Kangana Ranaut was always rude, said my version of Manikarnika looked like a Bhojpuri film, says director Krish
Krish has opened up on how much Manikarnika changed as Kangana Ranaut took over as director and why he had to leave the film midway.
A day after Manikarnika released in theatres, director Krish – who had originally shot the Rani Laxmibai biopic before leaving midway – has opened up about the Kangana Ranaut starrer and why he walked away from the film.
Speaking to Spotboye, the south Indian director went on to explain how much of the film has changed under Kangana’s direction; the actor has said she has majorly reshot the film. “Kangana has done 20-25 per cent of the first half and 10-15% in the second half. I didn’t shoot a song and I didn’t shoot her entry scene. In the second half, she has even re-shot some scenes which I had done in a different way,” he said in the interview. Krish went on to say that the roles of other actors in the film have been truncated.
Kangana, however, had said that most of the film has been shot by her. “Only 30% of the film (Manikarnika), the action sequences shot by Krish and Nick, has been retained and I did lot of patchwork on those too. The remaining 70% of film was shot by me,” she said in an interview to Mumbai Mirror recently.
While the director said the roles of almost all others actors including those of Atul Kulkarni (Tatya Tope) and Prajakta Mali (Kashibai) were cut under Kangana’s stewardship, it was Sonu Sood’s role which became a bone of contention.
Krish said he had completed his edit in June and all actors other than Kangana had dubbed for their parts. Kangana watched the film and said that she had a few concerns. After a few days, she insisted on changes saying co-producer Kamal Jain was not happy with the film either. “I agreed to make some changes. We decided we needed to shoot for additional six days… And then, she suddenly rose to say that Sonu’s character should be killed at the interval point.”
The director says Kangana’s insistence on reducing the story arc of Sonu’s character led to arguments. Later, he says, he got to know that re-recordings of parts he had done were taking place and the editor he had worked with was asked to go. In answer to whether Kangana did it out of insecurity, the director instead said “she wanted it all for herself”.
“A few days later, I got a call from Sonu. He wanted to know if I was directing the film further or not. And then I got a call from Kamal Jain that Kangana is getting help from some guy and they will direct the film,” he adds. Sonu soon called him saying that his character was being killed off at interval; he was also informed by the producer that Kangana will take over. After Sonu left the project, Swati Semwal – who played his wife in the film – followed suit.
“Kangana even told me that Zee Studios hadn’t liked what I had made. It was looking like a Bhojpuri film. I laughed. People know my previous work. We argued but she wanted her own way. I just couldn’t understand,” adding Kangana was rude over the phone and she “is rude all the time”.
“I don’t think how Kangana can sleep well by taking the first credit in direction when she does not deserve it,” the director said about Kangana taking the first credit in direction for Manikarnika.