Vijay-Trisha controversy: Kangana Ranaut raises concerns over attacks on women in public life

Kangana Ranaut has spoken about the way women in public life are often subjected to personal attacks when controversies surrounding their relationships or private lives emerge.

Speaking to reporters in Kullu after a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee meeting, the actor and BJP MP said women who achieve prominence in fields such as cinema and politics can face attempts to discredit them by questioning their character.

Kangana said this pattern was not limited to India and argued that women are frequently made the primary target even when a controversy involves two people.

She made the remarks while referring to the recent online discussions involving actor Trisha Krishnan and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay.

Trisha became the focus of social media attention after she attended the Independence Day celebrations at Fort St George in Chennai on August 15. She was seen seated with Vijay’s parents, SA Chandrasekhar and Shobha Chandrasekhar, which led to renewed speculation about her equation with the actor-turned-politician.

The discussions also coincided with reports about Vijay’s personal life and claims involving his wife Sangeetha Sornalingam. Later reports said a divorce-related petition was withdrawn and the matter was closed.

Neither Trisha nor Vijay has publicly confirmed the relationship speculation. Vijay and Sangeetha have also not publicly addressed the reports about their marriage.

Kangana said incidents of this nature highlight the disproportionate scrutiny women can face and called for greater attention to the tendency to attack a woman’s character instead of focusing on the actual issue.