Actress Kangana Ranaut was considered the best person to take over the mantle to complete patchwork and to direct a few additional scenes for Manikarnika - The Queen of Jhansi, when director Krish moved on to his new film, says producer Kamal Jain.
The movie has been in the midst of a controversy ever since the news of Kangana stepping in behind the camera for it emerged.
Clearing speculations about the film, Jain said in a statement: “The additional shoot of the film is presently underway at ND Studios at Karjat, near Mumbai. After the last schedule was over, we saw the line-up of the film. On seeing it, we decided that apart from the patchwork, we also needed a few additional scenes.
“Once the scenes were written, we approached Kangana for additional dates. But Krish had moved on to his next project by then. Given how driven and creatively involved Kangana has been on this project since its inception, we realised she would be the best person to take over the mantle.
“Hence, there is no hijacking of the project. Whatever decisions are being taken are with the full support of the producer and the studio.”
Jain said they have an aggressive production schedule planned as they are committed to releasing the film on January 25, 2019.
Jain explained: “While we managed to get matching dates from Danny Denzongpa, Jishu Sengupta, Ankita Lokhande and others, we got stuck on Sonu’s combination dates and continuity look as he has grown a beard for Simmba.
“Hence, we had to let him go. Zeeshan Ayub now plays the character of Sadashiv”.
Meanwhile, film writer-editor Apurva Asrani has, via a cryptic social media post, taken a dig at Kangana for “hijacking a film” and called it the worst form of “hara-kiri”.
Asrani, who took to Twitter to take a jibe at Kangana on Saturday, had earlier spoken about how the Queen actress took over the entire filming and the script of Simran, which released in 2017.
“A star hijacking a film and running down the hard work of crew member/s is the worst form of hara-kiri there is. When affected filmmakers cannot control this and instead put on a facade of a ‘dignified silence’, they allow a monstrous ego to go on a rampage and eventually kill the film,” he tweeted.
A user then asked: “But what is the choice?”
“Zero tolerance. From day one. If the actor refuses to abide by the contract, threaten/get legal intervention. I know many directors who have replaced tantrum throwing stars early on. And the studios have supported the courage and conviction of the maker,” Asrani tweeted.
The writer then said that “if someone else is directing your film and you are unable to stop him/her, then just quit!”
“Before your self-esteem is eroded. Unless of course you are greedy for a commercial ‘hit’ and are prepared to sacrifice your team. I think in the current hijacked film the director has bowed out,” he added.
As Manikarnika... director Krish became busy with another film, Kangana has stepped in to direct the patchwork of her movie, which tells the story of Rani Laxmibai.
The film is currently in news as actor Sonu Sood has walked out of it owing to his professional commitment towards Simmba. However, Kangana hit back at him, claiming he left the movie as he “refused to work under a woman director”.
On his part, Sonu has denied this. — IANS 




Atif’s rendition O Meri Laila 
perfect, says composer


Joi Barua wanted the song O Meri Laila to be carried forward with heroism which was innocent, and its singer Atif Aslam delivered that perfectly, says the composer.
“I think it was very easy working with him (Atif). He had been travelling for a while, but once he got down to it, it just came together so beautifully. Even though this was a title track, I wanted this to be carried forward with heroism which was innocent.
“Because the context of love here is timeless, beyond life or death...beyond feelings of sadness, cynicism or even mere contentment. Just to celebrate the fact that love existed, that it could all be love. To celebrate the fact that one could be completely immersed in it. That feeling. That is what Atif delivered perfectly,” Barua said in an interview.
The song is from the forthcoming film Laila Majnu.
“(Filmmaker) Imtiaz Ali and his brother Sajid Ali have been cognizant and appreciative of my music for a while now. We’ve worked together in the recent past. They loved my Assamese music. About three years ago when they were working on the script of Laila Majnu, they got me involved in it,” he said.
It came as a surprise to him.
“Considering it was set in contemporary Kashmir, a place I had never experienced, a culture I was not aware of, the story was a bit alien to me. But it just meant I had to dive deeper into what I didn’t understand.
“As Kashmiris are, we people from the northeast India are also far from the central perspective of most things ‘Indian’. I understood the importance of representing a culture and people. And I think they understood this,” he said.
The Assamese artiste, who had worked in the 2014 Bollywood film Margarita with a Straw and Sanjay Suri’s My birthday song last year, does not frequently compose or sing songs for Hindi movies.
“I wanted to do other things and also wanted my music to find more meaning within and without. My time in Mumbai, all the work with advertising, movie backgrounds, songs, my own personal music, there was a time I felt that the music I was doing, needed another direction.
“I wanted to break away and explore things which were completely different from the route I had taken so far. Certain things do come to happen to your life, and you feel like the sky going grey, but only briefly, before new horizons clear up for you.
“I wanted to learn other things, explore other music, other cultures, get back into reading and redefine my core passion again. And this, in ways explains absence from certain sections, but journeys into others.” — IANS