Kangana Ranaut on directing Manikarnika: Lost control initially when things hit me like a hurricane

Kangana Ranaut is currently shooting for Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s _Panga_  in Bhopal but she recently flew down to Mumbai and supervise the edit of her period drama _Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi_ . It was previously reported that she will be sharing the directorial credits with Krish and she even re-shot some portions of the film. [caption id=“attachment_5345811” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Kangana Ranaut in Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi[/caption] The actress said that it was not her first experience in taking part of the editing process or directing a film. “I was 23 or 24, when I directed my first film. It was a 10-minute short film that I had shot with an international crew. Also, at that time, I was struggling with small roles in films like Double Dhamaal. So, I have been a director since then. Be it direction, writing or editing, I have already done it all in the past. When everyone asks me if Manikarnika is my first film as a director, my reply is of  course not. It’s not my first film as a director. You don’t direct a big epic period as your first film.” Ranaut also spoke about how while she is acting in one film, she is simultaneously participating in the edit of the other. By doing so, she is not breaking any new ground or trying to be different and unique. “Every film that I do is important to me because I’ve committed myself to it. I have taken money and assured absolute involvement to the team. But Manikarnika has demanded a lot more of my attention than I intended to give it. I did lose control over things, especially when it came like a hurricane and the way things unfolded overnight. I had to shoot this film amidst a lot of challenges and that was a bit unsettling in the beginning. I had time constraints and bringing the crew was a struggle, which I wasn’t ready for, but I surpassed that. Later on, of course I was in my comfort zone and ready to direct. Eventually, I enjoyed it a lot.” Manikarnika will focus on Rani Laxmibai’s fight against British colonisers for the rightful independence of her country and land. Jisshu Sengupta, Narayan Rao and Atul Kulkarni are part of the supporting cast. The film is slated to to release on the Republic Day weekend next year.