Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has triggered an online debate after supporting Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel's remarks encouraging women to learn cooking for their families, irrespective of their profession. Patel's speech, delivered at an event in Kanpur, recently went viral on social media, and Ranaut responded to a post featuring the video on X on Sunday, endorsing the governor's views.
Her response drew criticism from a section of social media users, who argued that the remarks reinforced traditional gender stereotypes. The controversy comes as Ranaut, who has frequently spoken about women's empowerment and starred in films such as Queen, is preparing for the release of Queen 2, directed by Vikas Bahl. The sequel completed filming last month.
In her speech, Patel said, "Women today should learn how to cook for their families, whether you become a teacher or an IAS officer. You should first become an expert mother."
She further added, "What is a mother's duty? To train her daughter in every way. She should not face any difficulties at her in-laws'. And if she does, she should deal with them on her own merit. We need to give that strength to our daughters."
Supporting Patel's comments, Ranaut said nurturing is an inherent quality in women. Recalling her childhood, she wrote, "When we were small, my brother played football and cricket, but I carefully built doll houses, stitched their clothes, and cooked their food, much to everyone's amusement in the house. I made small chulhas (stoves) and pretended to be doll mom."
She continued, "It is not something that we need to learn. God has bestowed upon us the duty of nurturing humanity, it is our true nature, that's why women are called Devi, Shakti, Annapurna, Mata, and many more such forms, but beyond all that, it is such a joy to love, to feed, to dance and to nurture."
During the same speech, Patel also referred to recent cases in which women allegedly killed their prospective husbands to avoid marriages arranged by their families, describing such incidents as "unfathomable."
Ranaut's endorsement of the governor's remarks prompted mixed reactions online.
One X user wrote, "Cooking is a patriarchy that was thrown around for a million years and it's embarrassing to see @KanganaTeam glorifying it (sic)." Another commented, "Cooking's a survival skill, everyone, no matter their gender, should know how to whip up good food (sic)." A third user wrote, "You make it very difficult to support you, Kangana," accompanied by a facepalm emoji.
The exchange has placed Patel's remarks and Ranaut's response at the centre of a wider debate on gender roles, with the actor's support drawing both praise and criticism across social media.
