Filmmaker Pooja Bhatt has spoken up in support of actor Urmila Matondkar, who was verbally attacked by Kangana Ranaut in a Wednesday interview. Kangana had called Urmila a ‘soft porn star’ who ‘isn’t known for her acting’.
On Twitter, Pooja wrote, “@UrmilaMatondkar you are a legend. #Rangeela was a treat visually,emotionally and you raised the bar for all of us in so many ways. You left us all,co-actors and an entire generation of movie goers awestruck! Sensuality & dignity.. two qualities you combined & embodied. Respect!”
Pooja’s statement comes a day after Kangana, in an interview to Times Now, lashed out at Urmila, who had questioned her motives in the ongoing drugs controversy. Kangana had called Urmila a ‘soft porn star’ who is ‘not known for her acting, for sure.’ The comment was condemned by several Bollywood personalities.
Pooja had also commented on the ongoing drugs controversy in Bollywood, which began during actor Rhea Chakraborty’s investigation and subsequent arrest in connection to Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. Rhea has been charged with procuring drugs for the late actor, and is currently lodged in Byculla Jail. Pooja had written on Twitter earlier, “Does anyone care about people who live on the ultimate fringe of society,who use drugs to make the pain of living go away? The ones who are too battered & broken to chase dreams but chase substances amidst much poverty & squalor? Anyone interested in their rehabilitation?”
Kangana, who has alleged that 99% of the film industry has been exposed to drugs, was also involved in a recent war of words with Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan.