It’s probably for the first time in Bollywood, that someone went all out in terms of energy and resources to bring alive a martyr like Rani Laxmibai on the big screen, a magnum opus by Krish and Kangana Ranaut- Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi.
The audience probably witnessed such a stellar performance for the first time, and hence, generously showered accolades for the movie makers. Rani Laxmibai was alive on the screen! That experience of witnessing the queen fighting with the British, which seemed real in every sense, was energizing in every way. It gave me goosebumps, to be honest.
It was nothing short of victory for Bollywood to make this movie happen. Kudos to the team!
But, what was shocking was that not a single Bollywood biggie had a single word of appreciation for the efforts and the hard work of the team, the same bigwigs who can’t stop praising even most underperformed movies of other star-kids.
Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar, Amir Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan; no one tweeted any form of acknowledgment for the movie.
Was it only because it was a Kangana movie, the girl who has been made to feel like an outsider for being outspoken?
These are the same stars who have so much to say about humanity, nationalism, women empowerment etc. Is it not hypocrisy then, to stay silent on a movie of this stature?
It’s time Bollywood acknowledges Kangna Ranaut and her talent. They must understand that the expectations with the Indian cinema are changing. The audience is seeking movies like Uri and Manikarnika, and no more of psychological dramas.