Kangana Ranaut starrer Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi has become the latest film, after Padmaavat, to land in controversy over alleged distortion of historical facts.
Brahmin group Sarv Brahmin Mahasabha of Rajasthan has raised an objection over the film, alleging it features a love scene between Rani Laxmibai and a British East India company agent.
Dismissing the rumor of a romantic sequence, Kangana, who plays the central role of Rani Laxmibai, said that by spreading such stories, they are defaming Jhansi Ki Rani.
"It is very lowly (neech baat) to even think like that about Rani Laxmibai. We cannot even think like that, the kind of things they are saying. What they are saying is actually defaming. There is nothing like that. It is idle talk and I don't know why it is being said," PTI quoted the actress as saying.
Upset with such baseless stories, the National Award winning actress further added, "We are hurt and upset. The writer of the film, Vijayendra Prasad has named his daughter Manikarnika. We are hurt that such things are being said about Rani Laxmibai."
Meanwhile, Vijayendra has assured fans that there is no such scene in the film that would bring disrespect to the queen. "The film's title is Manikarnika, because it is her name. Her parents named her that because she was born in Kasi and the Manikarnika Ghat there is very famous. Even I named my daughter Manikarnika, so you now know how much I respect Rani Laxmibai," he said in a statement.
The film, which was initially scheduled to release on April 27, has now been pushed by four months. It will now open in theatres on August 3.
Manikarnika is based on the life of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi and her war against the British East India Company during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Directed by Krish and produced by Zee Studios in association with Kamal Jain, Kangana essays the lead role of Rani Laxmibai, while Sonu Sood essays the male lead. Suresh Oberoi, Atul Kulkarni, Vaibhav Tatwawaadi, Ankita Lokhande, Richard Keep, Nihar Pandya and Amit Behl will be seen in the supporting cast of the movie.
