#Review: Anushka Sen's 'Jhansi Ki Rani' manages to make a HUGE impact with MINOR flaws

The wave and unwanted hullabaloo around Kangana Ranaut's Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi would have been enough to give Colors' latest show, Khoob Ladi Mardaani - Jhansi Ki Rani the buzz it needs. While that was prevalent, Jhansi Ki Rani had its own anticipation among the TV folks out there. The show finally went on-air last night and here is our review of the same.

Beginning rather quintessentially, a montage leads us through how British conquered Indians and the current scenario is how Peshwa Bajirao II is the King right now and has his ministers with him too. While on a training drill of sorts, we witness the anticipated but fantastic entry of Manikarnika aka Manu (Anushka Sen). Albeit she has a cliched entry but she makes an impact immediately with the same. What follows is predictable where Tatya, Manikarnika and another kid compete in the training drill and obviously, she wins it.

What follows is the first showdown between a British officer and Manikarnika, where the latter just can't fathom on how and why is her grandfather bowing down to the British. But, she is shushed and the situation goes on. Then comes the most bromide representation of an evil British officer of Captain Ross (Jason Shah). He is strategizing and plotting with Rani Jankibai (Anuja Sathe) while we see flashes of his absolute cruelty. Jankibai's negative side is shown even better when she fulfils the deed of killing off Raja Gangadhar's (Vikkas Manaktala) first child just as he is born. This also leads to the death of Gangadhar's first wife as her dying wish is that her husband marries again.

The episode ends with Manu not able to sustain her angst and invading a British settlement as she climbs and claws her way up to the tower where the British flag is being hoisted. Evidently, she takes the flag off and puts on the orange Maratha flag instead screaming 'Har Har Mahadev.'

The little nuances which are unspoken but there is what makes the show truly amazing. From the fact that over umpteen years ago, Bajirao did not discriminate between boy and girl child and maintains equality is an amazing sight to see to the instance where Manu removes the British flag. Unlike being overtly patriotic, it is made sure that the British flag being thrown away or something disrespectful is not portrayed which could have easily been the case otherwise.

Anushka Sen as Manikarnika is absolutely phenomenal. Not only does she have the poise and fierceness of playing the titular role but also the quietness chirp and innocence of a young girl that the character needs. Vijay Kashyap as Peshwa Bajirao, Rajesh Shringarpure as Morpant, Anuja Sathe as Jankibai and Vikkas Manaktala as Gangadhar Rao also make an instant impact with their acting prowess in the show.

The first impression that is left on us is truly amazing as we get to hear the amazing Vijay Raaz doing the narration and Kailash Kher's perfectly sung title track.

The fight sequences and special effects along with the setting also deserve a special mention of being up to the mark.

It isn't that people may not have been talking the way we see freedom fighters talking back then. But the fact that it has been done so much over the years makes it come across as a tad jingoistic and monotonous too. Dialogues like 'yeh dharti meri maa hai' do not announce the same patriotic feels anymore only because of being overdone so much.

Jason Shah's Captain Ross is textbook bad man, but what is worse is the stereotypical portrayal of the British officer. Loud, cunning, ruthless and other things can be portrayed in a poised manner too, but Jason's portrayal is weak and we hope it gets better ahead.

The show certainly lives up to the hype it created and with being a lot less jingoistic and much more informative and entertaining, Khoob Ladi Mardaani - Jhansi Ki Rani seems a certain winner to have on the small screen.