New MP Kangana Ranaut: Politics is 'harsh life' not like films

Actor Kangana Ranaut, who recently became a BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi Lok Sabha seat, has said politics is a “harsh life” unlike films.

Kangana, who contested the Lok Sabha election for the first time this year, defeated her rival, Congress’s Vikramaditya Singh, by 74,755 votes. She is only the fourth woman to be elected as a Lok Sabha MP from Himachal Pradesh.

She polled 5,37,002 votes against 4,62,267 votes polled to Vikramaditya, who is also the sitting state Public Works Minister and son of six times Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and state Congress chief Pratibha Singh.

In an interview with The Himachali Podcast, Kangana revealed the reasons for joining the BJP and also said she had earlier got offers to become a politician soon after her debut film Gangster in 2006.

“My great grandfather Sarju Singh Ranaut was an MLA. So these offers were never too far away from my family. I was offered to join politics right after my debut film Gangster. My father and sister have also received similar offers over the years. This is not the first time I was approached to join politics. If I wasn't interested in this, I didn't really have to go through so much trouble,” Kangana said.

Talking about balancing politics and films, she said, “It’s a harsh life, not like films. As a film actor, you go to sets and premieres, you are relaxed. We (actors) live a soft life. So, it took a long time for me to come to terms with this life. This is a harsh life, just like doctors, where only troubled people come to see you. When you go to watch a film, you are very relaxed. But, politics is not like that.”

Last Thursday (June 6), two days after the Lok Sabha election results were declared, Kangana was allegedly slapped by a CISF woman constable at the Chandigarh airport while on her way to New Delhi.