Actress Kangana Ranaut is directing a biopic about herself, which will be scripted by Baahubali screenwriter KV Vijayendra Prasad, according to a press note. This is Ranaut’s second project as director after the period drama Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, which she co-directed with Telugu filmmaker Krish.
The actress said in a press release that the biopic, which will go into production in November, will be a “sincere, heartfelt” account of her life. “It is not a propaganda film with characters who are starkly black and white,” Ranaut said. “I’m emboldened by the love of the people around me, who have never judged me but accepted me for who I am.” It is not known yet whether the actress will also star in the film.
It was Prasad who urged her to make a film on her life, the actress said. “I was nervous and wary initially, but given his stature and the fact that I trust him implicitly, I gave Vijayendra sir the go-ahead to the project,” Ranaut said.
The biopic will detail her experiences in the industry as an outsider without film connections, she said. “...it is the story of an achiever, a girl from the mountains who came into Bollywood without any connections in the industry or even a godfather, and went on to carve a niche for herself against all odds,” she said.
Ranaut, who is from Himachal Pradesh, made her screen debut with Anurag Basu’s Gangster (2006). Her credits include Fashion (2008), Tanu Weds Manu (2011), Queen (2014) and Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015). Her upcoming acting projects include Prakash Kovelamudi’s Mental Hai Kya and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s Panga.
Ranaut’s latest release, Manikarnika, has reportedly crossed Rs 90 crore at the box office. The film was mired in controversy a few days after its January 25 release when Krish accused Ranaut of hijacking the filmmaking process even though he had been brought on as solo director. Ranaut countered Krish’s allegations claiming that she had informed him that portions of the film had to be re-shot at the producer’s request.