Disney Plus Hotstar’s “The Empire” is perhaps the most fascinating of the shows in its expansive content slate of 2021. The first look of the show, and more specifically, of Kunal Kapoor as Babur, was revealed this morning by the streamer. A few glimpses of Kunal Kapoor’s Babur can also be seen in the showreel of its upcoming content, released yesterday by Disney Plus Hotstar. Suffice to say, it promises to be one of the most riveting characterisations in Indian entertainment.
“The Empire” narrates the story of the rise and rise of the Mughal Empire in India, right from Babur’s first conquest of Delhi, to the rapid expansion and dominance of the Mughals in Northern India. The screenplay is an adaptation of the book, “Empire of the Moghul”, written by Alex Rutherford. Bhavani Iyer has written the screenplay of “The Empire”. The show will apparently be a multi-season one, with each season chronicling the exploits of one Mughal emperor. It will be similar to HBO’s “Game of Thrones” in scale and grandeur.
Interestingly, the show has changed names several times. It was first called “Taj: A Monument Of Blood”, then changed to “The Moghuls”, and finally to the present “The Empire”. The subject itself is quite fascinating. The Mughal Empire was one of the most dominant and influential empires in Indian History. At the peak of its splendour, no other empire came close to it in majesty and grandeur. “The Empire” will tell its story in all its glory, as well as the not-so-glorious side of it – a vicarious mix of power, courage, blood, betrayal, beauty, deceit and heartbreak.
The characters in “The Empire” Season 1 are well-cast. Kunal Kapoor, as mentioned earlier, portrays Babur, the Pashtun king who established the Mughal empire in the country. He defeated Ibrahim Lodhi in the historical “First Battle of Panipat”, to snatch the throne of Delhi. Dino Morea plays Lodhi in The Empire. Shabana Azmi plays Babur’s grandmother, Esan Daulat. Drashti Dhami is seen as Khanzada Begum, elder sister of Babur; while Srijan Srivastava is playing Mewar King, Rana Sanga.
The Empire is on the verge of completion, and is slated to start streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar from August.
Disney Plus Hotstar’s “The Empire” is created by Nikkhil Advani, under his production banner, Emmay Entertainment. It is directed by Mitakshara Kumar, who has earlier worked as an assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali on his historical film, Bajirao Mastani.
Here’s the first look of “The Empire”, revealed by Disney Plus Hotstar this morning –
An emperor's quest for the throne is about to begin. Hotstar Specials The Empire. Coming soon.
#HotstarSpecials #TheEmpire #ComingSoon @kapoorkkunal @AzmiShabana #DinoMorea @drashti10 @AdityaSeal_ @sahherbambbaa@nikkhiladvani @mitaksharakumar pic.twitter.com/94oCG6CB9Y— Disney+ Hotstar VIP (@DisneyplusHSVIP) July 28, 2021
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