangana Ranaut told Pinkvilla, "It is so sad. I do not know what to say because I have been in their place. People who come from outside, I have said it in my earlier interviews as well, we (outsiders) do not have the comfort of our parents' houses. I am not Anil Kapoor or Mahesh Bhatt's daughter. Or when you talk about Swara Bhaskar, Taapsee Pannu or Richa Chadda, I understand they have bills to pay for their house; everybody is not and doesn't want to live the kind of life I aspire. So, I do understand where they're coming from and there are a lot of pressures. People are very bothered about their own personal gains."
Kangana's comment on "bills to pay" prompted this Twitter exchange between Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhasker:
???????????????????????????????????? I'm managing everything by selling my needy soul.. except my pet food.. pls someone pls contribute? https://t.co/DOFKpDMjHt
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) July 20, 2020
Taapsee and Swara also responded sarcastically to Kangana Ranaut's TV interview in which she calls them "Swara Bhasker, Taapsee Pannu-type log," dismisses them as "chaploos outsiders," and claims credit for parallel and feminist cinema.
1955 में 'पाथेर पांचाली' के साथ कंगना जी ने parallel cinema चलाया,
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) July 20, 2020
2013 में क्वीन फ़िल्म के साथ फ़ेमिनिज़म शुरू किया पर इस सब से पहले 1947 में उन्होंने भारत को आज़ादी दिलवायी थी।
-कहत एक अज्ञात चापलूस ज़रूरतमंद आउट्साइडर, चापलूसी का फल (आम) खाते और उँगलियाँ चाटते हुए। ???????????????????? ???? pic.twitter.com/8mutISNgOr
Now im getting confused. So is my existence coz of nepotism as mentioned earlier by her or coz of her. I need clarity coz I wanna be clear who I am grateful to ????????♀️ " a needy outsider wants to know !" https://t.co/USVMnxWapW
— taapsee pannu (@taapsee) July 20, 2020
Over the weekend, Kangana said about Taapsee and Swara in a separate TV interview, "I only have to lose here, because tomorrow they (referring to the 'movie mafia') will get some 20 needy outsiders like Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhasker who will say 'oh only Kangana has a problem with Karan Johar, but we love Karan Johar.' If you love Karan Johar, why are you both B-grade actresses? You are better looking than Alia Bhatt and Ananya, you both are better actresses, why don't you get work? Your existence is a proof of nepotism. What are you telling me how happy you are with this industry?"
Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhasker were quick to respond:
Maine suna class 12th n 10th ke result ke baad humaara result bhi aa gaya hai! Humaara grade system ab official hai ? Abhi tak toh number system pe value decide hoti thi na ???? #MaLifeMaRulesMaShitMaPot
— taapsee pannu (@taapsee) July 19, 2020
" -Needy outsider
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) July 19, 2020
- B grade actress
(But) - better looking & better actor than Alia Bhatt & Ananya!" ????????
Net net I think this was a compliment! ????????????
Thanks Kangana! I think u are gorgeous, generous & a great actor ! Shine on ????????????????#KanganaSpeaksToArnab #Nepotism @KanganaTeam https://t.co/fIg4i3Lz5F
Kangana Ranaut has been vocal about nepotism and favouritism in the film industry, calling filmmaker Karan Johar "the flag-bearer of nepotism" on his show Koffee With Karan a coupe of years ago. Karan Johar, who regularly casts star kids such as Alia Bhatt in his films, has been placed under social media scrutiny since the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput last month - the filmmaker, who never invited Sushant to his show, allegedly participated in a supposed boycott of the late actor by production houses.
Last year, Kangana Ranaut's sister Rangoli Chandel attacked Taapsee Pannu on her now-suspended Twitter account, calling her a "sasti copy" of Kangana - it was triggered by Taapsee's failure to name Kangana specifically in an appreciation tweet she shared for the trailer of the actress' film Judgementall Hai Kya?
