A far cry from the soft-spoken Archana of Pavitra Rishta, Ankita Lokhande plays the feisty Jhalkaribai in Kangana Ranaut's Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi. While gracing the 70mm screen was her "childhood dream", the actor says she couldn't have asked for a better debut vehicle than the period drama. "I feel fortunate to play the brave warrior. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and do something that made me feel good about myself."

While understanding the warrior's psyche came easily to her, it was the physical prep that proved to be arduous. "It was difficult for me to get into the character because I had never used a gun, ridden a horse, or done sword fighting. In fact, I am scared of horses. But I bonded with Sultan [the horse] and I think we had chemistry," she laughs. Ask her how things turned around on the sets once Ranaut took over the reins, and she heaps praise on the actor-turned-director. "Both as an actor and a director, Kangana was a delight to work with. She has done a fabulous job."