Kangana Ranaut is an Indian actress and filmmaker who predominantly works in Hindi films, in addition to a few Tamil films. She has received four National Film Awards, five Filmfare Awards, three International Indian Film Academy Awards, and one award each from the Screen, Zee Cine, SIIMA, and Producers Guild award ceremonies.
Ranaut made her acting debut in 2006 with a leading role in the romantic thriller Gangster, winning the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Her portrayals of a character based on actress Parveen Babi in Woh Lamhe (2006) and a shrewd socialite in Life in a... Metro (2007) were lauded, with the latter earning her a Stardust Award for Breakthrough Performance – Female. She won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Filmfare Award in the same category for playing a substance abusing supermodel in the drama Fashion (2008). Also in 2008, she featured in the Tamil film Dhaam Dhoom.
Ranaut featured in several commercially successful films, including the supernatural thriller Raaz: The Mystery Continues (2009), the crime film Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010), the romantic comedy Tanu Weds Manu (2011), and the comedy Double Dhamaal (2011). For her role in Tanu Weds Manu, she received nominations for the Zee Cine and Screen Award for Best Actress. She followed this by playing brief roles in a series of box office flops that failed to propel her career forward. In 2013, Ranaut played Kaya, a shapeshifting mutant, in the science fiction film Krrish 3, which ranks among the highest-grossing Bollywood films. She received an IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for it. Ranaut garnered critical acclaim for starring in the coming-of-age film Queen (2014), for which she also co-wrote the dialogues. She won several awards for Queen, including the National Film Award and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Ranaut played dual roles in the sequel Tanu Weds Manu: Returns (2015), which became the first female-led Hindi film to earn over in India. She received a Filmfare Critics Award and a second consecutive National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance.
This success was followed by a series of commercially failed films, which led to a decline in Ranaut's stardom. Her sole commercial success came with the 2019 period drama Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, which she also co-directed. Her portrayal of freedom fighter Rani of Jhansi in it and a kabaddi player in the 2020 sports drama Panga jointly won her another National Film Award for Best Actress. Her portrayal of J. Jayalalithaa in the biopic Thalaivii (2021) won her a SIIMA Award for Best Actress – Tamil. In 2022, Ranaut hosted the streaming reality show Lock Upp to strong viewership. Further critical and commercial failures came with her 2023 releases, Chandramukhi 2 and Tejas, as well as her second directorial, Emergency (2025), in which she portrayed Indira Gandhi. In her latest film, Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata (2026), Ranaut portrays a nurse who saved multiple lives at the Cama and Albless Hospital during the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Films
Year Title Role(s) Language(s) Notes 2006 Gangster Simran Hindi Woh Lamhe 2007 Shakalaka Boom Boom Ruhi Life in a... Metro Neha 2008 Dhaam Dhoom Shenba Tamil Fashion Hindi 2009 Raaz: The Mystery Continues Vaada Raha PoojaSpecial appearance Ek Niranjan Sameera Telugu 2010 Kites Hindi Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai Rehana Knock Out No Problem Sanjana 2011 Tanu Weds Manu Game Ready Kiran Special appearance Double Dhamaal Kiya Rascals Khushi Miley Naa Miley Hum 2012 Tezz Nikita Malhotra 2013 Shootout at Wadala Krrish 3 KayaRajjo Rajjo 2014 Queen Also dialogue writer Revolver Rani Ungli Maya 2015 Tanu Weds Manu Returns/ Tanuja "Tanu" Trivedi I Love New Year Katti Batti 2017 Rangoon Julia Simran Praful Patel Also co-writer 2019 Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi Rani Laxmibai Also co-director Judgementall Hai Kya Bobby Grewal 2020 Panga Jaya Nigam 2021 Thalaivii J. Jayalalithaa TamilHindiBilingual film 2022Dhaakad Agent AgniHindi 2023 Tiku Weds SheruHerselfSpecial appearance; also producer Chandramukhi 2ChandramukhiTamil Tejas Tejas GillHindi 2025EmergencyIndira GandhiAlso director and producer 2026Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata GeetaAlso producer TBA scope="row" HindiTamilCompleted; Bilingual film TBA scope="row" HindiCompleted
Television Year Title Role Notes 2022 Lock Upp Host Reality show 2026 Lock Upp 2: Sach Ya Saza Guest
Awards and nominations
+ Awards and nominations received by RanautYearAwardCategoryWorkResult 2006 Global Indian Film AwardsBest Female DebutGangster Best Actress 2007 Asian Festival of First Films Best Actress Bollywood Movie Awards Best Female Debut Filmfare Awards Face of the year Filmfare Awards Best Female Debut International Indian Film Academy Awards Best Female Debut Best Actress Screen Awards Most Promising Newcomer – Female Zee Cine Awards Best Female Debut 2008 Stardust AwardsSuperstar of Tomorrow – Female Life in a... Metro Breakthrough Performance – Female 2009 Filmfare AwardsBest Supporting ActressFashion International Indian Film Academy Awards Best Supporting Actress National Film Awards Best Supporting Actress Screen Awards Best Supporting Actress Producers Guild Film Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role Stardust Awards Best Supporting Actress 2011 Best Actress – Thriller/ActionOnce Upon a Time in Mumbaai Zee Cine Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female 2012 Best Actor – FemaleTanu Weds Manu Screen Awards Best Actress Producers Guild Film Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Stardust Awards Best Actress – Comedy/Romance International Indian Film Academy AwardsBest Actress 2014 Screen AwardsBest Actress (Popular Choice)Krrish 3 / Shootout at Wadala Best VillainKrrish 3 International Indian Film Academy AwardsBest Supporting Actress Producers Guild Film Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role Zee Cine Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female NDTV Indian of the Year Actor of the Year CNN-IBN Indian of the Year Special Achievement Award Indian Film Festival of Melbourne Best ActressQueen Stardust Awards Best Actress Star of the Year – Female BIG Star Entertainment Awards Most Entertaining Actor (Film) – Female Most Entertaining Actor in a Social/Drama Film – Female 2015 Producers Guild Film Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Best Dialogue (shared with Anvita Dutt Guptan) Screen Awards Best Actress Best Actress (Popular Choice) Best Dialogue (shared with Anvita Dutt Guptan) Filmfare Awards Best Actress Best Dialogue National Film Awards Best Actress International Indian Film Academy Awards Best Actress Stardust Awards Best ActressTanu Weds Manu Returns BIG Star Entertainment Awards Most Entertaining Actor in a Comedy Film – Female Most Entertaining Actor in a Romantic Film – Female Most Entertaining Actor in a Drama Film – Female 2016 Screen Awards Best Actress (Popular Choice) Best Actress Producers Guild Film Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Filmfare Awards Best Actress (Critics) Best Actress Zee Cine Awards Best Actor – Female Critics Award for Best Actor – Female Times of India Film Awards Best Actor – Female National Film Awards Best Actress International Indian Film Academy Awards Best Actress CNN-IBN Indian of the Year Special Achievement Award 2018Filmfare AwardsBest Actress (Critics)RangoonScreen AwardsBest ActressSimran2019Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi 2020Padma ShriArtCivilian AwardFilmfare AwardsBest Actress (Critics)Judgementall Hai KyaBest ActressManikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi2021Panga National Film AwardsBest Actress•Manikarnika: The Queen of JhansiPanga2022South Indian International Movie AwardsBest Actress – TamilThalaivii2026Zee Cine AwardBest Actor – FemaleEmergency
Footnotes
References
External links
Kangana Ranaut on Bollywood Hungama