Expect ‘Takht’ to be K3G of Mughal era: Karan Johar

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Karan Johar’s upcoming directorial, Takht, is the talk of the town considering the stellar star cast the ace filmmaker has put together.

In his first announcement of the film, Karan revealed that Takht is a period drama which will tell “an incredible story embedded in history” adding that the film will show “an epic battle for the majestic Mughal throne.”

Considering how extravagant Karan is as a filmmaker, speculations began whether this film will be bigger than his landmark Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham in terms of grandeur and magnificence, especially keeping in the mind the fact that the period drama is set in the Mughal era touted to be the golden era in the subcontinent’s history.

Fortunately for us, Karan put our overworked minds to rest and in a recent interview teased new details about the film.

“It’s like the K3G of the Mughal era. But it’s more extreme, there is more betrayal. It has the tropes of court politics. It’s so rich in texture,” Karan said, adding that scale-wise this will his biggest film to date.

“I’m really petrified,” he continued. “It’s not the scale. It’s also the relationship dynamics.”

Speaking about his choice of actors, which includes Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Janhvi Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal and Anil Kapoor, he said, “It’s an unusual mix of talent. They are actors who have walked the parallel path, we have the superstar dynamic with Kareena (Kapoor), there’s Anil Kapoor who I have never directed before – but each actor fits the part perfectly. It’s not that I have gone to them because I have access. It’s a strange dichotomy. Each one has never played a part like this and yet each one fits it perfectly.”

Sharing more details on the film’s plot, Karan said, “It’s about two warring brothers and is based on facts.”

Speculations were rife that the film may be based on the war between Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh, both Shahjahan’s sons, with Ranveer, essaying the role of Aurangzeb. Kareena is expected to play his sister and the first lady of the Mughal Empire, Jahanara Begum. However, it remains unconfirmed yet.

Karan seems to be expanding his portfolio by venturing into a genre he’s never experimented with before which is resulting in him being compared to renowned filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is known for his larger than life period dramas including Bajirao Mastaani and Padmaavat, especially with Ranveer in the lead.

On this Karan said, “I would be lying if I didn’t admit that the comparison is very challenging. I love Sanjay’s aesthetic. The comparison scares me but I hope I can find my own voice. I hope I’m not doomed by comparison.”

Takht is scheduled to release in 2020.