Renowned for her unfiltered rhetoric, Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut finds herself embroiled in controversy yet again while canvassing for a seat in the Lok Sabha elections as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Mandi constituency of Himachal Pradesh.
Her recent remarks likening herself to Bollywood stalwart Amitabh Bachchan during an election rally have ignited a storm of criticism and mockery across online platforms.
Addressing a gathering at the rally, Ranaut proclaimed, "The entire nation is astonished... whether I traverse Rajasthan, West Bengal, Delhi, or Manipur, the overwhelming love and respect bestowed upon me is palpable. I can confidently assert that after Amitabh Bachchan, if anyone in the industry receives such adulation, it is me."
Her assertion, captured in a viral video clip, has elicited a spectrum of reactions from netizens, with many deriding her comparison to one of Bollywood's most revered figures, particularly in light of her recent string of box office disappointments.
Watch Kangana Ranaut's speech here:
One verified parody account on X (formerly Twitter) wryly remarked, "Kangana's last successful film dates back to 2015, followed by a series of 15 consecutive flops. Yet here she is, drawing parallels to Amitabh Bachchan 😂😂."
Another online commentator quipped, "Judging by her oratory prowess, Kangana Ranaut might soon be the first actress to clinch a national award for her role as an election candidate."
Amid the flurry of reactions, one user characterised Ranaut's assertion as "the epitome of self-obsession," while another dubbed it "the joke of the year."
The Congress-affiliated Twitter account took a jab at Ranaut's comparison, noting, "This represents an unparalleled level of self-aggrandizement. Despite delivering a slew of box office duds, Kangana Ranaut has audaciously likened herself to Amitabh Bachchan. Never before has Amit Ji been subjected to such indignity."
In a further blow to Ranaut's credibility, another Twitter user shared a news article headline highlighting the lackluster performance of her 2022 action film "Dhaakad," which met with commercial failure at the box office.
The Mandi Lok Sabha constituency is poised for electoral action on June 1st, marking the culmination of the ongoing general elections' seventh and final phase.
In 2019, BJP's Ram Swaroop Sharma clinched victory in the seat, but its vacancy arose following his demise in 2021. In the subsequent by-election later that year, the seat was reclaimed by Congress' Pratibha Singh.
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