Film Songs
विजयी भव:
Vijayi Bhava
 

Details
  • Composer

  • Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
  • Lyricist

  • Prasoon Joshi
  • Singer

  • Shankar Mahadevan
  • Movie Name:

  • Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
  • Release Year:

  • 2019

 

 

 

Cast Details Movie Story Other Songs From Movie
  • Composer : Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
  • Lyricist : Prasoon Joshi
  • Singer : Shankar Mahadevan
In 1828, Manikarnika is born in the ghats of Varanasi. She is raised by Peshwa Bajirao II and her father, Moropant in Bithoor. A young blossoming Manu is spotted by Jhansi's minister, Dixit-Ji, slaying a tiger. Impressed by her feat, he proposes marriage between her and the Maharaja of the Maratha ruled princely state of Jhansi, Gangadhar Rao. The marriage is celebrated and attended by the Jhansi residents among whom a loud, spunky woman named Jhalkari Bai makes her way to the front along with her husband Puran Singh to take a peek at their new queen. The Maharaja's relative, Sadashiv Rao plots against the king with the British officers who have promised him a part of the state when Jhansi is conquered by the Company. The Maharaja's son Damodar Rao is born but eventually dies, leaving the Maharaja weak on his deathbed. To have an heir for the succession of the Jhansi throne, the Maharaja decides to adopt a child. Much to Sadashiv's dismay, his son is not adopted and instead, Anand Rao, the son of a courtier, is named the heir. His name is changed as Lakshmi Bai instinctively calls him Damodar Rao. Sadashiv revolts and refuses to bow down to the future queen regent Lakshmi Bai and is banished from Jhansi. After a few months, when the Maharaja dies, the Company wants to apply the Doctrine of Lapse and annex Jhansi as it does not have a male heir. Lakshmi Bai does not relent and refuses to accept the practices of widowhood of those times. Instead she takes on the responsibility of the throne in order to fulfill her promise to her late husband. When the British force her to vacate the palace, she walks gracefully into the village and is welcomed and greeted by a massive parade of villagers led by Jhalkari Bai. This further enrages the British officers. The dowager queen continues to live among the civilians quietly strategizing to reclaim the throne. In 1857, a rebellion is sparked by the sepoys due to greased cartridges sent to India. The rebellion begins from Barrackpore, to Lucknow and reaches Jhansi. The Revolutionaries led by Sangram Singh attack Jhansi Headquarters and kill General Gordon and attempt to kill their children and wife. But their attempts are thwarted by Lakshmi Bai who reaches the spot and saves the children. She plans to conquer the throne of Jhansi back while Sangram Singh and his men join the rebellion in Delhi. The company requests the British government to appoint Sir Hugh Rose[22] to salvage the situation and remove Lakshmi Bai from the throne permanently. Knowing very well that she will soon be attacked again, Lakshmi Bai begins training her own army and especially women to fight.She assembles 20,000 troops to fight which are include her attendants - Sunder, Munder, Jhalkari and Kashi. Meanwhile, Sadashiv conjures a mutiny resulting in the deaths of many innocent British women and children in addition to British officers and blames it on the queen to prompt Hugh Rose to attack and crush her for good. Pathans join Laxmibai later in 1858. British lays siege on Jhansi but are unable to breach the walls due to stiff resistance put on by Rani and her forces. During the siege of Jhansi, the Queen valiantly steps into the battlefield to destroy the British cannons strategically placed in front of a temple. The strong fort walls keep the queen and her army steady until Sadashiv Rao divulges secrets about the fort to the British who finally break the siege and manage to storm the keep, resulting in the death of Gaus-Baba. Jhalkari Bai, despite discovering that she is pregnant acts as a decoy pretending to be the queen due to her striking resemblance to Lakshmi Bai. She manages to get all the British soldiers to follow her and distracts them enough for the queen to safely escape the castle with Damodar Rao.Queen ties her son to her back and kills few British soldiers. She rides her horse and escapes to Kalpi. Jhalkari Bai sacrifices herself in a major gunpowder explosion killing numerous British officers along with her. Meanwhile, Lakshmi Bai escapes to Kalpi to reunite with Tantya Tope and other allies.Kashi, Munder and one Pathan Leader manages to save themselves from the massacre at Jhansi and joins Lakshmibai at Kalpi. She captures Gwalior and motivates the soldiers to participate in the war. With a heavy heart, Lakshmi Bai leaves Damodar Rao and leads an attack on the British. Lakshmi Bai bravely sets out to attack the huge British army but then faces a certain defeat.Her attendants- Sunder and Munder are killed in the war. Rani Lakshmi Bai gets shot. While dying she looks at Hugh and immolates herself in a fire to avoid being captured and humiliated by the British. After Rani Lakshmi Bai's death, Jhansi is surrendered to the British Government in 1860 on behalf of Damodar Rao. Damodar Rao although survived, but lived a life suffering from prolonged illness and dire poverty, dying at the age of 58 in 1903. Sadashiv Rao was given death sentence by the British Government in 1870. Ghula