Kangana Ranaut calls herself and Shah Rukh Khan ‘last generation of stars’, reacts to being asked if she joined politics because of failing acting career

Actor Kangana Ranaut, who will next be seen in the film Emergency, recently described herself and Shah Rukh Khan as the “last generation of stars.” Kangana was asked if her entry into politics was a result of her recent films flopping at the box office, but she said that this wasn’t the case. Kangana cited the example of Shah Rukh Khan, who had a rough patch at the movies before delivering the biggest hits of his career – Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki – in 2023.

Speaking at the Times Now Summit, Kangana said, “There is no actor in this world who has never had a flop. Shah Rukh didn’t have a hit for 10 years, but then Pathaan worked. I did not have a hit for 7-8 years, then Queen worked. Again, I didn’t have a hit for 3-4 years and then Manikarnika worked. Now hopefully, Emergency is coming and I hope it works.” Also directed by her, Emergency is set to release on June 14. The film has her playing the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and focuses on the Emergency era. The film also stars Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, and Milind Soman, among others.

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Kangana further added that it isn’t easy to become a star now since the OTTs have taken over, and while many actors are getting opportunities, OTTs aren’t producing stars as yet. “These days, because of OTT, actors have more opportunities to showcase their talent. We are the last generation of stars, OTT doesn’t have any stars. We are known faces and by the grace of God, we are very much in demand. So, it’s not like that. But like you said, I want to involve myself with the real world as opposed to just being consumed by the field of arts,” she said.

Kangana Ranaut’s last three films – Tejas, Dhaakad and Thalaivii – are among the biggest flops in Indian cinema history. She has now started her political career and will be contesting elections from Mandi as a BJP candidate.