The powerful women from Manikarnika’s army

The story of Rani Laxmibai is a clarion call for the power of women. But, this fierce warrior queen wasn’t the only woman who fought valiantly against the British in India’s effort to be a free nation. The queen had a band of women who were her support system and fought next to her, till the end. Jhalkaribai (played by Ankita Lokhande in the film) was a solid support system for Manikarnika.Legend has it that Rani Laxmibai spotted Jhalkari and was surprised with the shocking and uncanny resemblance they shared. It was for this reason that Jhalkari was immediately included in the women’s wing of the army by the queen of Jhansi. Jhalkari was given intense training for shooting and lighting the fire on canons as their army prepared for a British invasion.
Kashibai (played by Misthi Chakraborty) was one of the closest support system and a friend of the queen, too. Right from their childhood, Kashibai stood besides the young queen. Another strong fighter, Mundar (played by Unnati Davara), was a close aide and fighter in the Rani’s army.
Produced by Zee Studios and Kamal Jain, ‘Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi’, directed by Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi and Kangana Ranaut, releases on January 25.