Manu weds Gangadhar Rao in style...

Those hooked on to Ek Veer Stree ki Kahaani Jhansi Ki Rani on Zee TV have seen an assortment of characters conspire to keep little Manu (Ulka Gupta) from marrying King Gangadhar of Jhansi (Sameer Dharmadhikari).

Be it the shrewd, scheming firang Frazer or Moti Bai or the vampish threesome Sakhubai, Jankibai and Laccho, they all have planned and plotted at various points to stop Manu from becoming the Queen of Jhansi. With all of them having fallen flat on their faces, the viewers can now look forward to a magnum opus of a shaadi where young Manikarnika will tie the knot with King Gangadhar at a lavishly constructed Ganesh Mandir set. According to a source on the show, the channel has pulled out all the stops to ensure that the show does ample justice to the grand historical wedding. An array of theatre group artistes, dance troupes from Bundelkhand, Lavni performers and magicians have been flown in to capture the pre-shaadi traditions.

Buzz has it that close to Rs. 7 Lakhs have been spent only on Manu's look for the wedding, what with her trousseau including a rich traditional Kaashta saari, 3 authentic gold mangalsutras, Kundan Moti sets and the extravagant "Lakshmi haar". When asked how she feels about donning the jewellery and the shaadi joda, Ulka Gupta who plays Manu said, "I'm thrilled to be wearing such beautiful jewellery and expensive costumes. I'm lucky to have got a chance to live the life of a queen from a bygone era and I'm loving every bit of it."

And how does she feel about the fact that the Rani Niwas she will be living in after marriage is the same set used in the film Jodhaa Akbar? "Oh I feel like Aishwarya Rai. (giggles) You have no idea how excited I am about shooting for the post-marriage sequences in the new Rani Niwas set. I loved Jdhaa Akbar and I'm a big fan of Ash!".

Watch the much –awaited historical wedding of Jhansi Ki Rani on Friday, 19th February on your favorite show Jhansi Ki Rani on Zee TV.