Now 'Manikarnika' faces allegations of distorting history
Despite producer’s denial, a right wing fringe group is alleging that the film has a scene where Rani Laxmibai is romancing a British agent
Jaipur: Controversy over films based on historical characters fails to die down in Rajasthan as yet another right wing fringe group Sarva Brahmin Mahasabha has demanded the state government to immediately stop the shooting of the Kangana Ranaut starrer Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi.
The film appears to be heading the Padamaavat way, as the group alleged the team of the period drama filming a love song in which Rani Laxmibai romances a British agent of the erstwhile East India Company, a claim which producer Kamal Jain denied.
"We have come to know that the filmmakers are shooting for a love song in which Rani Laxmibai is seen with a British agent of East India Company. We suspect that the producers are making the film based on the controversial book, Rani, written by Jaishree Misra, state president of the group Suresh Mishra said.
He said the protest would escalate, if the administration failed to ensure that no historical facts are distorted in the epic biographical film. Shooting would be allowed only after the film owners give an undertaking that no controversial scene would be shown in the movie, he said.
"We will meet the governor and home minister and if government does not react to our demands, protests will be escalated within three days," he added. Mishra said that he had written to Jain on January 9 asking him to share the profile of the writers and the historians the producers had consulted.
"In order to check that the issue doesn't blow up like Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmaavat', the government must ensure that nothing controversial is shown in the movie," he said. When asked about the accusations, producer Jain said that there were "no romantic scene as claimed" by the group and the team had not received any letter as yet. "There is nothing objectionable in the film. There is no romantic scene as claimed. We are making a story on a great leader like Rani Laxmibai."