Reacting to Hansal Mehta's dig at her, Kangana Ranaut says she is unfazed by loose talk; content with positive reviews that Manikarnika got at screening for President
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 21, 2019)

"I had tears of joy," starts off Kangana Ranaut, describing her moment of glory at Rashtrapati Bhavan where her directorial debut, Manikarnika - The Queen Of Jhansi, had its first screening on Friday. Beaming that months of hard work have borne fruit, the actor reveals that she was surprised by L K Advani's nuanced critique of her work. "I was amazed when he made some technical notes about the film. Prasoon sir [Joshi, lyricist] later told me that Advani ji started his career as a film critic. It was a surreal moment when he complimented my direction."

While she was basking in the appreciation that her labour of love received in the capital, Ranaut seems oblivious to Hansal Mehta's dig at her. When reports emerged of Manikarnika producer Kamal Jain being hospitalised, Mehta tweeted, "Sad news. I completely empathise with him and the possible cause of his condition." His allusion to Ranaut was not lost on anybody - their experience of collaborating on Simran (2017) was reportedly far from smooth sailing.

"People who make such comments are unhappy themselves. While I was shooting Manikarnika, I got multiple stitches on my forehead and broke my leg. No one blamed my director [Krish] for it. So, how is my producer's ill-health caused by me? In B-grade films, when there was a death in the family, the bahu was called manhoos. I feel for that bahu," she laughs, showing that naysayers can dampen neither her spirit nor her sense of humour. "I don't know what Hansal is trying to imply. It's an incoherent narrative where one day, I am a charm to work with, and a few months later, I am not."

Despite her commendable work, the actor appears to struggle to shrug off the 'difficult' tag. But Ranaut remains unperturbed. "A lot of people speak bitterly of me. Prasoon sir once told me, 'In this industry, everyone will like you if you let them exploit you.' If I start working at a lower price, I will be a favourite. Having a voice or opinion is a problem. Isn't it simple that I hold on to my cost, and people respond by saying whether or not it works for them? It's not their place to tell me my worth."