Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut has provided further context to her statement that she and Shah Rukh Khan are “the last of the stars.” The actor addressed the comment in a recent interview with Raj Shamani on his podcast, where she emphasized the shared outsider status between herself and Khan, yet highlighted the differences in their journeys to stardom.
Ranaut explained that both she and Khan do not come from film industry backgrounds. “Shah Rukh Khan comes from Delhi, he is not from the film industry. He became the topmost star. I come from the mountains,” she said.
While acknowledging the challenges Khan faced, she pointed out the additional hurdles she encountered. “His mother was a magistrate. He comes from a family who could speak good English, he comes from a convent. To come from Delhi itself to Mumbai, this is not much of a difference. I come from a village, I’m a girl, and I came as a teenager. My journey is more difficult,” she asserted. However, she noted that both faced hardships, adding, “He also didn’t have parents, so I draw parallels like that.”
Reflecting on the current generation of actors, Ranaut expressed scepticism about any of them achieving the same level of stardom. “In the new generation, I don’t think anyone has become a star. The stars are from our generation,” she said, underscoring her belief that the golden era of true stardom is fading.
Ranaut’s recent comments echo her earlier statements made in March during an interview with Times Now. At that time, she remarked on the diminishing stardom in the industry, even for actors like Khan, whose film “Pathaan” revived his career after a decade of flops.
“Shah Rukh Khan had consecutive flops for ten years… We are the last generation of stars, abhi OTT pe stars nahin ban rahe hain,” she had said, indicating that the era of traditional Bollywood stars is coming to an end, with OTT platforms reshaping the industry.
Ranaut also mentioned her upcoming film “Emergency,” expressing optimism about its potential success.
