Ketan Mehta opens up on taking legal action against Kangana Ranaut

It looks like controversies surrounding Kangana Ranaut are not dying down anytime soon. Just few days ago, she was blamed for taking Apurva Asrani’s credit as a writer of ‘Simran’, and now, director Ketan Mehta has stated she has hijacked his idea of making a film on Rani Lakshmibai.

The ‘Mangal Pandey’ director recently spoke about the whole scenario. He stated, “Ten years of my research information data and creative inputs on the project. I had shared it all with her. How was I to know it would all be vandalised so mercilessly? What she did was to hijack ten years of my hard work.”

The director said that the actress didn’t inform him that she is not doing his film. Mehta said, “In February, I was in hospital for a minor surgery. When I came out, I got to know of Kangana’s doing through the media. No, she did not inform me that she was not doing my film. As far as I was concerned, we were fully into the pre-production just weeks away from going on the floors, when she did this.”

“On how many levels is this unethical? It is ten years of my hard work and research which I shared with her without hesitation as one would with an ally in a creative partnership. She just decided that she wanted to take my project to another producer Kamal Jain, thereby, effectually sabotaging all my plans,” he added. (Also Read: Ketan Mehta sends legal notice to Kangana Ranaut, accuses her of ‘hijacking’ his film)

The movie was going to be made in English-Hindi bilingual. The filmmaker said, “‘Rani Of Jhansi’ was planned as an English-Hindi bilingual with Gurinder Chadha as the British producer. It was going to be the first full-fledged Indo-UK co-production. Where, when and how did Kamal Jain (who now produces the film) come into the picture? I’ve no clue. Only Kangana can answer that question.”

He reasons why he opted to take a legal way. He said, “It is a really lowdown thing to do. I had to take legal recourse not because I wanted to stir up some action, but, because it is important for me to stand up now when so much of my reputation is at stake. She cannot do this. I don’t know what level of ambition impels her to this level of unprofessionalism. But, if I kept quiet about it, I’d be encouraging an unsavoury practice.”

However, Mehta is determined to make the film. He said, “I’ve to prove to myself and to the audience that such a setback won’t stop me from making my film. I will make ‘Rani Of Jhansi’. May be this incident was meant as a warning that I was perhaps not going about it the right way. Now, it’s time to gather all my inner strength and make my film. I can’t allow Kangana to take away ten years of my life.”

Well, we wonder now which actress Ketan will cast in his film.

Murtuza Iqbal

‘Eat Sleep Bollywood Repeat’ is his life Mantra. Dance is his first love and Rani Mukerji is his eternal crush. He is someone who loves being himself, and as for the ones who don’t agree, his reply? “Talk to my hand!”