AFTER 'PADMAAVAT', KANGANA RANAUT STARRER 'MANIKARNIKA : THE QUEEN OF JHANSI' FACES OPPOSITION

After Sanjay leela Bhansali’s controversial film ‘Padmaavat’ faced the wrath of Karni Sena’s nationwide protests, now it’s the turn for Kangana Ranaut’s upcoming film ‘Manikarnika’ which is based on the life of ‘Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi’. Addressing a press conference in Jaipur on Monday, Suresh Mishra, the president of the Sarva Brahman Mahasabha (SBM) alleged that the film Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi distorts history regarding Laxmi Bai and depicts a love affair between her and a British man. As per Suresh Mishra, the film dampens queen’s reputation.

Talking to the media persons, film’s producer Kamal Jain said, “The film shows Rani Laxmibai in a respectful manner. We have taken care about portraying her including consulting historians and scholars in Jhansi. She was a freedom fighter and one of the most respected leader our country has seen. She is a symbol of valour in our country. The film’s story depicts the same. The film doesn’t portray anything objectionable about her. There is no love affair depicted in the film and there is no distortion of history in anyway. It pains me to hear these statements about one of the greatest leaders India has seen. Is this what independence means? We are making a film which depicts the real story of Rani Laxmibai. Having said that, we are open and willing to show the script (to people who might have doubts). We have nothing to hide. We are proud to be making a film and want the world to see one of the greatest leaders of India. This film is a tribute to Rani Laxmibai.”

With all the chaos that Deepika Padukone starrer ‘Padmaavat’ ensued, it has become quite apparent that making film on a historic character comes with its own set of challenges. This is to be noted that film is based on a book titled 'Rani' written by a London based author Jaishree Mishra. Now it’s only a matter of time before it transpires whether or not  ‘Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi’ receives the same treatment as ‘Padmaavat’.