The Warrior Queen is Here: Check Out the First Poster of Kangana Ranaut's Manikarnika

The makers of Kangana Ranaut's upcoming historical drama Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi have unveiled the first poster of the film on the occasion of Independence Day. In the poster, shared by filmmaker Krish Jagarlamudi on Twitter, Kangana looks every bit the fierce warrior queen as she rides a horse holding a sword aloft. The poster is a still from a battlefield.

Manikarnika has been penned by KV Vijayendra Prasad, who has previously written blockbusters like Baahubali, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Magadheera. The movie celebrates the extraordinary story of the queen of Jhansi's strength, passion and courage as she leads India’s fight for independence.

Since war is an integral part of the story of Rani Laxmibai, the film is going to be high on action for which the makers have roped in Hollywood action director, Nick Powell, known for his work in movies like Braveheart, The Bourne Identity and The Last Samurai. To prepare for the high octane action sequences, hand combat and sword fighting, Kangana trained for excruciatingly long hours and even sustained multiple injuries.

On talking about what appealed her about the role, Kanagana had earlier said, "I feel that Rani of Jhansi is very relatable for women like us. Life without respect was equivalent to death for her. I think that is something I completely identified with."

The film also features Jisshu Sengupta, Atul Kulkarni, Sonu Sood, Suresh Oberoi and Ankita Lokhande.

Manikarnika will hit the screens on January 25, 2019.