While the furore over Padmaavat has scarcely died down, another period drama about another iconic Indian queen has now come under fire. Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, based on Lakshmi Bai, the 19th Century queen and freedom fighter, stars Kangana Ranaut as the real-life queen.
While the film is expected to release during the end of the year, Sarva Brahman Mahasabha (SBM) -- a Brahmin group from Rajasthan -- has taken offence at reports that Ranaut's character will be shown romantically involved with a British officer, and the Mahasabha's leaders have promised to disrupt the film's shooting in Rajasthan if the "offensive portions" are not removed. Unsurprisingly, the Rajput Karni Sena has announced their support of their Brahmin colleagues. The SBM had previously supported the anti-Padmaavat protests staged by the Karni Sena.
As reported by the Indian Express, MSB's founder president Suresh Misra said, “We learnt about it from our friends and acquaintances in various parts of Rajasthan where some scenes of the film are being shot. The film is based on a foreigner’s book and tries to dampen the queen’s reputation.” The book mentioned is Rani, authored by Jaishree Misra, which claims that the queen of Jhansi had an affair with British officer Robert Ellis; the book had been previously banned in 2008 by the then Mayawati-led Uttar Pradesh government.
According to the report, MSB sent a letter to the film's producer Kamal Jain, outlining their objections as well as promising action if their demands aren't met. The outfit claims that the producers have yet to respond to their letter.
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