The long-standing public feud between actors Taapsee Pannu and Kangana Ranaut has taken another ugly turn, with Kangana once again calling Taapsee a ‘sasti copy’ after the latter’s remarks about differences in their upbringing in a recent interview.

Taapsee has now responded to Kangana’s interpretation of her remarks. Speaking to us, she says, “One needs proper education and upbringing to understand what I said,” before explaining why she doesn’t take offence at being called a ‘sasti copy’.

“I’ve always maintained I don’t get offended by these sasti copy remarks. I’m happy she thinks I’m a copy; she’s a phenomenal actress. I don’t come from a rich background or the highest-paid actor tags; maybe I’m sasti that way. I said how one speaks is reflective of one’s upbringing. If you believe I am being demeaning to your upbringing, it means you believe you made demeaning comments. I did not say that.”

In a recent interview with India Today, Taapsee was asked whether she and Kangana had made amends. She said, “My opinion on her is reflective of my upbringing and my way of talking, my way of perceiving things and hers. She stands by hers. So, I think that’s enough for everybody to look at and decide who comes from where.”

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Taapsee, 39, and Kangana, 40, first became embroiled in a controversy in 2019 after Kangana’s sister, Rangoli Chandel, accused Taapsee of copying Kangana and called her a “sasti copy”. The remarks came after Taapsee praised the trailer of Judgementall Hai Kya (2019) without specifically mentioning Kangana.

The feud resurfaced in 2020 when Kangana referred to Taapsee and other actors as “B-grade actresses” and “needy outsiders” amid debates over nepotism and industry politics. Taapsee later joked in an interview that she doesn’t hold a “patent on curly hair” and took the comparison as a compliment.

Despite their differences, Taapsee has previously maintained that she remains open to being friends with Kangana.

Their exchanges have also occasionally taken a more cordial turn. When Taapsee won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for Thappad in 2021, she thanked Kangana in her acceptance speech for raising the bar for female actors. Kangana reciprocated on social media, writing that “no one deserves it more than you”. However, the two continued to trade passive-aggressive barbs in the media in the years that followed.

Around the same time, when global celebrities tweeted about India’s farmer protests, Taapsee tweeted that citizens shouldn’t let outside opinions shake their core value systems. Kangana retaliated on Twitter, calling Taapsee “B-grade log” and freeloaders.

In her response to Taapsee on her now-deleted Insta Stories, Kangana had said, “She is not the only one, many people who grew up in shady cramped up outskirts of cities in dingy rented apartments with questionable backgrounds and incomes question my upbringing and malign my parents, who hail from a renowned Rajput zameendar Family and raised by educated distinguished parents (sic).”