The Babur We Don’t Know

Babur is perhaps the most contentious of the Mughal emperors, except Aurangzeb, and one whose name is associated with contemporary India’s moment of deep national shame. But if there is one man capable of handling a subject as fraught with consequences, then it is Nikkhil Advani who has done justice to the Rashomon-like Batla House shootout of 2008 as much as he has helped give life to Rocket Boys, a forthcoming co-production with Siddharth Roy Kapur. It celebrates the achievements of Vikram Sarabhai and Homi Bhabha, as much as it underlines the Nehruvian investment in science and technology. The Empire, now on Disney+Hotstar, chronicles Babur’s journey to India where he established the Mughal dynasty. Kunal Kapoor plays Babur wracked by doubts and demons, attached to his beloved Samarkand, which forever eluded him. This is Babur, who is very much controlled by his grandmother Ehsan Daulat, a feature that will underline future seasons of The Empire as well—the role of powerful wives, such as Jehangir’s consort Noorjehan, and independently wealthy sisters, such as Aurangzeb’s sister Jahanara Begum. Says Advani, “When I went to Shabana Azmi to pitch the role of Ehsan Daulat, I didn’t even have to explain it to her. She knew exactly who she was and why she mattered.” For actor and history buff Kunal Kapoor, who plays Babur, the idea that such a physically strong man could suffer from such crippling self-doubt was fascinating. He had just read Alex Rutherford’s book on which the series is based, and once he was cast, read a lot more about Babur’s era, especially in the three cities he coveted—Samarkand, Ferghana and Kabul. Rutherford is the pen name of the couple Diana and Michael Preston, and their six-part series would be fantastic fiction if it weren’t true. Season One, based on the book, Raiders From the North, tracks Babur over 25 years and Kapoor had to lose weight for the younger part and gain muscle for the older part. And that’s just the physicality. More than that, he had to understand the mind of one of history’s best-known dynasts.

Surreal Estate

Anand Pandit came to Mumbai from Ahmedabad with a few thousand rupees in his pocket and the desire to build something. Many years later, he managed to build not one but two businesses, both risky. The real estate developer is also a film producer who is most chuffed about Chehre, a project close to the heart of Amitabh Bachchan. Pandit, whose list of productions ranges from Sarkar 3 in 2017 to The Big Bull this year, has a special association with Bachchan who didn’t charge him for the Rumy Jafry-directed movie. “India has only two religions, cricket and movies. We don’t have a culture of fishing, hiking, camping, like in the West,” he says. And audiences are willing to pay for good entertainment, he feels, where once they expected it to be free. “Also, the basket for acceptance of edgy cinema has also become bigger thanks to streaming services,” he says.

Patience Pays

Alaya F’s debut film Jawaani Jaaneman (2020) was much appreciated but everything went into a spiral because of Covid-19. So, it’s good to see her signing projects worthy of her talent. She is doing Freddy, directed by Shashanka Ghosh, and has just completed the Hindi remake of Kannada thriller U Turn (2018) with Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms. She has also signed a three-film deal with Jackky Bhagnani’s Pooja Entertainment (co-producers of her debut film). She has a brief shoot pending for Anurag Kashyap before wrapping up what was meant to be her debut film. Director Pawan Kumar’s Kannada film U Turn contributed to making Samantha Akkineni the star performer she is now. So, seeing Alaya now step into Akkineni’s shoes should be interesting.

Did You Know?

Irfan Pathan, former India cricketer and now an analyst on Star Sports, will be making his cinematic debut as an Interpol officer in Cobra, a Tamil film starring Vikram as a maths genius with a tenuous relationship with the law and an ability to carry off several disguises.

Alaya FAnand PanditBollywoodcinemaKunal Kapoor