Kangana Ranaut slams Indira Gandhi: ‘Clearly, a product of nepotism,’ says the BJP MP about former PM

Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut has said that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi came from a privileged background and was a ‘product of nepotism.’ Ranaut is busy promoting her much-awaited film, Emergency, in which she essays the role of Indira Gandhi.

“Clearly, Indira Gandhi was a product of nepotism. But what happens is when I meet certain people, like in our film industry, who I don’t like or don’t want to be like, still I will play a character with utmost sensibility because being an artiste means not having any coloured perception,” Ranaut was quoted as saying during an interaction with news agency IANS.

BJP MP from Mandi

Ranaut is a Bharatiya Janata Party (MP) from Mandi. She won her first election on the BJP ticket from Mandi seat in her home state, Himachal Pradesh, in the 2024 general elections.

“I may come from a party that belongs to the people, as the name suggests, but I can still have a very sensitive approach to someone who comes from a privileged background. Indira Gandhi came from one. She was a three-time Prime Minister and daughter of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. She became the secretary and got all the best ministries, what more privilege can you ask for? Yes she is privileged, but that does not mean I cannot have a sensible portrayal of her.” Ranaut said talking about her upcoming movie.

Indira Gandhi and Emergency

Emergency is based on the 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency across the country. It details the final few years of her tenure,  including the Operation Bluestar. Ranaut has also directed the movie scheduled to be out in theatres on January 17, after a long delay.

The BJP, Ranaut's party, has used Emergency as a political tool to target the Congress party, once led by Indira Gandhi. In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has formally declared June 25 as "Constitution Murder Day," to remember the tumultuous events of the 1975 Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi.

Ranaut, however said, that her movie Emergency is not a political film. "It’s a story. It has nothing to do with politics. You may find it very bizarre right now. Eventually, it is not about any party. You will come out feeling that, you just saw the film, you won’t come out feeling who you will vote for,” she was quoted as saying in the IANS report.