Kangana Ranaut has once again sparked controversy by comparing herself to Amitabh Bachchan on social media. The Queen actor claimed that she has earned the same amount of love and respect as legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan in the film business. The actor-turned-politician is the Bharatiya Janata Party’s contender for Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi Lok Sabha seat.

Kangana made this statement while delivering a speech during an electoral rally. In the video, which has now gone viral, she was seen stating, “Sara desh hairaan hai, ki wo beti.. wo Kangana, chahe mai West Bengal chali jau, chahe mai Delhi chali jau, chahe mai Manipur chali jau, aisa lagta hai ki mano itna pyaar aur itna sammaan… Mein daave se keh sakti hu ke Amitabh Bachchan ji ke baad aaj kisiko industri me itna sammaan milta hai, toh wo mujhe milta hai. (There is a sense of love and respect throughout the country, including Rajasthan, West Bengal, Delhi, and Manipur. I can certainly say that, after Amitabh Bachchan ji, if anyone in the industry gets such affection and respect, it is me.)

The viral video invoked strong reactions and social media users were quick to remark on her statement comparing herself with the legendary actor. Sharing the video, an X user wrote: “Kangana’s last hit film came in 2015 and after that she gave back to back 15 flops. Here she is comparing herself to Amitabh Bachchan 😂😂”

Another one wrote: “Bollywood Main Amitabh Bachchan Sahab Ke Baad respect sirf Kangna Deedi Ko Milta Hai. Really? Ye Kabse Huwa! 🤪🤪🤪” Another called it ‘peak level of obsession. Many on X are of the view it is the biggest insult to Amitabh. Reacting to the viral video, another X user labelled it the “biggest joke of the year.”

Kangana and Amitabh are yet to share screen space in a film, yet both actors received National Awards in 2016.Kangana won Best Actress for Tanu Weds Manu Returns, and Amitabh won Best Actor for Piku. Earlier, Amitabh had sent Kangana roses and an appreciation letter for her performances in Queen and Tanu Weds Manu Returns.

On the work front, Kangana will next appear in Emergency, where she plays Indira Gandhi. It is written by Ritesh Shah, who also wrote Kangana’s film Dhaakad. In addition to Kangana, the film will feature major performances from Anupam Kher, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry, Satish Kaushik, and Shreyas Talpade.