Actress Ankita Lokhande is making her Bollywood debut with Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi and she is playing the role of Jhalkaribai, who served in the women battalion of the Queen of Jhansi and she later became her chief advisor. The 33-year-old actress on Jhalkaribai's 188th birth anniversary paid rich tribute to warrior with an Instagram post. She accompanied the post with a collage herself dressed as Jhalkaribai and a photo of the historical character. "On the occasion of Jhalkari Bai's 188th birth anniversary, I want to take this opportunity to introduce you to the women she really was. Jhalkaribai was a woman soldier who played an important role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. She served in the women's army of Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi. She eventually rose to a position of a prominent advisor to the queen, Rani of Jhansi herself. Her heroism and sacrifices for the society are unsung but this woman was one of the most important factors in the battle of Jhansi," read an excerpt from Ankita Lokhande's post.
In the post, Ankita also added how playing the role in Manikarnika helped her discover the "Jhalkaribai in herself". "I had never thought that I would get a chance to play such a strong character in my life but Manikarnika had taken me to a journey of not only discovering the real Jhalkaribai but also helped me discover the Jhalkaribai in me."
Ankita concluded the note by writing: "This note is to each and every girl who is out there and who is fighting their own battles. I just want to tell you that don't give up. Fight your battles with pride and never let anyone put you down."
Earlier, a photo of the actress dressed as Jhalkaribai hit the Internet and went crazy viral. In the photo, the actress can be seen draped in a saree (typical Marathi style), sporting chunky silver jewellery and her middle-parted hair neatly tied in a bun.
Directed by Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi (Krish), Manikarnika is the biopic of the Queen of Jhansi, who shines as a significant figure on the pages of Indian history for her rebellion against British Raj in 1857. Kangana Ranaut plays the titular character in the film. Kangana has also directed a few portions of Manikarnika after director Krish got busy with another project. Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi hits the screens on January 25, 2019.
