Is Kangana Ranaut's nationalism basically National Award-ism?
In a classic case of anticipatory ‘grapes are sour,’ Kangana Ranaut has declared that if she isn’t awarded a National Award for her performance in Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi, she will have to question the jury’s credibility.
Clearly, of the many virtues that make Kangana the celebrated actor that she is, humility isn’t one.
Creative people, I have come to understand, are roughly divided into two categories — those who are eternally dissatisfied with their work, and those who are eternally satisfied.
While most may inherently fall into the former, the truth is, the world today belongs to the latter.
And there’s absolutely nothing wrong in being proud of your work — even unabashedly so, that you come across looking as a bit of a jerk.
That Kangana is proud of Manikarnika is not new — she’s been oh-so-vocal about it through its promotions, release and post-release campaigns as well. But to turn around and demand a National Award — in a sadda haq, itthe rakh sort of way — is a bit much.
Most of us remember how Kangana had taken a sharp Right turn in the months before the release of her magnum opus.
The erstwhile anti-nepotism crusader, who was literally the only person to have the balls to call Karan Johar a Bollywood mafia and the facilitator of nepotism, shifted her wrath to calling people 'anti-national' for not screaming their love for the country from their rooftops.
And no matter what your lone Libtard uncle told you, Kangana’s feelings were genuine — not timed to ensure a big opening for her film, not to garner attention to ultimately earning an election ticket. Right?
Right.
That Manikarnika was a retelling of the story of Rani Laxmibai, and her valour, which has come to be interpreted as early nationalism, and that Kangana was apparently eyeing a Republic Day release — the biannual patriotism solstice — is actually just a happy coincidence.
But this demand for a National Award is problematic on many levels.
For starters, it stands against the grain of thought that Kangana initially stood for — talent speaks, no special treatment needed!
In her questioning the credibility of the jury lest she not receive the desired recognition, she exudes the very sense of entitlement that she once stood up against on the Koffee With Karan couch.
Then, it puts the National Awards jury in a pickle — they were probably in the Right frame of mind to give it to her anyway, owing to the Right kind of subject she chose, but now, in an Abbas-Mastan-esque twist, turns out that lone Libtard uncle was right — Kangana’s nationalism was possibly just National Award-ism!
And finally, no — that movie doesn’t deserve awards.
Anyone who has seen the film would agree. Nope, not even if Kangana is decked up in a saree indulging in tokenism, not even if she gives headline-worthy quotes against Shabana Azmi, not even if she does the Ganga snaan.
I urge all of India’s politicians — whichever wing they may be of — now that you have a short break from rallies before the final exams... err, elections, watch Manikarnika and decide for yourself how terrible it is.
I have that much faith in our netas. They will hate the film too.