Taapsee Pannu addresses Kangana Ranaut feud, rules out joining politics

Actor Taapsee Pannu has addressed her long-standing differences with actor-politician Kangana Ranaut, saying she has never met the BJP MP either before or after their public friction began. Speaking at the India Today Woman Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Taapsee also ruled out a move into politics, saying she is “too honest and vulnerable” for it and still wants to do more films.During a session with Pooja Shali titled Shabaash Taapsee!: From Shabana to Gandhari, celebrating women with guts and glory, Taapsee was asked whether she had mended ways with Kangana.“There are quite a few now, which one are you talking about?” she responded, before adding, “I haven't met her. I didn't meet her before when these so-called issues started. I haven't met her now as well.”Taapsee said her views about Kangana reflected their different upbringings, ways of speaking and ways of perceiving things. “My opinion on her is reflective of my upbringing and my way of talking, my way of perceiving things and hers... she stands by hers. So, I think that's enough for everybody to look and decide who comes from where,” she said.Taapsee Pannu and Kangana Ranaut's long-running feudTaapsee and Kangana's public friction dates back to 2019. The dispute intensified after Kangana's sister, Rangoli Chandel, described Taapsee as a “sasti copy” of Kangana on social media. The remark came after Taapsee praised the trailer of a film featuring Kangana, with Rangoli accusing her of imitating Kangana without giving her credit. The exchanges escalated further in 2020 amid heated debates around nepotism and industry politics. Kangana referred to Taapsee and others as “B-grade actresses” and “needy outsiders”.Taapsee, however, maintained that she had never engaged in personal mudslinging against Kangana. She had previously said that a fight requires two people to actively participate in it and that she had never said anything negative about Kangana.Taapsee Pannu on why politics is not for herTaapsee was also asked why she had never considered entering politics. The actor was unequivocal in her response.“I am too honest and vulnerable for this. Also, I want to do a few more films,” she said, adding, “I am not at all considering joining and I don't have the DNA for that.”Taapsee was then asked about her interest in political issues and her decision to express her views on them. She said she was speaking as an educated citizen rather than approaching such matters from a political standpoint.“I am an educated citizen of this country,” she said, explaining that she had studied civics while growing up and had always taken what she was taught seriously.“When people ask me, ‘Why don't you say this?’ or ‘Why don't you think like this?’ Because I had a subject called civics when I was growing up. And I am sorry, but I was a front-bencher who loved my books and I studied,” she said.Taapsee said she had grown up believing that what she was taught was true. The disconnect between those lessons and what she later encountered in real life, she said, was what prompted her to speak up.What's next for Taapsee Pannu?On the work front, Taapsee will next be seen in Gandhari, a revenge drama set to premiere on Netflix on September 3. Directed by Devashish Makhija, the film also stars Ishwak Singh.Written by Kanika Dhillon and produced under her banner Kathha Pictures, Gandhari also features Chhaya Kadam, Swastika Mukherjee, Mita Vashisht and Jatin Sarna. The film is centred on a mother driven by a fierce instinct to protect her child.- EndsPublished On: Aug 22, 2026 16:59 IST