Actor Aishwarya Lekshmi has clarified her earlier praise for Kangana Ranaut, saying she would now describe herself as a “former Kangana lover.” In July this year, Aishwarya called Ranaut a “mad genius” and said she admired how the actor-turned-politician had taught herself to become a good orator, adding that she enjoyed listening to her speeches in Parliament.Speaking to Ranjini Haridas, Aishwarya Lekshmi explained that her comments were made in the context of a question about her career and the kind of projects she wanted to do. She said her admiration for certain aspects of Kangana Ranaut’s journey should not be interpreted as an endorsement of her political views or statements.“I would like to shift my opinion to being a former Kangana lover. While I was giving that interview, in my head I was already thinking, ‘former Kangana lover.’ I was asked the question, ‘You are not doing any high-profile projects.’ He humbled me just like that. I was like, ‘Nothing I do matters.’”Aishwarya said the question immediately reminded her of something Kangana had said in the past, but she decided against bringing it up during the interview because she felt it would not be appropriate in that particular context.“When this question was asked, my mind went to Kangana’s statement, but I felt like saying it there might not be the right thing in that particular scenario.”She recalled Kangana’s earlier comments about choosing projects she loved rather than working with the three Khans, and said she had considered using that statement while answering the question about her own career.“She had said, ‘I don’t want to work with the Khans. I want to do projects that I love.’ So now I don’t want to give out statements like that because I want to work with the Khans, I want to work with everyone. I want to work with all the good actors. While I was forming the answer mentally, I was thinking about whether I should say this or not. So I decided not to say that statement and instead just say, ‘I do love Kangana. She is a wonderful actor.’”Story continues below this adALSO READ: ‘Don’t think I can work with Dulquer again’: Aishwarya Lekshmi on King of Kotha’s failure‘I don’t support any of the speeches she gives in Parliament’Aishwarya Lekshmi went on to distinguish between her admiration for Kangana Ranaut as an actor and her views on the actor’s political positions and public statements. Kangana, who represents Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi constituency in the Lok Sabha, has frequently drawn controversy over her comments on political and social issues.“We are blaming Kangana for the party she decided to affiliate with, for the way she talks about women, being a woman, and the things she said during the Cockroach Janta Party protest. I can’t believe that she said things like that,” Aishwarya said.Kangana Ranaut had recently criticised the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party protests in Delhi, describing videos from the demonstrations as “puke-inducing” and accusing the protesters of spreading “filth, garbage and ugliness.”Story continues below this adDespite disagreeing with Kangana’s politics and some of her remarks, Aishwarya said she continued to admire the actor’s ability to transform herself and her command of language.“But growing up, I loved how she could be a chameleon, shape-shift, and how good her vocabulary was. Nobody has stood up to things the way she has, so I see the evolution of something like the Joker. We all like the Joker; he is a cool guy and has a reason for why he becomes the Joker. I see that in her.”However, Aishwarya Lekshmi was clear that her admiration for Kangana Ranaut’s oratory should not be confused with support for her political views.“I don’t support any of the speeches she gives in Parliament. I like the oratory skills because I know what it takes.”Story continues below this adShe explained that her own experience of working across languages had made her particularly appreciative of the effort involved in delivering lines in an unfamiliar language.“When I do Telugu and Tamil films, if I have to go for a shoot at 6 am, I get up at 4 or 5 am and learn my lines as I would for an exam because I don’t know the language.”‘I admire how Kangana made a place for herself’Aishwarya said her admiration for Kangana also stemmed from her journey from Himachal Pradesh to becoming a leading actor and, later, a politician.“So imagine a person who came from Himachal. She was not accepted anywhere. She is the person who took the chair and sat on tables where she was not welcomed. I find admiration for that quality.”Story continues below this adAishwarya admitted that she did not know what motivated some of Kangana’s more controversial actions and said she did not feel qualified to judge her.“I don’t know why she is doing the things she is doing. I am nobody to judge, nobody to comment. I think it could be survival. As a woman, I sympathise with that too.”Meanwhile, Aishwarya Lekshmi will next be seen in the Malayalam film Aasha, which is scheduled to release on September 11.