Sonu Sood lashes out at Kangana Ranaut over Manikarnika, says competence is issue, not gender
Actor Sonu Sood has responded to Kangana Ranaut’s accusations that he refused to work under her direction on Manikarnika. Read his statement.
A day after Kangana Ranaut said that her former Manikarnika co-star Sonu Sood refused to make himself available for reshoots because he ‘vehemently denied working under a woman director’ Sonu has shot back with a response.
Kangana had taken over as director of Manikarnika, a historical epic based on the life of Rani Laxmi Bai, after original director Krish reportedly became occupied with his new film, a biopic on NTR. A new report suggests that Kangana had already started insinuating herself as the director before Krish had removed himself, and that Sonu had a difference in opinion with her when she started shortening his role.
In a statement to Pinkvilla earlier this week, Kangana had said, “Sonu and I haven’t even met since the last shot with Krish (director) last year. He is busy filming Simmba. He couldn’t even give us tentative dates to match combinations with other actors. The producers showed him the film and writers narrated the patchwork to him...he refused to meet me. He vehemently denied to work under a woman director, which is kind of amusing because Sonu is a dear friend and I have even launched the music of a film that he produced on his request, even though the team suggested that they have full faith in me, it seems, Sonu had neither dates nor faith.”
While Sonu had initially said that he would take the ‘high road’ and wished the Manikarnika team all the best, he has now lashed out at his ‘dear friend’ Kangana for playing ‘the woman card’. “Kangana is a dear friend and she will always remain one but this constant playing the woman card, the victim card and making this entire issue about male chauvinism is ridiculous,” he told India Today. Addressing Kangana’s accusation that he isn’t comfortable working under a woman director, Sonu said, “The gender of the director is not the issue. Competence is. Let’s not confuse the two. I’ve worked with Farah Khan who is a competent woman director and Farah and I had a great professional equation and we are still best of friends,” he said.
In an earlier statement to Pinkvilla, Sonu’s spokesperson had said, “Sonu has always been a thorough professional and honoured all his commitments. He had informed the makers of Manikarnika about his dates and schedule, well in advance. Inconveniencing the team of his current film, to accommodate the demands of another are against his professional principles. Sonu has taken the higher road ahead and wishes the team of Manikarnika all the best.”
Manikarnika has been scheduled for a January 25, 2019 release.
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