Hindi cinema is yet to overcome the Padmaavat row and the beginnings of a similar controversy seems to be on the horizon. Krish's Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi, a period drama starring Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Atul Kulkarni and Jisshu Sengupta, is the next in line to face the irk of another fringe outfit.
The Sarva Brahman Mahasabha has objected to the film as they suspect it contains an ‘objectionable’ love scene between the queen of Jhansi and a British agent.
The president of the organisation, Suresh Mishra, said at a press conference, “Our sources have told us that the filmmakers are shooting for a love song in which Rani Laxmibai is seen with a British agent of East India Company.”
The group claims the film is adapted from author Jaishree Misra's book on the life of Rani Laxmibai, titled Rani. The book, which the author claims is a work of fiction, features the Indian queen’s romance with a British officer.
“We suspect the producers are making the film based on the controversial book Rani written by Jaishree Misra. On 9 January, we had written a letter to producer Kamal Jain to share information on the writers and their profile. We had also asked them to share the profile of historians with whom the producers consulted,” Mishra said.
Misra’s book was released in 2007 and was soon banned by the Uttar Pradesh government on grounds that it insults Rani Laxmibai.
However, it should by noted that the makers of the film have no where mentioned that Manikarnika is based on the said book.
Speaking of their next course of action, Mishra said, “We will meet Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh and Rajasthan home minister Gulab Chand Kataria seeking their intervention” adding that they don’t wish for a Padmaavat-like situation. “In order to check that the issue doesn't blow up like Padmaavat, the government must ensure nothing controversial is shown in the film. It should get an undertaking from the producers,” he said.
The lyrics of the film's songs are written by Prasoon Joshi, who is currently the chief of the Central Board of Film Certification.