Like most of Kangana Ranaut's recent releases, even Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi has been mired in a huge controversy. This has a lot to do with the fact that there was a change in the directors, even as the movie was near completion. Krish, the first director, was booted out and Kangana Ranaut took the reins in her hands, making the film her official directorial debut. Krish, who is quite prolific in Telugu cinema, meanwhile got busy with his upcoming biopic on NTR. Nandamuri Balakrishna's NTR Biopic Also Starring Vidya Balan to be Renamed Kathanayakudu; Release Planned in January 2019.

The makers of Manikarnika recently revealed the trailer of the film, that credits both Krish and Kangana Ranaut as the directors. However, Krish was conspicuous by his absence at the trailer launch, while Kangana Ranaut did most of the talking. In her interaction with the media, she also confirmed that she had shot around 60-70% of the film herself, making it more of her picture than Krish's. She had said, "The script never changed. I just had to take their (the writers) vision forward, which I could interpret. Because after this, about 60 to 70% of the movie is what i have shot. So it is not that I have to take anyone's vision forward." Manikarnika: Queen of Jhansi Trailer : 5 Best Moments from Kangana Ranaut's Historical Saga That Stun Us.

Watch the video below -

The transition from one director to another has been very messy, as actor Sonu Sood, who had an important role in the film, also walked out. Kangana accused him of not wanting to work under a female director, while Sonu has questioned her credibility to handle such a big project and this was not what he signed for.

Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi is scheduled to release on January 25, 2019. We can see then if this change in directors has affected the movie.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 18, 2018 03:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).