RainbowMan: Dear Kangana, It Takes a Queen to Turn On a Queen

Harish Iyer admires how Kangana Ranaut has embraced every swear-word that has come her way from ‘bitch’ to ‘whore’

Kangana Ranaut the queen of hearts (Photo: Yogen Shah)

Hey Kangana,

As a gay man completely at peace with both my masculine and feminine side, I have never been afraid of the “queen” tag. Why should I? If I exude regal confidence and it makes people defer to me, I see nothing wrong in it. Also, as a gay man, while I have admired many strong women, I have never been turned on by any one, not even Sridevi… until you came along.

Kangana Ranaut, your badass interview actually gave me an orgasm, proving that it takes a Queen to turn on a Queen! Kangana, your fearlessness is so damn sexy.

I was completely bowled over by your candour. I loved how you responded to each allegation with such matter-of-factness that it made your accusers sound immature and idiotic. I was enamoured by how you took on your detractors by rubbing your success in their faces. Yes, Kangana, success is indeed the best revenge.

Kangana Ranaut receives the National Award for Best Actress from the President of India (Photo: Yogen Shah)

I also loved how you broke tradition and wore an off-shoulder red carpet worthy evening gown to collect your National Award instead of some sati-savitri saree.

I loved how you did not shy away from discussing something as personal as menstruation and telling people on national television that there is nothing gross about it.

The world knows that as a child I was fascinated by Sridevi and would always cheer for her as she bashed goons. I wanted to grow up to be Manju from Chaalbaaz! But I was also continuously picking up the pieces of my shattered childhood in a bid to survive and was very vulnerable. It was this vulnerable side that found the characters you played so relatable.

I related to Rani’s self-discovery in Queen. I related to Tanu’s moody yet desperate kind of love in Tanu Weds Manu. I fell hard for Datto when she held her head high and walked out of a wedding to avoid being tied down in a loveless marriage in Tanu Weds Manu Returns.

Kangana Ranaut as Datto from the film Tanu Weds Manu Returns

I also related to her giving into her vulnerability and immediately breaking down from the pain once out of sight of the wedding guests.

Kangana, watching you has taught me that I should not be afraid of my weaknesses and flaws… that I must first accept them to get over them and eventually emerge stronger. I loved how you constantly reinvented yourself and worked hard to improve yourself every day. You inspired me to become the best version of myself.

I was overjoyed to watch you embrace and own every swear-word flung your way from ‘bitch’, to ‘whore’ to ‘psychopath’ to ‘daayan’.

As someone who has been accused to being a ‘rudaali’ for milking dry my misfortune of being a child sexual abuse survivor and living with the ‘media whore’ tag for nearly a decade, I can say with confidence that I know exactly what you are going through.

I’m here to tell you that this is not the end. Yes, you have shut down some of your detractors but this is just the beginning. This is a major PR victory, but it has also motivated your opponents to sharpen their claws. They will retreat briefly to lick their wounds, but make no mistake, they will regroup, revaluate and redesign their strategy and return with deadlier ammo. I guess what I’m trying to say is that, now is not the time to get complacent. A successful person must never drop their guard.

Winners of best actress and best actor Kangana Ranaut and Amitabh Bachchan at the 63rd National Film Awards function in New Delhi on Tuesday, 3 May 2016. (Photo: PTI)

Kangana, I wish more women (and men) become like you. By that I mean, I wish that they become truer to themselves with every passing day. I wish that they develop their wings, and also the wind beneath their wings. I wish that they take flights of fancy and are never scared of rising in love, every time after a fall.

I wish that even if #LoveFails set a precedent, people have the courage to look back at it just as one incident that has left a small dent in life. I wish the young and old are able to flaunt their scars, every time anyone tries to bully them and tell them that they are ugly. You have no clue, Kangana, but you have inspired a whole generation to be themselves, by doing nothing other than being yourself.

I’m also here to tell you that you have earned the right to enjoy your success. Go have some fun! The Universe is conspiring to make you happy and successful… and I for one am your faithful cheerleader. Mwaaah!

Smiles :)

Harish

(Harish Iyer is an equal rights activist working for the rights of the LGBT community, women, children and animals. ‘Rainbow Man’ is Harish’s regular blog for The Quint)