I IDENTIFY WITH RANI LAXMIBAI’S SP
Ranaut calls Jhansi ki Rani, the ‘daughter of this land’; says she hasn’t been ‘part of such a big canvas’ before
Thanks to school textbooks, as kids, we all remember reading and admiring warrior queen, Rani Laxmibai’s bravery. Now, her valiant tale is set to hit the silver screen with Kangana Ranaut’s historical drama, Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. Expectedly, there will be hordes of curious moviegoers as well as sharp critique. But the lead actor and co-director, Kangana, is unfazed despite physical strain. “Last year, I finished work on Manikarnika followed by Mental Hai Kya. Then I came back to direct and also act in the epic. Post that, I also finished a schedule of Panga. So, 2018 was exceptionally busy,” says the actor, as she opens up about her film and the challenges that she faced. Excerpts:
To start with, are you nervous, since Manikarnika is possibly your biggest film till date? Undoubtedly, it is [my biggest one]. I don’t think I have been part of such a big canvas before. It’s a bona fide biggie that will also have a huge release. Even other artistes such as KV Vijayendra Prasad (story and screenplay writer) and Prasoon Joshi (songs and dialogues writer) have invested a lot, creatively. A film’s scale can be big or small but with Manikarnika, the magnitude of what it stands for has always been there. So, it’s a very big film for me.
Are you more nervous or excited? I think excitement zyaada hai. The way we have shot our film — including the action scenes shot by Nick Powell — is very exciting. India mein kisi ne iss magnitude ki action film nahi dekhi hai. We shot only action for 80 days. Till date, Hindi epic dramas have mostly been focused around love stories. But ours is a proper war film and at the core, it’s an ultimate underdog film. In those times when women used to be behind purdah, it must have been a really great moment to see a woman becoming the ruler and rising to power.
As a woman, do you identify with Laxmibai’s powerful personality? Totally! Nowadays, of course, things aren’t that extreme (laughs). Abhi toh chhoti-moti ladaiyaan rehti hai. Rani Laxmibai, for instance, tied her kid on her back and went to the battlefield. How much confidence must she have had on her war skills? But today, we fight for fun. So, there is no comparison but I do identify with Laxmibai’s spirit, who fought for her dignity.
Personally, what does Rani Laxmibai symbolise for you? In the film, I had to only take forward what Vijayendra sir and Prasoon sir had imagined. But in general, how do we know so much about Jhansi ki Rani? It’s due to General Hugh Rose (commanding officer of British Army), whom she fought against and died, after many battles. But he got obsessed with Rani Laxmibai, and went on to write about her bravery and beauty. In fact, he has written a lot about her in his autobiography, too. That’s how we realise that we can look at her in many ways. Vijayendra sir went with the daughter’s perspective and we have interpreted her as ‘Desh ki beti’. So, for us, she is the daughter of this land and this film pretty much shows the journey of a young girl who becomes a great warrior.
Working on such a mammoth film must have been difficult for you... In today’s times, we can’t understand the magnitude of violence, constant conflict, rage and a sense of melancholy as well as pain these people used to constantly live in. Psychologically, it was different and difficult for me because as an actor, I believe in method, and get into the psyche of who I am [playing]. But in this case, the amount of rage in her to be able to slit throats, stab people or chop somebody’s arm off, must be insane. And I was in this space for months. I feel violence is a very masculine expression and that’s why such women are called ‘mardani’. For a man, it can be a little easier to identify with bashing and beating.
Till date, Hindi epic dramas have mostly been focused around love stories. But ours is a proper war film and at the core, it’s an ultimate underdog film.
KANGANA RANAUT, ACTOR