Manikarnika trailer: Kangana Ranaut's revolutionary Rani of Jhansi stands out in this blood and guts trailer

Courage, patriotism, and a lot of blood flow through the trailer of Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. The film, co-directed by Kangana Ranaut and Radhakrishna Jagarlamudi, is set to be released in theatres on 25 January 2019. The film will be released simultaneously in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

The film revolves around the tale of Laxmibai, the queen of Jhansi, who led an uprising against the British imperial forces to protect her kingdom of Jhansi.

The trailer flows in chronological order, beginning from the first introduction of Manikarnika hunting a tiger in the valley. The first sight of Ranaut with the bow is a strong reminder of the Disney animated film Brave (2012), but it might just be coincidental.

Manikarnika is selected as the bride for the maharaja of Jhansi (Jisshu Sengupta), and renamed Laxmibai. But the death of the king puts the kingdom in turmoil. This gives the British a chance to move in to annex Jhansi, while Laxmibai reinforces her army to fight off the incursion.

The trailer captures the grandeur and style of the period film and contains a lot of expansive battle sequences which seem to make the desired impact.

While the battle will be the climactic high point, the film also tugs on the emotional chord of Laxmibai's life as a mother and having to be queen while suffering the loss of her husband and child.

Atul Kulkarni plays the queen's mentor, Tantya Tope, while Ankita Lokhande makes an appearance as Jhalkaribai, the queen's guard and lookalike.

Ranaut delivers with a commanding presence and the action sequences, but it remains to be seen how the actress has taken up the directorial baton from Krish.

The actress has re-shot several dramatic sequences in the film. While the story is by far predictable, the trailer manages to raise some expectations with its raw ferocity.

The film will be released in 2D and IMAX across theatres in India on 25 January 2019.

Watch the trailer below and let us know if you will watch this film in the theatres: