A video from the shooting of Kangana Ranaut and Krish’s Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi has emerged online to give the earnest patriotic drama a comic edge. In the video, Ranaut, in character as 19th-century queen Lakshmibai, is seen riding a horse, screaming and brandishing her sword at extras dressed as British soldiers – as she gallops along on a mechanical horse mounted on rails. When the shot is finished, her assistants run up to her with an umbrella and a make-up kit.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi was released on January 25 and has earned close to Rs 80 crore at the Indian box office, according to sources. The film follows Rani Lakshmibai’s resistance to the East India Company during the revolt of 1857. Manikarnika was initially supposed to have been directed by Krish, but Ranaut took over the production mid-way. The finished film was credited to both Krish and Ranaut.
After the release, Krish alleged that Ranaut had strong-armed her way into the project and reworked scenes to the film’s detriment. The film’s lyricist, Prasoon Joshi, and Ranaut’s sister Rangoli denied the allegations.