Actress Kangana Ranaut has weighed in on Bollywood’s legacy of iconic actresses, asserting that certain stars across generations simply cannot be replaced. In a recent interview, she reflected on how each era of Hindi cinema has produced faces that remain singular even decades later.
“Humko lagta hai ki actresses aati hain aur jaati hain. Lekin aisa nahi hai. Dusri Meena Kumari nahi milegi, yahan tak ki main soch rahi thi dusri Karisma Kapoor bhi nahi hogi (We often think that actresses come and go. But that isn’t true. There can never be another Meena Kumari. In fact, I don’t think that there can ever be another Karisma Kapoor either),” she said.
Hema Malini, Madhubala and an unrepeatable era
Ranaut went on to name a string of veteran actresses whose presence, she said, defined eras of their own. “Voh jo ek waqt hota hai, chahe Hema Malini ji ho, Waheeda Rehman ho yaa Madhubala toh khair ho hi nahi sakti. Har daur ke ek face hote hain jinko aap kabhi replace nahi kar sakte (Every era has its own icons, whether it’s Hema Malini ji, Waheeda Rehman, or Madhubala, who is simply irreplaceable. Each generation has certain faces that can never be replaced),” she said.
Extending the thought to more recent stars, she added, “Madhuri Dixit dusri nahi hogi. Yeh meri hi baat nahi hai. Mujhe lagta hai dusri Deepika Padukone bhi nahi hogi (There will never be another Madhuri Dixit. And I’m not just talking about myself. I feel there will never be another Deepika Padukone either).”
Two decades in cinema, and what lies ahead
Ranaut, who debuted with Anurag Basu’s 2006 film Gangster: A Love Story, has recently completed twenty years in the industry, having delivered notable performances in films such as Queen, Fashion and Life in a Metro. Her latest release, Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata, featuring Girija Oak, Smita Tambe, Amrutha Namdev, Esha Dey, Priya Berde, Asha Shelar, Suhita Thatte, Rasika Aghase, Aditya Mishra and Zahid Khan, is currently running in cinemas.
Deepika Padukone, the subject of Ranaut’s praise, was last seen in Singham Again and will next appear in Siddharth Anand’s King alongside Shah Rukh Khan, as well as in director Atlee’s upcoming film opposite Allu Arjun, tentatively titled AA22xA6, marking the next chapter for an actress Ranaut considers irreplaceable.
Also Read: Kangana Ranaut on her early “neurotic, suicidal” roles and the career shift that followed
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