Actress Kangana Ranaut has looked back at what she described as one of the most difficult phases of her life, recalling the turbulence of 2016 amid her legal dispute with Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan. Taking to Instagram, Kangana questioned why events from 2016 continue to resurface and trend on social media.
She went on to share that the year coincided with a sharp rise in her career following back-to-back successes with Queen and Tanu Weds Manu Returns, which made her one of the highest-paid actresses at the time. Sharing a string of throwback images from a decade ago, Kangana wrote: “Why is everyone missing 2016 suddenly? It was the inevitable ascend of my career trajectory, post back to back blockbusters like Queen and Tanu weds Manu returns I became the highest paid actress (sic).”
However, the actress said the professional high was overshadowed when she received a controversial legal notice from a colleague in January 2016, an event she claims deeply impacted her personal and professional life. “But then in the January of 2016 one of my colleagues sent me that controversial legal notice which shook and divided the industry in to insiders and outsiders.
Success became poisonous and life became a living hell. Sides were taken and many more legal battles followed (sic).” The controversy escalated after Kangana, during an interview, referred to Hrithik as a “silly ex”. The remark triggered a chain of legal notices, followed by the leak of private emails and counter-allegations of impersonation.
She said if she knew in 2016 that by 2026 the controversies would no longer matter, she would not have suffered as much. “Ten years ago had I known in 2026 I will be eating carbs in all my meals, will be laughing a lot and none of the 2016 drama would mean anything to anyone few years down the line, honestly I would have not been so miserable back then. Thank God it’s not 2016 and we are in 2026 (sic).”