Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, directed by Kangana Ranaut, was released in 2019. The actress was praised by critics for her portrayal of Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi.
She was also nominated for a National Film Award for her performance. For those unfamiliar, in 2015, filmmaker Ketan Mehta announced a film based on Rani Lakshmi Bai and cast Kangana as the Queen of Jhansi.
Kangana, on the other hand, chose to create her own version of the historical epic. For the film, she worked with director Krish Jagarlamudi and producer Kamal Jain.
Recently, in one of his latest interviews, Mehta criticised the film and called it ‘pathetic’. Explaining the difference between his film and what was eventually made by Kangana, Mehta reportedly said, “It was entirely unfortunate, and heart-breaking. A lot of work had gone into it. What finally was made was pathetic, to say the least. The entire script was changed. My project was an international co-production. It was about British Generals’ obsession with capturing the Rani of Jhansi. It was more balanced. Manikarnika – The Queen Of Jhansi became jingoistic and nationalistic.”
Previously, the director accused Kangana of ‘hijacking’ the film and lambasted her for her ‘unethical’ attitude.
In addition to Kangana, the film featured Jisshu Sengupta, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Ankita Lokhande, Suresh Oberoi, Atul Kulkarni, and Danny Denzongpa. Zed Studios was in charge of the production.
Kangana is preparing for the release of her upcoming film, Emergency, which she directed herself.
She will play former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the film, and the first trailer has already sparked interest among her admirers.
She also has Chandramukhi 2 in the works, as well as a biopic of Noti Binodini and Tejas.
