Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has admitted that she’s struggling to enjoy her new role as a Member of Parliament.
In a candid conversation, she said that her heart doesn’t lie in public service and that her background has always been more aligned with personal ambition and luxury than with politics.
Kangana, who represents Mandi, Himachal Pradesh in the Lok Sabha, confessed that transitioning into politics hasn’t come naturally to her. “I’m getting a hang of it. I wouldn’t say that I am enjoying it. It’s a very different kind of work, more like social service,” she said during a conversation with spiritual guide Atman in Ravi (AIR).
She noted how unexpected some of her interactions with the public have been. “Somebody’s naali is broken, and I’m like, ‘But I am an MP and these people are coming to me with panchayat-level problems’. They don’t care. When they see you, they come to you with problems like broken roads, and I tell them that’s a state government issue, and they say, ‘You have money, you use your own money’.”
Reflecting on her earlier life, Kangana shared that she once identified as a staunch atheist and that her spiritual journey has evolved gradually. But even as she moves deeper into public life, she’s clear about not wanting to climb the political ladder. “I don’t think I’m competent to be the PM of India, nor do I have the necessary passion or inclination,” she said.
Instead, she described herself as someone drawn to material comforts. “I’ve lived a very selfish kind of life. I want to have a big house, a big car, I want to have diamonds. I want to look good. That’s the kind of life I’ve lived. This is a kind of genesis for me. I don’t know what purpose God chose me for, but I don’t see my life as this grand sacrifice.”
She added, “I don’t fancy that kind of life, and I don’t wish that upon anyone… I don’t have it in me.”
Kangana’s political stint has also brought its own share of challenges within her party. She revealed that she was once contacted by BJP president JP Nadda regarding her remarks on the farm laws, a topic that stirred national debate. Following the backlash, she later retracted her statement saying, “I take my words back.”
On the cinematic front, Kangana’s recent ventures haven’t fared well.
Her latest film Emergency, where she portrayed former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, managed to collect only ₹20 crore at the box office despite being a passion project she also directed. Her earlier releases Dhaakad and Tejas also struggled, ranking among some of the biggest box-office failures in recent memory.