As Manikarnika crosses Rs 100-crore mark, Kangana Ranaut on hurdles the film faced and way ahead for female-led movies
(From left) Stills from Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi and Uri
Kangana Ranaut stands vindicated today - her passion project, Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi, has earned a place in the coveted Rs 100 crore club. That she achieved the feat in her first outing as a director is commendable.
"There was a time when the film's release looked difficult. But after we made the movie, we knew we had a product to be proud of," says the actor-director who has been with the film since its inception. While the period drama locked horns with Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Thackeray upon its release, Ranaut notes that it faced stiff competition from an unexpected quarter.
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"None of us expected the competition we got from Uri. It was another patriotic film that shared the same theme - fighting back for the nation. It was in its third week, but it still put up quite a tough fight."
The release of the Rani Laxmibai biopic was marked with a row between Ranaut and Krish over the directorial credit. Ask her if the controversy took away from her joy, and she says, "Nothing succeeds like success. These people would have disowned the film if it was bad. These are the people who had abandoned it. [But] this is a good fight, where the cast and crew are bickering over who owns the movie more. We were able to make a clean film, no one has blamed me for distorting history. Personally, there is no controversy of great magnitude here. I don't see any negativity attached to it outside the industry. I am satisfied with the audience's response."
The actor is hopeful that Manikarnika's success will encourage producers to invest bigger bucks in films led by women. "It has been made on 1/3rd the budget of any period film, or even a regular commercial movie, for that matter. And we have recovered the cost. I am glad it has become a landmark film. We have made considerable headway for women-centric films."
Also Read: Kangana Ranaut's Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi enters the 100 crore club
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