Television actress Ankita Lokhandhe , who made her Bollywood debut with Kangana Ranaut’s period drama Manikarnika:The Queen of Jhansi , is receiving praises for her performance in the film as Jhalkari Bai, one of the commanders in Rani Laxmi Bai’s army. On 28 January, Ankita took to Instagram and expressed her gratitude to everyone who has been a part of her journey so far. She shared an image from the opening credits of her film that introduced her as Jhalkari Bai and wrote that her dream has finally come true. Ankita, who became a household name after playing the role of Archana in television series Pavitra Rishta, thanked the producer of the soap Ekta Kapoor. “I want to thank Ekta Kapoor ma’am for recognising the talent in me and giving me Pavitra Rishta which gave me the identity across the country,” she further wrote. Ankita also conveyed her gratitude towards actress Kangana for being the “best” co-star and director in Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi.
Directed by Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi and Ranaut, Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi also stars Jisshu Sengupta and Danny Denzongpa in important roles.