Two people ran away, so I had to take charge: Kangana Ranaut on Manikarnika

Kangana Ranaut had to do some quick thinking when director Krish opted out of her project. The actress who was in town to promote the Telugu version of her latest film Manikarnika says that she worked awhile for this project with another team, which left because of budget constraints. Kamal Jain then entered along with Vijayendra Prasad, Shankar and Krish. “The story telling and the narration by Vijayendra and his team gave us the idea to make this a pan India film,” she says.

Conceding that it was very difficult to don the roles of director and protagonist, she says, “It is definitely the most difficult experience in my life, but somehow it all came together well and is amazing.

Asked why Krish left midway through the project, she replies, “He said he had to do the NTR biopic, so he wanted to come back to us after he completed the biopic. The film was supposed to be released by August and that’s why he committed to do the NTR biopic. But we couldn’t finish the film by August,” she reveals.

Elaborating on whose idea it was, that she direct the film, she reveals, “It was writers Vijayendra Prasad and Prasoon Joshi who asked me to direct this project. I thought it can’t work like that as the film has too much action, too many emotional scenes and too many heavy outfits. I asked them to get me new director to work with, because at least they could get the physical work like recce done by that person. They got me two people, and they ran away in the middle, as they thought it’s not possible for them. I was the middle of the shoot and I had to continue, so I took charge.”

Speaking about the controversy around Sonu Sood who said he couldn’t adjust his dates for this film, Kangana said that Sonu didn’t want to work under a woman director, while Sonu had maintained that he was growing a beard for some other look and he could not change it for the period film. “That was also a bit unfortunate,” she avers, adding, “Yes, he is in different look altogether for another film but it is not a difficult thing as you can always wear a fake beard. It’s a normal and basic thing one can do, but he decided not to, which is his choice.”

Lastly, asked whether there was a parallel in her life and that of Manikarnika, Kangana muses, “I think for some people life is struggle and for some it is easy, that’s the mystery of life. Drawing a comparison between me and rani, Vijayendra sir told me ‘this film is a test for you. Rani came to the palace as queen and her husband left her. You get the role of your life, come as an actor and suddenly you have to take charge, which you didn’t expect’. My journey is similar to hers in so many ways.”