Manikarnika teaser: Kangana Ranaut demands azaadi as Amitabh Bachchan narrates Rani Laxmibai’s story

Kangana Ranaut’s Manikarnika teaser landed on Gandhi Jayanti and showed Kangana Ranaut as warrior queen, Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi. Bloodied yet unbent, we see her taking on the British as Amitabh Bachchan narrates her story. Kangana looks resplendent as the legendary Maratha queen who took on the British East India Company’s army in an armed rebellion against the European power, also called India’s first war of independence.

Manikarnika teaser is narrated by Amitabh Bachchan as we see Kangana as a young girl, then the queen and finally a brave warrior demanding the freedom from the British. The clip showcases many scenes of battle -- from sword fights to horses and warriors charging ahead. It also showcases her as a young mother ruling and fighting with her son right next to her.

Watch Kangana Ranaut’s Manikarnika teaser here

Manikarnika, (that was what she named at the time of her birth), among other things, also looks at the making of Laxmi Bai from Manikarnika. The film remains one of the most ambitious projects in Kangana’s career to date. “I am extremely proud of this film, portraying a character who empowers and inspires. We have put in our heart, blood and sweat into making this film. ‘Manikarnika...’ will make each and every Indian proud,” Kangana said in a statement.

The film has been in news from its very early days -- be it Kangana’s injuries during the film’s action scenes’ shoots or the most recent controversies. The film’s production was affected when its director Krish, known for his work in Telugu films, quit midway. However, the credits in Maikarnika teaser mention him as the director. As per reports, after a fair deal of the film had been shot, the makers were unhappy with some parts of it. They decided on a reshoot while Krish decided to move on to his next project.

Later, when Kangana took over the project, it led to further problems. First, she was accused of hijacking the film, a fact robustly denied by producer Kamal Jain, and later when actors like Sonu Sood quit the film. A war of words ensued between the two actors, with both trading charges at each other -- Kangana accused Sonu of refusal to work under a female director. Sonu was quick to refute the charge, adding that competence, not gender was the issue as he had already worked under a female director, Farah Khan in Happy New Year.

Manikarnika releases on January 25 next year.

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