Manikarnika box office collection Day 2: Kangana Ranaut's period drama picks up pace, earns Rs 26.85 cr

Kangana Ranaut's period drama Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi earned Rs 8.75 crore on the opening day. However, it picked up pace on Saturday and raked in Rs 18.10 crore. The collection, which includes Hindi, Telugu and Tamil versions, currently stands at Rs 26.85 crore. According to trade analysts, a strong word of mouth and the Republic Day holiday lead to a good footfall in theatres.[caption id="attachment_5750781" align="alignnone" width="825"]

Still from Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. YouTube screengrab[/caption]

Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi focuses on Rani Laxmibai's fight against British colonisers for the rightful independence of her country and land. The film also stars Atul Kulkarni, Jisshu Sengupta, Suresh Oberoi, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa among others. KV Vijayendra Prasad, screenwriter of blockbusters like Baahubali franchise has penned the script of Manikarnika.The film had also faced its share of controversies with Sonu Sood's exit and Kangana sharing the directorial duties with Krish. Manikarnika had also invited severe protests from political outfits who had claimed to be part of Karni Sena for allegedly distorting history and alluding to a relationship between a British officer and Rani Laxmibai.