Jhansi Ki Rani Laxmibai

When the Raja of Jhansi dies, the British place harsh conditions before letting the Raja's son, Gangadhar, take over the throne. Jhansi's Rajguru plans ahead by getting a young girl, Manu, from a neighbouring kingdom to marry Gangadhar, despite their age difference. Manu is anointed the Rani of Jhansi and her name is changed to Laxmibai (Kashish). She soon gets pregnant but the newborn child dies a few months later. Bereft, Gangadhar's health begins to fail. With no hope of a natural heir to the kingdom, Gangadhar and Laxmibai adopt a young boy, Diwakar. When Gangadhar dies, Laxmibai attempts to have Diwakar anointed the Raja. However, the British object and soon declare war on Jhansi. How Laxmibai joins forces with Tatya Tope and fights the British to death iforms the rest of the film.

Directed by Rajesh Mittal, Jhansi Ki Rani Laxmibai leans on a strong ensemble — Tom Alter, Arav Chowdhary, Sadashiv Amrapurkar — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about history titles of 2012.