Brave. Fearless. Inspirational. These are the words which aptly define the Rani of Jhansi. ‘The Warrior Queen of Jhansi’ narrates the exemplary story of the Rani who is a symbol of valour and national pride. The film celebrates the Rani of Jhansi who went down in the annals of history as a freedom fighter who believed in the unyielding feminine force. The Warrior Queen of Jhansi Trailer: Hollywood Tells the Heroic Tale of Rani Lakshmibai (Watch Video)

While the director of the film, Swati Bhise prepared for all the visual aesthetics of the film, the actress who plays the role of the queen, Devika Bhise, stepped up into a rigorous physical regime to play the role to perfection. Devika not only trained extensively in London with top notch stuntmen Marcus Shakesheff but also studied the ancient martial art of Kalaripayattu under Master Gopakumar in India. Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi New Still: Kangana Ranaut Looks Fierce As Warrior Princess.

“It’s the oldest martial art in the world,” she explains. “It was really tough, because you are using real weapons and can easily injure yourself. At one point during the training I had to have an emergency eye surgery because a shard of metal from the weapons had made its way into my cornea!”

It is in fact so deadly that Devika had to “untrain” herself when she started filming, from the real-life techniques designed to kill, to techniques used in stage and film combat. Taking place between 1853 and 1858, The Warrior Queen of Jhansi illustrates the story of how the Rani and her troops defended Jhansi against the ruthless greed of the British East India Company as it attempts the annexation of the province.