Kangana Ranaut may be Bollywood's highest paid actress after Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi

In 2018, Kangana Ranaut's performance in Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi reportedly earned her an amount that entered the actress into the list of highest paid actresses in Bollywood. She was paid Rs 14 crore for the film, reports India Today, which is more than double of her usual fee.

A still from Manikarnika teaser. YouTube screengrab

Manikarnika has faced several issues with its cast and crew, especially when director Krish left the project to take on directorial reigns for the upcoming NTR biopic.

The period drama will focus on Rani Laxmibai's  fight against British colonisers during the 1957 Mutiny. Apart from Kangana, Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi's  supporting cast includes Jisshu Sengupta, Suresh Oberoi and Atul Kulkarni, who will be seen as Ramachandra Pandurang Tope, popularly known as Tatya Tope.

Pay disparity in Bollywood has always been a bone of contention among actresses and many have in the past spoken up on the issue.

Anushka Sharma, Sonakshi Sinha and Kangana Ranaut have expressed their dissatisfaction about the issue. However, in the recent past, the scenario seems to have changed for the better. In 2017, actress Deepika Padukone made headline for apparently having received a higher payment as compared to her Padmaavat co-stars Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh. Padukone later confirmed the news saying that she had demanded it since she knew she was deserving.