Kangana Ranaut on Koffee with Karan was the slap Bollywood TV show needed
In an industry full of snobs and glorified by a media which can be equally condescending, Kangana Ranaut's appearance in Koffee with Karan (season 5) was a breath of fresh air.
Normally, Johar's show — though entertaining — is not very different from TV's tacky family dramas (which the Bollywood personifies, by the way). But at times it looks less of a talk show and more of star kids celebrating their "growing up together" in an industry which can be ruthless to outsiders.
 |
| Ranaut was joined by her co-stars in soon-to-be-released Rangoon, Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor. (screengrab) |
The latest season of the show has been hosting mostly actors promoting their latest releases -- a la Kapil Sharma -- other than Johar's personal favourites. Last night, however, it hosted by far one of its most honest and assertive guests—Ranaut.
Ranaut, who was joined by her soon-to-be-released Rangoon co-stars Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor on Johar's show, maintained her calm and proved that you don't have to be loud to get your point across. Yet, every time she disagreed with Johar, Ranaut looked brutally honest and dignified.
Something that we don't get to see very often, Ranaut except her accent (yes, she could have done without that much-acquired accent but let's not hold it against her) came across as a composed and mature actor — which Bollywood badly needs in its leading ladies. The industry is known for "taming" female actors with stereotypical roles and reducing them to just "actresses", demarcating the great divide subtly but surely.
 |
| Johar's show looks less of a talk show and more of star kids celebrating their "growing up together" in an industry which can be ruthless to outsiders. (screengrab) |
The three-time National Award-winning actor (the government-instituted award is an acknowledgement of the fact winners are not just popular but "actors" too) is famous for her public spats with industry biggies over both personal and professional "exploitation". For someone who has been called a "witch" and accused of practicing black magic, Ranaut surely has left not just Johar but many others stumped with her magic. Now that's what we call a class act.