Padmaavat, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period magnum opus, released on Jan 25 amidst intense protests from several fringe Rajput groups that alleged that the film distorted history. However, Padmaavat went on to become a huge blockbuster across the country.
And now, it’s the turn of Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut’s Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi to land in unwanted controversies. Several members of the Sarva Brahmin Mahasabha (SBM) alleged that Manikarnika is distorting history.
The SBM’s President held a press conference in Jaipur, Rajasthan, and claimed that there are scenes in Manikarnika portraying a love affair between Rani Laxmi Bai and a British man. “The film is based on a foreigner’s book and tries to dampen the queen’s reputation,” the SBM said. The SBM President has written a letter to Manikarnika’s producer Kamal Jain expressing his concerns and also appealed to the state government for an affidavit from the makers of the film so that no distortion of history should take place. Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi is being directed by Krish. The film is slated for a late summer release.