Kangana Ranaut weighs in on Oscar 'Slapgate': Actress calls Will Smith a ‘bigda hua Sanghi’ like herself, shares meme to back her claim

Everyone has weighed in on Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars 2022 by now and adding to that sea of reactions and opinions is Bollywood actress, Kangana Ranaut. The actress recently used a meme to describe how Smith and she, both, have a penchant for getting into trouble, and called the ‘Men In Black actor a ‘bigda hua Sanghi’ (rowdy/spoiled Sanghi) like herself.

In the meme, which is a collage of four photos, Smith can be seen praying in one, posing with a spiritual leader in another as well as sitting on the banks of a holy river during a Hindu religious ceremony, while the final photo documents the slapping incident at the Oscars. ‘Sanghi’ for the uninitiated is what members of the Indian right-wing organisation RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) or its affiliates are generally referred to. However, in a broader sense, it is a term used to describe those who find their socio-political as well as religious ideology aligned to the right-wing group(s).

Smith’s misconduct with Chris Rock is currently being formally probed by the Academy. On Oscars night, when Rock came onstage to announce a category, the comedian took the opportunity to crack a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. He made fun of her baldness, which is caused by the autoimmune disorder known as alopecia, and while Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes and let the joke slide, her husband, Will Smith angrily huffed onto the stage, and slapped Rock. He further yelled at the comedian and warned him not to take his wife’s name ever again.

Smith, however, regretted his angry outburst, and while collecting the award in the Best Actor category, for his role in ‘King Richard’ the actor used his victory speech to apologise to Rock and the Academy for his misbehaviour. The 53-year-old also took to his Instagram profile and reissued a public apology to Rock for his ‘out of line’ deed.