Manikarnika trailer: Kangana Ranaut goes from teenaged Manu to the warrior queen. Watch video

Manikarnika trailer keeps its focus firmly on Kangana Ranaut’s Rani Laxmibai as Danny Dengzopa, Ankita Lokhande and Atul Kulkarni make fleeting appearances. The film also marks Kangana’s debut as a director.

Kangana Ranaut’s Manikarnika trailer begins right at the beginning, with a young girl called Manikarnika —Manu to her family — who will soon be the Queen of Jhansi. The nearly 3.5 minute trailer shows the transformation of Manu into Rani Laxmibai. With blood, battle gear, weaponry and finely draped in patriotism, Kangana’s Manikarnika declares: “We both want Jhansi, the difference is you want to rule and I want to serve.”

Manikarnika trailer: Kangana Ranaut returns as the warrior queen in this Republic Day release.

Watch Manikarnika trailer here

Manikarnika trailer begins with the forces of British East India company soldiers laying siege around Jhansi. As scores of company soldiers surround, a voice-over informs the viewers that unless a successor is found for the throne, the British would annexe Jhansi the way they have done to other princely states across India. Fearless and feisty, we meet Kangana’s Manikarnika. “Kanyay kaise kalaiyaan ghumate hai, main dikhati hun,” she tells a group of sword fighters.

In time, she is married to Raja Gangadhar Rao of Jhansi and together they have a son, but he dies after four months. So, they adopt Gangadhar’s cousin’s son and name him Damodar Rao. This, of course, was not in accordance to the infamous Doctrine of Lapse. The British attack her fort in Jhansi, she escapes with a small group of her loyal soldiers, only to meet the Company soldiers some time later. At the end, she goes down fighting.

Kangana Ranaut as Manikarnika after she becomes a widow.

Taking on the British, Kangana Ranaut wields the sword as Manikarnika.

Manikarnika and Gangadhar Rao get married and she is renamed as Laxmibai.

Rani Laxmibai was known to be an ace horse rider.

On Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) the first teaser of Manikarnika was unveiled and it was quickly lapped up by fans. The teaser gave us a glimpse of the fierce queen, most of it was either in the process of preparing for the impending battle or scenes from the battle itself. One of the most recalled images from the teaser was a still of a bloodstained close-up of Kangana with blood in her teeth and mouth.

(From left) Ankita Lokhande as Jhalkari Bai, Jisshu Sengupta as Raja Gangadhar Rao, Danny Denzongpa as Ghulam Ghaus Khan and Atul Kulkarni as Tatya Tope.

The film has been mired in a number of controversies this whole year, beginning with Kangana’s many injuries to director Krish walking out of the film and finally her infamous fight with actor Sonu Sood, who too left the film midway. However, in the last month or so, the looks of other prominent characters in the film such as Ankita Lokhande as Jhalkaribai, Atul Kulkarni as Tatya Tope and Danny Dengzopa as Ghulam Ghaus Khan have piqued the interest in the film.

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