There are many accounts of heroes whose courageous actions change the course of the history. Sadly many tall tales have gone untold – that is until ambitious filmmakers found a way to a way to bring to life real life characters teaching us about the unsung heroes. THE WARRIOR QUEEN OF JHANSI is the story of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, a brave leader, who at the tender age of 24 took on the East India Company and British Empire. Her rebellion against a foreign power oppressing her people earned her the title “Joan of Arc of the East.”
Gangadhar Rao (Milind Gunaji), once the king of Jhansi, marries a young woman who later becomes known as Lakshmibai (Devika Bhise). The couple, in the presence of a British officer, adopts the ruler’s nephew because they have no son of their own. But upon Gangadhar Rao death a governor with the East India Company reneges on a promise to leave Jhansi in the hands of the Indian royal family. With no biological heir for the royal couple, the governor uses the Doctrine of Lapse to reject the adopted boy’s claim to the throne and the governor begins taking steps to seize the territory. This turn of events ignites Rani Lakshmibai’s rebellion against the foreign invaders.
The young queen seeks out advice from Major Robert Ellis (Ben Lamb) on how to prevent those in power with the British trading company not to take her lands away. Despite Robert’s best efforts to persuade his counterparts not to violate the terms of their agreement, wheels are set in motion to take Jhansi by force. Major Ellis, dismayed by his colleagues actions, tells the queen he admires (and it’s implied he may have been in love with her) that she will face the challenge of defeating the English army that is approaching her doorstep.
It is clear that Devika Bhise must have trained long and hard to achieve agility a warrior would use in the battlefield and in hand-to-hand combat. The fight sequences, which are well choreographed, are sharp, stylish and slick. Bhise is able to effectively portray a regal newly anointed queen facing difficult decisions as she leads her people to battle. Eye catching scenes that range from the palaces of India, to the lush greenery, and the open deserts of an exotic land are very eye catching in this film. The supporting cast portrays real life people with various viewpoints of those who would rule vs those who would rebel. The movie provides insight into how wrong it is for one country to stamp out a way of life and culture due to a lack of understanding the people that have honored their traditions for centuries.
THE WARRIOR QUEEN OF JHANSI attempts to tell an interesting and inspiring story of a woman who defies all odds and rises to become a clever military strategist leading an army against the British. But sadly this project by director Swati Bhise and her daughter/lead actress Devika misses the mark and just winds up being a weak attempt at bringing a piece of history to the big screen. The dialogue is often stale and too much as it switches back and forth between three languages. The pacing of the production is clunky and sluggish adding further to the lack luster. What could have been a sweeping epic inspiring film winds up as a weak exercise accounting the life a female super woman of sorts. Not even the effective portrayal of this fierce noble queen by Devika Bhise could save this film defeat. Those that already know Rani Laxshimibai’s story are better off sticking to the history books and using their own imagination as to what type of person the woman/warrior the queen of Jhansi was for her followers.
