Mishti Chakraborty on her role being cut down in Kangana Ranaut's Manikarnika: I was hurt

Mishti Chakraborty, who was seen in Kangana Ranaut-starrer "Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi", Thursday said she was hurt after watching the film as her role was cut down.

Mishti played the role of Kashibai in the period-drama film that has minted over Rs 50 crore at the box office.

In a recent interview to a portal, Mishti had slammed Kangana, who took over the direction from Krishna Jagarlamudi that has led to a controversy over credits, for chopping of her role.

"I was hurt. Whenever you sign a film, you are told this is what you would be doing in the film. But you realise you are not doing anything. This is a lie and that too someone tricks you into giving them extra dates so that they can cut the previously shot scenes. That's very wrong," Mishti said at an event here.

The actor said she had signed on the dotted line when Jagarlamudi, also known as Krish, was involved with the film but things changed after Kangana took over.

Mishti said artistes are known to be narcissists but a director should be neutral.

"... A director should always be neutral, he or she cannot be biased about anything and for him or her, every aspect is important. A real director can never be self- obsessed. The director has to be fair to everyone," she said at the launch of her single "Hone De Ishq Shuru".

"There are times when we shoot for over 100 days but not all is retained. So, obviously a little bit would be cut. But if you unnecessarily, just to glorify yourself, diminish other people's characters, that's very wrong. No sensible artiste would do that," she added.

Mishti, who has not spoken to Kangana over the issue, said she came to know about her role being cut down only after the screening of the film.

Kangana has maintained that she stepped in to save the film after director Krish left it midway, a claim denied by the director.

Krish has said that he had almost completed the film and only patchwork was left when Kangana became involved and wrongly claimed the credit as the main director.

Mishti said Krish and other team members have started speaking about it after the release because they did not want to hurt the film's chances at the box office.

"The director was earlier quiet to not let anything affect the film. The same thing was followed by other people in the film," she added.

According to Mishti, Krish has been getting calls from everywhere so he decided to speak up now.

"The truth, which I know and I believe 90 per cent of the people know, is that the director completed the film. I was there till the end so I know who shot how much.

"The whole film was completed and then he told Kangana and producers that he needed to sign a film in South, which was NTR biopic, and after he would be done shooting that he would come back for patchwork, whatever was left." 

As per Mishti, the director wanted to come back and complete the patchwork on "Manikarnika..." but then it was decided that the film would be presented in a different way and he "wasn't welcomed back".

"I am neither blaming anyone, nor commenting on someone's ego. I am just telling everyone what transpired. Whatever you guys have known so far, a lot in it is wrong," she said.