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The Industry Is Not A Small Studio Given To Karan Johar By His Father, Says Kangana Ranaut

"Why is he trying to shame a woman for being a woman?"
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While we complained about how dreadfully boring this season of Koffee With Karan was, it seems a bonafide controversy has finally emerged out of it, one that pits one of the industry's most powerful men against one of its most outspoken and talented actresses.

Between Karan Johar and Kangana Ranaut, two forces who represent the extreme sides of a spectrum, there's no love lost.

While Johar proved her point by saying that she should stop playing the 'woman and the victim card' and leave the industry if she's so terrorized by it (this was in response to Kangana's comments on Koffee With Karan where she called him the 'flagbearer of nepotism'), Kangana has reassured us that she's not going to crumble under pressure.

In an interview with senior journalist Roshmila Bhattacharya of Mumbai Mirror, Kangana explained that she wasn't 'playing the woman card' but the 'badass card.'

She said, "What is pertinent here is: why is Karan Johar trying to shame a woman for being a woman? What is this about the 'woman card' and the 'victim card'? This kind of talk is demeaning to all women, particularly the vulnerable because they are the ones who really need to use them."

Kangana then cited the examples of pregnant women rightfully using the 'card' to get a seat on the bus or the 'victim card' which her sister, an acid attack survivor, uses to get justice in the courts.

She further said that she isn't fighting Karan Johar per se, but a very specific mentality: male chauvinism.

She also expressed her surprise at Johar's comment that he 'graciously' gave her the space to talk and didn't edit out bits that made him look shallow. She said she'd have 'blacklisted the channel' if they chose to do so.

And about his comment on asking her to leave the industry?

Kangana had some sharp words.

"The Indian film industry is not a small studio given to Karan by his father when he was in his early 20s. The industry belongs to every Indian and is highly recommended for outsiders like me whose parents were too poor to give me a formal training."

She concluded by saying 'she's definitely not going anywhere.'

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.