Historical biopics can be a bit dry at times, but there are still plenty of interesting stories out there that many may not be familiar with. The Warrior Queen of Jhansi is one such example, telling a story about a person famous in her homeland but who will not be as well known in this part of the world. The movie doesn’t have the means to present its story in the most epic manner possible, but still serves as an interesting tale and introduction to the real figure.
Set in the mid-19th century, the film is a biopic of Rani Lakshmihai (Devika Bhise), Queen of Jhansi district in Uttar Pradesh, India. Despite serving as a visionary leader and described as truly at one with her people, she is backed into a corner by the British East India Company and their attempts to take control of her country and wrestle power away. While the offensive is headed by the sinister Sir Robert Hamilton (Nathaniel Parker) led by Sir Hugh Rose (Rupert Everett), Queen Lakshmaihai leads a resistance movement as the British army moves forward.
It seems that this queen is every bit the warrior described, excelling at training many women to take part in battle and fight for victory. Of course, the unreasonable efforts of the East India Trading Company also have unintended consequences in unifying disparate and warring factions within the country and tying them against the British. The political details behind the story are quite interesting and the lead is an easy character to root for. This is also a nicely shot film with a few striking images (including the lead character riding a horse into a pool of water).
Admittedly, while earnest in intent the film isn’t perfect and does suffer from budgetary issues. Some of the CGI effects involving bloodshed aren’t quite as convincing as hoped for and a few of the potentially big battles early on are depicted using montages. The lead and established performers do just fine, but some of the supporting cast are let down by a lot of expository dialogue that ends up presenting them in too stiff a manner. Major Robert Ellis (Ben Lamb) does come across as conflicted about his actions, yet some of the other baddies are too obvious and one-note in their written characterizations – you can almost see them nefariously twirling their mustaches (or even sideburns) as they bark out orders.
Although there may be some issues present and one wishes for a more detailed telling, it is an interesting story for those unfamiliar with this historic female warrior. The scenic locations presented are impressive and costuming also stands out. The Warrior Queen of Jhansi may not be the perfect retelling of a legend, but it may inspire a few to find out more about Rani of Jhansi and her remarkable life.