The Warrior Queen Of Jhansi

Story: As the title suggests, the film revolves around the life and time of Rani Lakshmibai, the queen of Jhansi.

Review: If you have seen Kangana Ranaut's Manikarnika, or the other projects that have been made on the life of Rani Lakshmibai, Swati Bhise's The Warrior Queen of Jhansi won't bring any major revelation in the story.

The film traces the life of Rani Lakshmibai's journey from being Gangadharrao's wife to turning in to the fierce, warrior queen that the world knows her as. The multilingual (English and Marathi) starts with an impending siege by the East India Company on Jhansi and soon goes back five years to trace the reason behind the siege. While the period in which the story unfolds is recreated well, the same can't be said about the execution and performances in the film.

The actors are loud in their portrayal and the dialogues, which oscillate between Marathi and Hindi, seem forced. The fact that most of the actors here are comfortable in English shows through all the scenes. Some well-known Marathi actors, including Ajinkya Deo, Yatin Karyekar, Nagesh Bhosle and Siyaa Patil, make appearances in the film but are largely relegated to the sidelines. The film, understandably, rests on the shoulders of Devika Bhise (last seen in The Man Who Knew Infinity). That she is uncomfortable with Marathi and Hindi lines shows, but she is sincere in her work. So, full marks for honesty and sincerity, but not so much for a convincing portrayal. International actors like Rupert Everett, Derek Jacobi and Nathaniel Parker too try their best but their roles remain largely written to portray the British as the reason behind a huge massacre. Ben Lamb as Major Ellis stands out though.

The Warrior Queen of Jhansi is a tedious watch, primarily because of the below-average execution. Attention has been paid to details like costumes and the setup, but Swati Bhise's direction comes off as amateur. In the end, it's just a whole-hearted attempt that gets lost in heavy dialogue and a bland narrative.