Kangana Ranaut shares tragedy that shook her family's faith in medical system: 'Hospitals were banned for us'

Kangana Ranaut, one of the most recognized faces in Indian cinema, hails from Bhambla, a small town located in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. She grew up as the second child in her family, alongside her elder sister Rangoli and their younger brother. However, in a recent conversation with Hauterrfly, the actress disclosed a painful family chapter that preceded her birth. Before Rangoli, her parents had a son named Hero, who survived for only ten days.

Tragic Loss of the Firstborn

According to Kangana’s account, the family believes that the death of Hero resulted from medical negligence. Her father had named the baby Hero, but his short life was cut off under distressing circumstances. Despite being a healthy newborn weighing 3.5 kilograms and showing no signs of complications, he passed away just days after birth. Kangana explained that her mother attributed this tragedy to hospital staff mishandling the cutting of the umbilical cord. The loss devastated her parents, and her grandmother soon imposed a household rule forbidding childbirth in hospitals.

Births at Home After the Incident

Following this tragedy, childbirth practices in Kangana’s family changed entirely. Her grandmother declared that all future deliveries would take place at home. As a result, Kangana’s mother went on to give birth to three more children, and her aunt delivered twice, all within the same house and even in the same room. This generational decision stemmed from a fear of repeating the trauma caused by what the family believed to be medical oversight.


"My mother believes it was the carelessness of the hospital staff that killed her son, as they cut his umbilical cord incorrectly. After that, my grandmother took over and declared that none of us would be born in a hospital. After this incident, my mother conceived three more times and my aunt twice, and all of us were born in the same house, in the same room. Hospitals were banned for us," she revealed.

Patriarchal Pressures in the Household

Beyond this personal history, Kangana also highlighted how gender bias shaped her childhood experiences. She revealed that patriarchy ran deep in her family culture. As she recalled, while her parents today feel uneasy about those attitudes, back then it was common for relatives to ridicule and restrict girls. She remembered being told to remain indoors or criticized for not learning certain skills, with relatives warning that her behavior could jeopardize her elder sister’s chances of marriage. These repeated comments strained her connection with her siblings and left her with a sense of isolation during her formative years.

Career and Recent Projects

Turning to her professional front, Kangana was last seen in the film Emergency, a political drama where she portrayed former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Despite its ambitious subject, the film managed to collect only around ₹21 crore at the box office, marking it as a commercial disappointment.