Manikarnika action director Nick Powell is highly impressed with the film’s lead actress Kangana Ranaut. He says that “at times pulled off smoother stunts than Tom Cruise.” The trailer is out on YouTube and is sending shivers down the spine.
Nick Powell, who has coordinated action sequences in Hollywood films such as The Gladiator and The Last Samurai, said that a female artiste leading stunts in Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi was an ‘incentive’ for him.
“Kangana insisted on doing all the action herself. The idea was to show a warrior who has been learning the ropes from a young age. Kangana practiced sword fighting for eight hours a day, and convincingly pulled off each stunt.”
Powell has been associated with Hollywood movies like X-Men The Last Stand, Gladiator, Resident Evil: Retribution, and Tom Cruise starrer The Last Samurai among others. He has also contributed as the stunt coordinator for Rajinikanth-Akshay Kumar Starrer 2.0.
Manikarnika is the story of Queen of Jhansi, Rani Laxmibai, who took on the might of the British during the revolt of 1857.
The trailer shows the heart-wrenching transformation of a spirited young girl named Manikarnika who becomes the fierce freedom fighter that we know as Rani Laxmibai. The highlight of the trailer is Kangana’s absolutely stunning performance as Rani Laxmibai and the terrific action scenes.
