Disney+ Hotstar's new web show The Empire, based on the novel Empire of the Moghul: Raiders from the North by Alex Rutherford, seems like a treat for period drama buffs. The trailer, which was released earlier this month, sees larger-than-life characters, majestic costumes, imposing set designs, and an ensemble featuring Kunal Kapoor, Dino Morea, Shabana Azmi, Drashti Dhami, Aditya Seal, Sahher Bambba, and Rahul Dev.
Created by Nikkhil Advani and directed by Mitakshara Kumar, the epic traces the saga of an empire from the valley of Ferghana to Samarkhand and beyond.
The Empire follows the story of the first Mughal Emperor Babur (Kapoor), who was crowned the king of Fergana at a young age, soon after which, he conquered Samarkand, only to lose both Fergana and Samarkand to rival princes. However, his menacing rival Muhammad Shaybani (Morea), in an attempt to ensure a peace settlement over Samarkand, proposes marriage to Babur's sister Khanzada (Dami), leading to further complications.
Kapoor and Morea, in a conversation with Firstpost, spoke about their respective characters, prep, and approachto the series, and why OTT has become a gamechanger for their career.
You both lead the series, play characters who are very imposing, authoritative in their own right. Please tell us what made you say yes to the role?
Morea: I was intrigued right at the moment when I first heard the whole story, figured what Nikhil and Mitakshara were trying to show. The character I play, Shaybani Khan, is one of the best characters I have ever heard in my life. He is the negative lead, and for me, that was an opportunity to kind of sink my teeth into a role and come up with some magic where the audience hasn’t seen me in a long time. They will see in a new light, and hopefully appreciate what I have done here. So my whole agenda to choose this character was purely selfish, basically to excel and do well as an actor.
Kapoor: I had incidentally read the book a few months ago before I was approached for the role. I found it very intriguing, especially the world, the drama, the relationships, all of that. Even I thought it would be great content. And when I got a call from Nikkhil, I was obviously very excited, but I was also a little hesitant because sometimes you might have a great source material but the script doesn’t match up. However, that was not the case here. The script was very well-made. And so I was in for it immediately, felt like something I really wanted to do.
Your characters are showcased to be complex and layered. With Shaybani, there is a lot of physicality involved. He has to look, walk a certain way. And Babur has an untapped sensitive side to him, especially when it comes to his family. Tell us what was your prep like to sink into the role?
Morea: When I was told about the character, I realised he's very menacing, savage, and brutal. But there's a history as to why he is so. It is impossible to decipher what is he going to do by merely looking at him, whether he is going to hug you or kill you. So right from the body language, to the way he spoke, the way he looked at a person, everything had to be menacing about this person. So, to get into that, for me, the only way was to have a sort of animalistic behaviour.
Hence, we thought the panther was the right way. If you actually follow the body language of that animal, and if you walk that way and if you move stealthily, and there's a certain growl in your voice, and then it was easier to imbibe those characteristics into the role. Also, before every scene, I would create a playlist because I had to step into a certain mood. Every time, I had to go for a scene, I would listen to a track, either to build energy or to help me calm down.
Kapoor:
What I found really interesting about my character was that he is incredibly contradictory. He is physically strong, but he is also emotionally weak and vulnerable.
This was a character who eventually becomes an emperor, but at the same time is ragged by self-doubt. I mean, throughout the book and show, he is wondering if he is actually worthy of the throne. So somebody who is so powerful and successful, but is emotionally weak, is an interesting character to play.
The other thing that got me intrigued was how for the first time, the writer has gotten into the politics of how women wielded power, you know usually when we read or watch anything related to the empire era, it is usually men. But actually, in the book, women wielded a lot of power, agency, and they made major decisions. It was something I had never seen before.
I do read a lot of historical books. I think more than it being a period piece, what draws readers in is the drama and this is a book filled with drama, treachery, politics, conflicts, romance and loyalty, it has got so many shades and I think that’s what drew me into the role.
As witnessed by the trailer, The Empire is built on a grand scale. And sometimes, it may get intimidating to do something that is out of your comfort zone. Did you ever feel that or were you fairly ready to take the challenge?
Morea: I approach everything as a challenge. Anything that is put before me, I never get intimidated. I look at it, I observe it, know what it is. For me, it was to go into that space, become a part of this magnum opus and prove myself, ultimately be able to outdo myself. So it’s just me against me and nobody else. And it makes me work harder, excel at whatever I do. I really believe nothing is impossible.
Kapoor: I was head-on ready to take it because it is built on a scale I have never been part of. Everything is larger-than-life — the sets, costumes, vision, and action. We shot 16 days for one of the action sequences, and most of it was done in real life, not all was through CGI. So that sort of scale and vision can be intimidating but also one can’t be worried about that because that is the director and producer’s job. You should be thinking about the part you are going to play, and be focused on the character. But overall, it was quite enriching because I have never been part of something that’s so big, and I don’t think there has ever been a show so grand that has come out of our country.
Your careers have taken a new route with the advent of OTT. Kunal, you also star in Netflix India's Ankahi Kahaniya, and Dino, we last saw you in Amazon Prime Video India's Tandav. Do you think digital platforms have played a major role in your reinvention?
Morea: (laughs)
OTT definitely has a huge hand to play in this because where films are concerned, honestly, I don't think anyone really considered me.
Because everyone was doing, following certain patterns, and it is crazy for there was no perception of doing more. People need to think out-of-box, and OTT has got me thinking. I feel Tandav was a warm-up to this journey because The Empire is a grand show for me. And now people are looking at me with a new concept, perception. Like “Wow, we can really do this with Dino.” Which is great. Hence, if people open up their eyes a little bit and use their imagination, I feel we can do a lot more. So yes, OTT has given me a new lease of life.
Kapoor: Yes, it has been a game-changer for lots of people. I think OTTs have led to the democratisation of talent. Because you know there was a time when every role was chosen depending on the market course, what will be the opening numbers, how many theatres we would get, the ticket valuations. With OTT, people aren’t focused on the market forces but are delegating roles depending on who is actually most appropriate to portray them. And this is happening across the world not only in India. So many interesting actors which we never saw before are coming into foray due to the OTT platforms.
Lastly, making a historical drama is so tricky these days, especially in a politically polarised environment like ours. Do you think one should follow certain parameters to avoid any troubles like there were after the release of Tandav?
Morea: With The Empire, I don’t think there should be any trouble because as I said, it is fiction. It is based on a book, telling a story set some 500 years ago. Also, this story is public knowledge. It is how a king tries to attain the throne, and the politics revolving around it. There are family problems, deceit, deception, betrayal, and so much more. It has nothing else to do with it. It has nothing controversial at all. We are telling a story that is fictionalised and dramatised.
Kapoor: As Dino said, we are just adapting a book, being honest to the source material.
The Empire will debut on Disney+ Hotstar on 27 August.
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