Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 22, 2020)

Renuka Shahane has been vocal throughout the Sushant Singh Rajput case, on social media and off it. But, the actor now feels it’s no longer about him. “The case was left behind long ago, when Kangana Ranaut talked about Mumbai Police’s incompetence, targeted Maharashtra government for that, and called Mumbai PoK,” she says, in response to a tweet Ranaut posted.

She adds, “It is her opinion, she has the right to put it across… [But] All this is not related to Sushant’s case. In fact, the first deflection happened by saying it was because of nepotism. It is not a soap opera, for God’s sake, we have lost a wonderful boy.”

Ranaut had also attacked actor Urmila Matondkar, calling the latter a ‘soft porn actor’. This, Shahane feels, is not justifiable. “Some people think crossing the line of decency and saying the most vile things is their freedom of expression,” she asserts.

Shahane, 55, also feels one’s social media is an expression of oneself. “If you are a vile person, your tweets will reflect that, and if you are decent, the same thing. It’s not a question of opposition, people within a family also don’t agree on many things, but there is space for disagreement. Just because you are against somebody’s point of view, you don’t have to be vicious!” she says.