The Maharani of Jansi

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Movie
German title The Maharani of Jansi
Original title Jhansi Ki Rani
झाँसी की रानी
Country of production India
original language Hindi , English
Publishing year 1953
length 148 minutes
shortened international version: 96 minutes
Rod
Director Sohrab modes
script Géza Herczeg , Sudarshan , Adi Keeka
production Sohrab modes for Minerva Movietone
music Vasant Desai
camera Ernest Haller
cut Russell Lloyd , P. Bhalchandra , D. Shirdhankar
occupation

The Maharani of Dschansi (alternative film title: fire and storm , original title: Jhansi Ki Rani , Hindi झाँसी की रानी Jhā̃sī kī Rānī ) is an Indian historical film by Sohrab Modi from 1953. It is often referred to as the first Indian color film in technicolor . The German-language performance corresponded to the US-American version with the title The Tiger and the Flame , which was published in 1956 and was shortened by the pieces of music .

action

In the princely state of Jhansi , which is under British suzerainty , after the death of the old, childless Raja in 1838, the widower Gangadhar Rao is appointed the new Raja by the East India Company . The coup was initiated by his nephew Sadashiv Rao, who saw himself as the next of kin as a natural heir to the throne after Gangadhar's death.

The priest and royal advisor Rajguru, who has been leading the country's political affairs in the background for the past few years, is offended because he was not consulted before the signing of the protectorate agreement with the British. But he immediately leaves Jhansi in order to find a wife for Gangadhar in other countries on the subcontinent. After a long search he finds the self-confident girl Manu in Bithur , whom he brings to Jhansi as a bride for Gangadhar with the consent of her father Moropant and the Peshwas Baji Rao II . The wedding is celebrated pompously. Rajguru trained her in the arts of mind and body for ten years until she grew up to be a young woman and took her place at the side of the Raja of Jhansi. A little later she gives birth to a son.

In order to strengthen their influence on business in Jhansi, the British send Lieutenant Dowker to Jhansi, who, like Rani Lakshmibai, comes from Bithur and knows them from their childhood. He is present during the festivities for the Raja's birthday.

During the celebrations, the ruling couple's baby dies. Gangadhar adopts his four-year-old nephew Damodar Rao to circumvent Dalhousie's Doctrine of Lapse . But he dies shortly afterwards. After the hastily arranged coronation of the child, an envoy from Dalhousie announced the annexation of Jhansi in order to ensure law and order in the country. Lakshmibai tells him to fight for the freedom of their country and not to accept a takeover by the British. They let them be.

In the following four years the anti-British efforts in northern and central India intensified. Influential Indian circles are said to have spread the rumor , to shake the morale of the Indian sepoy soldiers, that the new cartridge cases had been smeared with beef blood and pork fat. The death of the soldier Mangal Pande and the uprisings in May and June 1857 also dragged Jhansi into the maelstrom of events, against the resistance of the Rani.

At the British headquarters in the garrison town of Mhow , General Hugh Rose is convinced that the Rani von Jhansi is personally responsible for a massacre of British civilians. He tells her through the messenger Henry Dowker that she has to leave Jhansi within 48 hours. She then invites General Rose to fight in the field. The British lay siege to Jhansi Fortress for six days, but it was only after Sadashiv Rao had bribed the fortress guard that they were able to penetrate the city and win the argument.

Lakshmibai flees Jhansi and, on the advice of Rajguru, allies with Nana Sahib in Gwalior . There she is wounded in the battle with the British and dies.

Others

The film was based on a story by SR Dubey . Art director Rusi K. Banker designed the furnishings . The dances in the film were designed by Madame Simkie and Vinod Chopra. For the lyrics to music by Vasant Desai was Radheshyam Kathavachak responsible. The singers were Mohammed Rafi , Sulochana Kadam , Suman Purohit , Parshuram and P. Ramakant .

The film, especially the battle scenes, was created with the assistance of the Indian Ministry of Defense and the horses, elephants and subjects of the Maharajas of Bikaner and Jaipur . Sohrab Modi and his wife Mehtab Modi played the title role.

The international version of the film was shortened to include the music and dance pieces. The film had its German television premiere in 1970 at the DFF ; when it was shown on ZDF in 1990, it was shown under the title Feuer und Sturm .

literature

Jhansi Ki Rani . In: Ashish Rajadhyaksha, Paul Willemen: Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema , p. 332

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema , p. 332
  2. ↑ Yesteryear actress Mehtab remembers her husband Sohrab Modi
  3. ^ The Maharani of Dschansi in the Lexicon of International Films