Kangana Ranaut is returning on the big screen on January 25 with her most ambitious film ever, Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. The movie also marks the directorial debut of the National award-winning actress, who shares the credit with Telugu film-maker Krish (Gabbar is Back). Manikarnika is about the lion-hearted Queen of Jhansi, Laxmibai, one of the first freedom fighters who fought against the British in the 1857 National Uprising and lost her life in the process. Manikarnika The Queen of Jhansi Movie: Review, Box Office Collection, Budget, Story, Trailer, Music of Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande Film.

Epically mounted, Manikarnika is made on a budget of Rs 125 crore, which makes it the most expensive female-led film made in Bollywood. The movie also stars Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Jisshu Sengupta, Suresh Oberoi, Nihar Pandya, Mishti and Atul Kulkarni. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy has scored the music for the film, with lyrics by CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi. Kangana Ranaut Beefs Up Security Outside Her House Ahead of the Release of Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi - See Pics.

Songs from the film like "Bharat" and "Vijayi Bhava" have been doing well in the charts. Now it is time to look at the whole album. So here's our review of Manikarnika's soundtrack!

Bharat

Did you love songs like "Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna" from The Legend of Bhagat Singh or "Roobaroo" from Rang De Basanti? Pretty sure that you will also be liking the first song from Manikarnika, "Bharat"? Sung by Shankar Mahadevan, the song begins on a slow note with Mahadevan's vocals dominating over the proceedings. Even as more instruments join in, Mahadevan's singing and Joshi's words work their magic all over this track.

Vijayi Bhava

"Vijayi Bhava" is that rousing track that you need in a war drama like this. The song is a perfect setup as Rani Laxmibai and her troops prepare for the big war against the British. While the song starts on a very average note, the chorus, with the classical strains, adds a beautiful touch to the track. In fact, it is the antara that feels more interesting than the mukhda.

Bolo Kab Pratikar Karoge

Shankar Mahadevan takes a break from crooning to give Sukhwinder Singh his moment to shine in the album. And "Bolo Kab Pratikar Karoge" is the kind of song that Sukhwinder Singh is used to excel in. It is boisterous, a high-on-spirits song that aims to keep your emotions in charge, with lyrics asking you to not bear things silently. S-E-L even puts in a sort of rap with the chorus (Mani Mahadevan, Arun Kamath, Nihal Shetty, Vikas Joshi, Varun Uday and Rituraj Sen) that works in the favour of the track.

Rajaji

Things go for a refreshing change of pace with the melodious "Rajaji" after three emotionally charged tracks. "Rajaji" is mellifluously composed by S-E-L, with singer Pratibha Singh Baghel in complete control of the track, and Ravi Mishra joining her late in the proceedings. The beginning of the song will remind you of AR Rahman's "Marudaani" (from the Tamil film Sakkarakatti). That doesn't take away the fact the song is very pleasant to listen to!

Shiv Tandav

A fast-paced song that worships Lord Shiva, Shiva Tandav is comprised of Sanskrit shlokas and has Shankar Mahadevan take the lead. "Shiv Tandav" is the kind of track that works well on the big screen.

Tak Taki

While I enjoyed the fast-paced songs that Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy has scored for Manikarnika, it is the slower ones that leave you with the most impact. Like "Tak Taki". A soothing track with some melodious singing from Pratibha Singh Baghel and lovely words penned by Prasoon Joshi, this one is a winner!

Dankila

The album concludes with a rambunctious dance track in "Dankila". Prajakta Shukre, Shrinidhi Ghatate, Siddharth Mahadevan and Arunaja have sung this track. It is fun to listen to, but compared to the high standards set by the other songs in the album, "Dankila" pales in comparison.

Here's the audio jukebox of Manikarnika -

LatestLY's Favourites

"Bharat", "Vijayi Bhava", "Rajaji", "Tak Taki"

Final Thoughts

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy has scored a winner of a soundtrack for Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, their best since the very underrated Mirzya in the past couple of years. Prasoon Joshi has also come up with some very beautiful lines, perhaps the best from his penmanship. With the music department taking care of the soundtrack in a very fine manner, here's hoping that the beats will boost the chances Kangana Ranaut's film at the box office.

Rating:4out of 5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 24, 2019 12:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).