Kangana Ranaut

Kangana Amardeep Ranaut is an Indian actress, director, and politician serving as a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament for Mandi following her election in June 2024. Best known for portraying strong-willed, unconventional women in female-led Hindi cinema, she has earned four National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards. The Government of India honored her with the Padma Shri in 2020, and she has been included on the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list six times.

Ranaut was born on March 23, 1986, in Bhambla, a small town in Himachal Pradesh, to a school teacher mother and a businessman father. Raised in a Rajput family alongside two siblings, she initially intended to enter medicine at her parents' urging. However, after failing a chemistry test in high school, she reconsidered her plans and moved to Delhi at age sixteen. She briefly worked as a model before training in acting under theatre director Arvind Gaur and later enrolling in a drama school in Mumbai.

She made her feature film debut in the 2006 romantic thriller Gangster, receiving the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Ranaut gained further recognition for her portrayals of emotionally intense characters in Woh Lamhe..., Life in a... Metro, and the 2008 drama Fashion, which earned her the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. Although she appeared in box-office successes like Raaz: The Mystery Continues and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, commentators noted that she was frequently cast in emotionally troubled roles.

To broaden her repertoire, Ranaut starred in the 2011 romantic comedy Tanu Weds Manu, earning praise for her comic capabilities. Her mainstream standing expanded further in 2013 with her role in the superhero blockbuster Krrish 3. She achieved widespread critical and commercial acclaim by winning consecutive National Film Awards for Best Actress for her work as an abandoned bride in Queen (2014) and in a dual role in Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015).

In 2019, Ranaut co-directed and starred in the historical action film Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. Her performance in that project, alongside her role in the 2020 sports drama Panga, earned her a fourth National Film Award. In 2020, she launched her production company, Manikarnika Films, to work as a producer and director. She later directed and portrayed Indira Gandhi in the biographical drama Emergency.

Beyond her artistic career, Ranaut is known for expressing outspoken views in media interviews and online platforms. Her political commentary supporting right-wing ideologies and the Bharatiya Janata Party, along with personal and professional disputes, has drawn significant public notice.