Hansal Mehta praises Kangana Ranaut’s talent, says there are aren’t a lot of actresses like her in India: ‘Despite our differences..’

Hansal Mehta was all praise for Kangana Ranaut. The duo collaborated for the 2017 film Simran.

New Delhi | September 16, 2023 04:26 PM IST

3 min read

Kangana Ranaut was directed by Hansal Mehta in 2017 film Simran. (Photo: Instagram/hansalmehta, kanganaranaut)

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Filmmaker Hansal Mehta only had kind words to say about Kangana Ranaut in a recent interview. Hansal said that there are very few actresses like Kangana and praised her performance in the film Simran, even though he had once declared that doing the film was a ‘massive mistake’. Hansal and Kangana had a falling out during the making of the film.

In a conversation with Aaj Tak, Hansal said, “Adaakar matlab kamaal hai. Hindustan main shayad kam actresses aayi ho jaise Kangana hai. Jo unhone kaam kiya hai past main, voh bohot accha kaam kiya hai. Simran mein, matlab voh film bhale hi thodi weak thi, lekin uss film main Kangana ke performance ko aap nahi fault kar sakte ho (She is an excellent actor. We haven’t seen too many actors like Kangana in our country. The work she has done in the past is very impressive. In Simran as well, even though the film may have been a bit weak, you cannot fault Kangana’s performance).”

Hansal said that even though they may have had their personal differences, he still respects her a lot. “Lekin voh respect as an artist main kabhi nahi kho sakta hoon kisi ke liye. Voh artist bohot acchi hai aur main hamesha yeh maintain karta hoon (She is a very good artist, and I always maintain that, and I can’t lose my respect for her artistry),” he said.

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Simran was released in 2017. The movie is inspired by the real-life story of Indian-American Sandeep Kaur, who is also known as the “Bombshell Bandit” and the “Gambling Queen.”

Hansal had earlier opened up about working with Kangana. In an interview with Mashable, the filmmaker had said, “It’s not even my place to criticise what choices she makes. She’s a big star, and even today and she is a very good actor. I maintain that. But, we didn’t gel. Working with her was a massive mistake.” Kangana will next be seen in the Tamil film Chandramukhi 2. The film will be released in theatres on September 28. The actor also has the film Emergency, which marks her debut as a solo director.

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