Manikarnika

Here is an opportunity for those who have not heard of the legendary Rani Laxmibai, the warrior queen of Jhansi, who gallantly battled against the British with her infant son tied to her back during the Indian revolution.

Actress Kangana Ranaut who has helmed this film along with Krish Jagarlamudi, plays the eponymous role with all sincerity. Her craft-fuelled intoxication is both naive and endearing. 

The VFX and the live action sequences are seamlessly layered by Film Editor Rameshwar S. Bhagat. Overall, this film is awe inspiring due to its grandeur but fails to touch the emotional chord in your heart.

Manikarnika – The Queen of Jhansi is the real story of a warrior queen Manikarnika(Kangana Ranaut), who stood against all odds to safeguard her kingdom Jhansi and declared a war against the British rule to bring Independence to our Nation. 

Kangana Ranaut perfectly fit in the role of Manikarnika and delivers an award-winning performance. Especially, her acting during a few crucial emotional scenes is outstanding and brings a lot of depth to the proceedings.

On the whole, Manikarnika is a gritty story of the unsung warrior queen Laxmibai. The way she fought with the British to safeguard her kingdom has been showcased in a good manner. 

Jhansi ki Rani Lakshmi Bai is one of the most popular heroes of the freedom struggle of India. She’s worshipped in the history books too. All that adoration when made into a film makes us to expect some pumping of adrenaline with patriotism.

The film starts palely with an absolutely no buildup scene of the introduction of Manikarnika. Unconventional, but sorry it didn’t work here. The movie’s first half shows more about the personality of Lakshmi Bai. 

Performances wise, Kangana has given a sincere and convincing performance. Playing a woman warrior is tricky job. One can easily overdo it.