Actors Kunal Kapoor, Dino Morea and Drashti Dhami’s new web show The Empire released on Friday. The show, which is based on the life of Mughal emperor Babur, is being compared to many period dramas that have come in the recent past, be it Padmavat, Bajirao Mastani and HBO series, Game of Thrones.
The Empire is based on a book by Alex Rutherford called Empire of the Moghul: Raiders from the North. The web series chronicles the life of Babur, from the age of 14 to the time he established his empire and his death at 47.
In a new interview, Kunal has called the comparisons with Game of Thrones as tragic. Speaking to Bollywood Bubble, he said: “I think these are unnecessary comparisons. Comparisons will be made and it is tragic that it is Game Of Thrones because it is a fantastic show. Whenever you do a period drama like that it will be compared to something. Some will say it is like Padmaavat, Bajirao or Game Of Thrones, but it is a different story, it’s a different world, different characters different people. If people are comparing the scale (to GOT) then great, it’s wonderful, but I dont think there is any other commonality between that show and this show.”
Writing about the show, the Hindustan Times review said: “With entire scenes lifted from Game of Thrones, forts that look like they’re made of polystyrene, and stone floors that wobble when people fall on them, The Empire would be unintentionally hilarious if it wasn’t so unbearably dull. OK Computer wasn’t the country’s first science-fiction comedy, and The Empire, going by its subpar CGI and cheap prosthetics, is certainly not ‘the biggest show created in India’, as Disney+ Hotstar’s tall claims suggest.”
In an interview with PTI, the show’s creator Nikkhil Advani had fielded questions on whether it was the right time for a series on Mughal emperor, Babur as it could be considered a politically sensitive subject.
Also read: The Empire review: Horrendous Hotstar show rips off Game of Thrones, apes Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Nikkhil had said: “I don’t think I am retelling any story, I am just telling the story that is there in the source material. There will be contrasting views, interpretations, people might say, ‘This other book says this.’ We are not claiming that we have been factual, we are claiming that we are following the book. The book, for all intentions and purposes, is historical fiction.”
Kunal made his screen debut with 2004’s Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities. He gained recognition in 2006 with Rang De Basanti. He was later seen in small roles in films like Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007), Aaja Nachle (2007), Don 2 (2011), Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana (2012) and Dear Zindagi (2016).
