Kangana Ranaut's Manikarnika faces protest by Brahman outfit

After furor over Deepika Padukone's Padmaavat, Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut's upcoming period drama Manikarnika is drawing opposition in Rajasthan on a similar ground.

The Queen of Jhansi is based on the life of the 19th century queen of Jhansi, Lakshmi Bai, a prominent freedom fighter in Indian history. Addressing a press conference in Jaipur on Monday, Suresh Mishra, the president of the Sarva Brahman Mahasabha (SBM) alleged that the film Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi distorts history regarding Laxmi Bai and depicts a love affair between her and a British man.

"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," said Mishra, reports Hindustan Times. The group suspects the filmmakers are basing their film on a historical fiction book that has a mention of a romantic relationship between Rani Lakshmibai and British officer Robert Ellis. It was banned in Uttar Pradesh in February 2008 by the then Mayawati-led government.

He is also reported to have sent a letter to the film's producer Kamal Jain making an inquiry about the film's writers and the historians the makers have consulted. He also alleged that he did not receive a response from Jain in this regard. 'Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi', the highly anticipated biographical film is based on the life of the queen of the princely state of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai and her war against the British East India Company during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The movie is directed by Krish Jagarlamudi.