Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi received mixed reviews from critics, who criticised the film's length; however, Ranaut's performance received widespread critical acclaim.
Rajeev Masand of
CNN-IBN gave the film a rating of 3/5 and wrote, "This is a deliberately simplistic film; an old-fashioned patriotic saga told in the broadest of strokes, and with full nationalist fervor". Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, "Ranaut’s extraordinary performance is the film’s biggest strength. She is unwavering in her portrayal of Rani Lakshmibai; There’s a hard-to-miss intensity in her eyes, and tenacity in her voice. She commands the screen with a fiery, arresting presence, never letting your attention wander away from her".
Namrata Joshi of
The Hindu wrote, "Ranaut doesn’t just share the director’s credit; she overshadows all of the cast, including veterans like Danny Denzongpa and consummate performers like Atul Kulkarni and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub. It’s evident that Ranaut has put her all into the film and she's present in practically every frame".
Raja Sen of
Hindustan Times gave the film a rating of 3/5 and wrote, "Ranaut’s film is an arrow against cinema’s
patriarchy, a broadside against the boys". He called Ranaut a "one-woman army" and praised her performance by writing, "Ranaut is glorious and she makes you believe it. She wears a dazzling smile like a cloak of confidence, and slices down enemy soldiers with a fury. We know what this actress is capable of, and she gives even the weaker written parts of this film her all". Shibaji Roychoudhury of
Times Now gave the film a rating of 4/5 and wrote, "
Manikarnika has many moments of genius and enough fire to keep you glued to the screen. Ranaut's performance as the iconic Rani of Jhansi is worth every penny spent". Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, "Ranaut’s portrayal of one of the most iconic women in Indian history is certainly praise-worthy. Her nuanced grasp of the rebel warrior-queen will certainly win you over". Meena Iyer of
DNA gave the film a rating of 4/5 and wrote, "Ranaut, who wears two hats that of the protagonist and the co-director displays a certain maturity on both counts. As a queen, she displays steely resolve, managing to infuse life into her Laxmibai; As a director, she shares credit with Krish and has assuredly contributed to this big-ticket outing". A. Ganesh Nadar of
Rediff gave the film a rating of 4/5 and wrote, "The film is as grand as the
Baahubali films. Unsurprisingly, as both films have been written by the same writer, K. V. Vijayendra Prasad".
Bollywood Hungama gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote, "
Manikarnika is a well-made historical with the right scale, emotional quotient and battle sequences as its highpoint. Also, Kangana Ranaut's performance is the icing on the cake". Praising Ranaut's performance they further wrote, "Ranaut delivers a terrific performance and owns this challenging character. The Rani of Jhansi has a lot of significance and the actress ensures she does complete justice to it. In the action scenes, she is great, but watch out for her performances in the emotional sequences as well".
The Economic Times gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote, "
Manikarnika is a larger-than-life period drama doesn’t need a man to pack a punch". Praising Ranaut's performance they wrote, "Ranaut’s stellar screen presence brings
Manikarnika to life. It highlights her prowess as a prolific actor and adds one more feather to her cap. Her transformation from a young girl to a warrior soaked in blood is effortless". Ronak Kotecha of
Times of India gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote, "
Manikarnika is a well-made film that highlights Ranaut's prowess as an actor. For a first-time filmmaker, she undoubtedly shows spark and potential as a storyteller. Short of an epic, this larger-than-life war drama has enough valour and spirit to keep you engaged in these pages of history." Praising Ranaut's performance, he further wrote, "Ranaut captivates your attention in every frame and grows from strength to strength as the film progresses. This is clearly one of her best performances and the role itself lends ample scope for her to perform; Ranaut effortlessly brings
Manikarnika to life". Devesh Sharma of
Filmfare gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote, "
Manikarnika manages to reintroduce one of the most awe-inspiring figures from India's past. A legend gets reborn, at least on screen, and maybe that's the only reality palatable to us right now". Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, "Ranaut looks to the manor born playing Laxmibai. She channels the spirit of the warrior queen and is her fierce best in war scenes and also manages to give us the glimpse of the icon's soft side". Umesh Punwani of
Koimoi gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote, "
Manikarnika is a visual form of our history chapters but a very intriguing and beautiful looking one. No one could have done this better than Ranaut and she is brutally bloody beautiful". Lakshana N. Palat of
India Today gave the film a rating of 3/5 and called Ranaut's performance in the film "excellent". She wrote, "If you're a Ranaut fan,
Manikarnika is the film for you. If you remember your history lessons, take
Manikarnika with a generous pinch of salt". Hannah Rachel Abraham of
The Week gave the film a rating of 3/5 and wrote, "Ranaut certainly manages to don the role of our
antar aatma ki aawaj, and has certainly made a praiseworthy effort in her directorial debut". Praising Ranaut's performance she further wrote, "Ranaut is undoubtedly magnificent as the titular character. She brings a righteous anger and otherworldly fury to the character. Ranaut plays The Rani of Jhansi with such conviction that one does not even pay attention to the weak script that makes her force-feed the audience with long expositions drowning is patriotic fervour". Mayank Shekhar of
Mid-Day gave the film a rating of 3/5 and wrote, "
Manikarnika is a big-budget, wholly star-driven, action-packed, period picture. Except the star is female, which is rare enough". Praising Ranaut further he wrote, "I can't imagine anybody as naturally earning that sobriquet as Ranaut. Dainty but fierce, Ranaut plays Rani Lakshmibai with the ferocity that suits her character best. She leads the charge not just as an actor, but also as director".
Shubhra Gupta of
The Indian Express gave the film a rating of 2.5/5 and wrote, "What keeps us with the film is Rani Ranaut, who in her best moments, owns her part, the single-track narrative, and the screen".
Overseas Anita Ayer of the
Khaleej Times gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and stated, "
Manikarnika belongs to Ranaut". Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, "Ranaut does justice to the role by bringing to life the legendary war hero with her grit and fierce act. She also makes her debut as a co-director in this film, and you can feel her touch in the way Lakshmibai's personal life is portrayed". Rahul Aijaz of
The Express Tribune gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote, "
Manikarnika delivers on most fronts and proves an engaging affair from beginning to end. Ranaut appears in top form and even proves she can hang as a director". Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, "
Manikarnika is a one-woman-show. Ranaut, in an avatar never seen before, displays a determination, fury and softness in her composure, body language, movement and expressions to bring the iconic rebel to life". Shilpa Jamkhandikar of
Reuters wrote, "Ranaut does her best. She is awkward and stilted as the demure bride but comes into her own as the warrior queen. She adds a swagger to her stride and a steely determination to her demeanour that are hard not to cheer for. She is the only thing that make this film worth a watch". Ankur Pathak of
HuffPost wrote, "Ranaut plays the titular role of Rani Laxmibai with conviction and brings a sense of ferocious energy to her character. The actress occupies nearly every frame of the movie and one cannot fault her performance; Ranaut is in fine form here. Her dialogue delivery has a sense of command and ownership which makes you root for her". == Box office ==