Ketan Mehta sends legal notice to Kangana Ranaut for ‘hijacking’ project 'Rani of Jhansi...'

Ketan Mehta has sent a legal notice to the three-time National Film Award winning actress for conniving with producer Kamal Jain and others to hijack ‘Rani of Jhansi - The Warrior Queen’.

Mumbai: Controversy’s favourite child Kangana Ranaut is back in news for all wrong reasons! A few days after Apurva Asrani accused her of taking credit for the story of Hansal Mehta’s film ‘Simran’ as a co-writer, acclaimed filmmaker Ketan Mehta has said that he has sent a legal notice to the actress for ‘hijacking’ his ambitious project on Rani Lakshmibai.

Mehta, who has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry in the past, has sent a legal notice to the three-time National Film Award winning actress for conniving with producer Kamal Jain and others to hijack ‘Rani of Jhansi - The Warrior Queen’.

According to Mehta, he had approached Kangana to play the role of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi in his film in June 2015. The actress had publicly committed to doing the project with him in 2015 but later she announced another film titled ‘Manikarnika - the Queen of Jhansi’ with another producer and director.

Mehta confirmed the news by saying, “Yes it is true. We have sent a notice to Kangana as I think there is an attempt of hijacking a film.”

"I had approached her in June 2015 regarding this project and she had readily agreed to do it and enough statements have been made by her showing the commitment about the project," Mehta said.

"We also shared the script, certain research material and a lot of discussion had happened. After this, suddenly we hear that she is doing a project with some other producer. I find this completely unethical," he added.

Mehta has directed films such as ‘Mirch Masala’ featuring Smita Patil and Naseeruddin Shah, ‘Maya Memsaab’ starring Deepa Mehta and Shah Rukh Khan, ‘Mangal Pandey - The Rising’ starring Aamir Khan and ‘Manjhi - The Mountain Man’ starring Nawauddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte says now his lawyer will take up the matter with the actress.

"This is for the legal lawyer to work it out. We have put 10 years of our life in this project as it's a great project for the world, not just India," he said.

Asked if Kangana has responded to the notice yet he said: "She is yet to respond to it."

‘Manikarnika - The Queen Of Jhansi’, slated to release in April 2018, is being directed by Krish.

(With IANS inputs)