Randeep Hooda Says Kangana Ranaut 'Unfairly Targeted' Alia Bhatt: 'It Was Unbecoming Of Her'

Recently seen in Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, Hooda has shared a special bond with Alia Bhatt since their collaboration in Imtiaz Ali's Highway.

Randeep Hooda and Alia Bhatt in Imtiaz Ali's 'Highway.'

Source : IMDb

New Delhi: Randeep Hooda is known for his outspoken nature, never hesitating to voice his opinions even if they might not be well-received by others. Recently seen in Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, Hooda has shared a special bond with Alia Bhatt since their collaboration in Imtiaz Ali's Highway. When Alia was criticized as a "mediocre" actor by Kangana Ranaut, Randeep came to her defense. In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, he reflected on this incident, emphasizing the spiritual connection he feels with Alia and his belief that she was unjustly targeted.

Randeep Hooda on Kangana Ranaut targeting Alia Bhatt

In his conversation with Kannan, Randeep expressed, "While making Highway, I developed a spiritual bond with Alia. I don’t know if it’s the same for her. That’s up to her. I can only speak for myself. I have seen that she has always tried to do new things. I stood up for her genuinely because she was unfairly targeted.”

"To target your fellow actors or your colleagues or your fraternity over things that you feel you did not get, even though I think you did got a lot from this industry, it’s just unbecoming. I felt that I should do it and I did it,” he added.

What Kangana said

In 2019, Kangana Ranaut disparaged Alia Bhatt's performance in Gully Boy as "mediocre." She expressed her disappointment, criticizing what she perceived as Bollywood's repetitive portrayal of empowered female characters. She had said, "I am embarrassed…What is there to beat in Gully Boy Performance ….same snappy muh phat girl… Bollywood’s idea of a fiery girl, woman empowerment and good acting, spare me this embarrassment, please. Media has taken filmy kids love too far…stop pampering mediocre work or else bar will never be raised.”

Alia's reaction

Alia responded diplomatically during a press conference, acknowledging Kangana's outspoken nature and expressing her respect for it. She also shared her father's advice on refraining from unnecessary opinions. “I definitely don’t have the ability to speak as candidly as Kangana does. I really do respect her for that. And, maybe, in a way, she is right. Sometimes we do hold back. My dad also says that there are already so many opinions in the world that it can do with one less opinion. So, I have an opinion, but I’ll keep it to myself. But, kudos to her as she genuinely speaks really well.”

Randeep tweeted in Alia's support

In defense of Alia, Randeep Hooda took to Twitter, commending her resilience in the face of criticism. Alia thanked him for his support, demonstrating their mutual respect and camaraderie.

 

Randy 🤗🤗🤗🤗 https://t.co/16O3RJPRLq

— Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) April 16, 2019