{
  "id": 10622347,
  "title": "‘Kangana Ranaut is a joke now,’ says Rajeev Masand: ‘I miss her as the actor’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/kangana-ranaut-is-a-joke-now-says-rajeev-masand-i-miss-her-as-the",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-29T05:45:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/kangana-ranaut-is-a-joke-now-says-rajeev-masand-i-miss-her-as-the-actor-10898444/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Rajeev Masand has dismissed Kangana Ranaut's recent comments, labeling her as a \"joke\" now that she has ventured into politics. The former film critic and COO of Dharma Collab Artists Agency (DCAA) expressed his preference for Kangana as an actor, praising her performance in Vikas Bahl's 2014 film Queen. Masand argued that Bollywood respects success and that those who struggle initially often flourish later. He was excited to see Kangana reunite with Bahl for the sequel, Queen 2. Masand conceded that while Kangana is a fine actor, her recent behavior has overshadowed her talent. He claimed to miss watching Kangana transform fully into her characters, as there was no trace of the actor in her recent public persona. Despite his reservations, Masand expressed hope that Kangana can reinvent herself by refraining from politics. He also cited celebrities like Kangana, Rakhi Sawant, and Sunita Ahuja as contributing to the longevity of tabloids with their candid opinions. The feud between Kangana and Masand began when the actress accused Masand of favoritism, citing his close ties with filmmaker Karan Johar.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}