My side of story...: Ahaana Krishna drops truth bombs on 'Nancy Rani' controversy

Actor Ahaana Krishna has finally spoken out about the controversy surrounding the film 'Nancy Rani', addressing issues of mismanagement and false accusations against her. After months of silence, she decided to respond after director Manu James’ wife, Nyna, publicly accused her of being unprofessional and refusing to promote the film, which is set to release on March 14.

In a detailed statement, Ahaana revealed that she had refrained from commenting earlier out of respect for Manu James, who passed away in 2023. However, as Nyna’s allegations persisted, she felt compelled to clarify her side of the story. In her statement, Ahaana remarked that if Nyna genuinely wished to promote the film, she should have done so without dragging her into past controversies.

Chaotic production and alleged mismanagement

Ahaana described the film’s production process as highly disorganised, blaming it on Manu’s inexperience. She alleged that costumes went missing, there was no proper scheduling, and “no respect was given to money or time.”

The actress further claimed that Manu “would come drunk to set on multiple days,” causing delays while the cast and crew waited for shooting to start.

Dubbing dispute and performance reshoots

She also stated that her role had been dubbed without her consent and even suspected that parts of her performance had been reshot. The controversy escalated in early 2022 when Ahaana discovered that the filmmakers had hired a dubbing artist for a female role without informing her. When she questioned them, she received no response from either Manu or Nyna. When Manu eventually reached out, asking her to dub for the film after an unsuccessful attempt with another artist, she refused, demanding a proper discussion first.

Allegations of false accusations

Ahaana also accused Manu and Nyna of spreading damaging rumours about her. In April 2022, Nyna allegedly told Ahaana’s mother, “At least my husband was only using alcohol, your daughter was into drugs.”

Later, industry insiders informed Ahaana that Manu and Nyna had spread claims that while she was a talented actress, she had “behavioural issues” due to drug use.

In January 2023, Ahaana confronted Manu regarding these allegations and recorded their conversation. She claimed that he admitted to spreading falsehoods and later apologised via a voice note. While she considered taking legal action, she chose not to after his passing.

Refusal to promote Nancy Rani

Ahaana clarified that her decision not to promote the film was not due to its content but because of the disrespect she had endured. Initially, she had supported the project and even promoted the first-look poster in 2020. However, she later distanced herself following the alleged misuse of her work and defamation.

Addressing Nyna’s claims that Ahaana should “forgive and forget” and that she lacked “humanitarian concern,” the actress stated that she had remained silent for a long time but could no longer ignore repeated false narratives. She also refuted claims that she was contractually bound to promote the film, emphasising that she had been paid only for acting.

Ahaana questions Nyna’s intentions

Ahaana also pointed out inconsistencies in Nyna’s statements. She alleged that in September 2023, Nyna had privately expressed a desire to “get rid of everything connected to him (Manu), including this film.”

The actor suggested that Nyna’s sudden push to promote the movie could be a PR strategy to gain sympathy.