The Empire Hotstar Web Series Moghuls (Star Cast, TOP 10 Controversies, Unknown Facts, All Seasons 1,2,3, All Episodes, Story in Written Update)

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Latest Update:

• Rating ** (2/5) There's only that much that the grand scale and alluring visuals can do to keep a viewer stuck to the screen. If the core - the story and emotions aren't convincing enough, it doesn't transpire into being a worthy watch.
  
• The Empire is an Indian historical fiction streaming television series created by Nikkhil Advani and directed by Mitakshara Kumar based on the novel series Empire of the Moghul by Alex Rutherford for Disney+ Hotstar. The series was premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on August 27, 2021.
  The series depicts upon the rise and fall of the Mughal Empire starting from Babur. The story begins from Farghana where young prince Babur is made the king at a young age and he begins his campaign for the conquest of North India through hardships, betrayals and struggles amongst his court members.
• Principal photography took place in Jaipur in September 2018 and moved to Karjat for two weeks as they wanted to be authentic to books. The second schedule started from February 2019 as Nikhil Advani was busy with his film Batla House in between. Shoot resumed in September 2020 which was suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 .Some key moments were filmed in Uzbekistan in January 2021.
• 
• Fascinated by the history of the Mughals, their journey from Kabul to India, and the era's politics. Nikhil Advani accepted when Star India came up with the idea for the show. Bhavani Iyer was tapped to write the Screenplay with Kausar Munir penning the dialogues focusing on Babur for the first season
• Shoot suspended due to Covid
• Shoot resumed in September 2020 which was suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Some key moments were filmed in Uzbekistan in January 2021.
• Aditya Seal to play an important role in the show. As per reports, Seal will be playing the role of Humayun, who was the son of Babur.
• Bollywood’s dashing actor Dino Morea and has been locked for the series. He will play the antagonist and is paired opposite Drashti in the show.
• Drashti Dhami Starrer Web Show, 'Moghuls' Ropes In Kunal Kapoor
• It has already been reported that telly favorite Drashti Dhami is all set to make her web debut with the show and has several other big names being roped in too.

Story, About the Web Series:

• The Empire is an Indian historical fiction streaming television series created by Nikhil Advani based on Empire of the Moghul by Alex Rutherford for Disney+ Hotstar
• Lavish historical fiction series Moghuls. It is a screen adaptation of Alex Rutherford’s six-volume historical fiction novel, Empire of the Moghul, which starts with Babur and ends with the reign of Aurangzeb, Moghuls is an Indian web series by Nikhil Advani.
• The series focuses on the rise and fall of Mughal Empire through generations from Babur to Aurangzeb.The story starts in Farghana where a young prince Babur is the heir to the king. Ousted at a young age he begins his campaign for the conquest of North India.

Star Cast & Crew:

• Kunal Kapoor as Babur
  Dino Morea as Muhammad Shaybani
  Shabana Azmi as Aisan Daulat Begum
  Drashti Dhami as Khanzada Begum
  Aditya Seal as Humayun
  Sahher Bambba as Maham Begum
  Rahul Dev as Wazir Khanui
  Gracy Goswami as Young Khanzada
  Khalid Siddiqui as Umar Shaikh Mirza II
  Imaad Shah as Qasim
  Toranj Kayvon as Gulrukh Begum
  Swattee Thakur as Nishqa
  Kalliroi Tzaifeta as Roxanna
  Akansha Sareen as Razia
  Megha Kaul as Dildar
  Salina Prakash as Aq Quzi Begum
• Another big show for the digital world is being planned and that is director and producer Nikkhl Advani's upcoming historical fiction series, Moghuls.
• It has already been reported that telly favorite Drashti Dhami is all set to make her web debut with the show and has several other big names being roped in too. Dhami has been confirmed to play the role of Khanzada Begum which was earlier supposed to be played by Dia Mirza.
• It was earlier reported that actor Ronit Roy is roped in to play the role of Babur
• Shabana Azmi will be playing the role of his grandmother, Esan Daulat.
• However, it is now being said that Ronit Roy won't be playing Babur anymore but actor Kunal Kapoor, who we still best remember from Rang De Basanti will now be playing the character.
  
• Bollywood’s dashing actor Dino Morea and has been locked for the series. He will play the antagonist and is paired opposite Drashti in the show.
  

Telecast/ Repeat Telecast, Digital OTT:

• Moghuls is scheduled to premiering on Disney+ Hotstar @ Click Here
  

Season 1 Episodes:

• "Not the King but the Kingmaker"
• "The Panther's Prowl"
• "The Separation"
• "Alliances"
• "The Roar of the Lion"
• "Requiem"
• "Panipat"
• "The Beginning"
• Fascinated by the history of the Mughals, their journey from Kabul to India, and the era's politics. Nikhil Advani accepted when Star India came up with the idea for the show. Bhavani Iyer was tapped to write the Screenplay with Kausar Munir penning the dialogues focusing on Babur for the first season

TOP 10 Unknown Facts:

• Dhami has been confirmed to play the role of Khanzada Begum which was earlier supposed to be played by Dia Mirza.
• Kunal Kapoor has replaced Rohit Roy to reprise the role of Babur.
  
• The pilot was shot last year and the shoot was scheduled to begin in February 2020 however, due to lockdown it got postponed.
  
• Principal photography took place in Jaipur in September 2018 and moved to Karjat for two weeks as they wanted to be authentic to books. The second schedule started from February 2019 as Nikhil Advani was busy with his film Batla House in between.
  
• Fascinated by the history of the Mughals, their journey from Kabul to India, and the era's politics. Nikhil Advani accepted when Star India came up with the idea for the show. Bhavani Iyer was tapped to write the Screenplay with Kausar Munir penning the dialogues focusing on Babur for the first season.
• Principal photography took place in Jaipur in September 2018 and moved to Karjat for two weeks as they wanted to be authentic to books. The second schedule started from February 2019 as Nikhil Advani was busy with his film Batla House in between
  

TOP 10 Interesting Facts, Controversies:

• In wake of conversations surrounding as to whether shoots of multiple shows should have begun or not continue, there are several other shows that are being planned to be coming soon. And while some of them are for the small screen, an array of them are for the digital world too. One thing cannot be denied amidst all this and that is, how OTT platform continues to be a savior for content where fresh shows on the platform have maintained normalcy, to say the least.
  
• Based on Empire of the Moghul by Alex Rutherford for Hotstar's label Hotstar Specials. The series focuses on the rise and fall of Mughal Empire through generations from Babur to Aurangzeb.

Negative Reviews & Positive Reviews:

The Empire

Courtesy : Disney+ Hotstar
Touted to be the biggest web series to be coming out in India, The Empire on Disney+ Hotstar has definitely had higher stakes than ever. The teasers, trailers and other footage have definitely lived up to the aforementioned claim and it indeed looked bigger than any show so far.However, is the scale and the grandeur assisted well with the emotions and storyline. Let's find out.

The Storyline

Babur

Courtesy : Disney+ Hotstar
Set in 1526 A.D., the show begins with the aftermath of the first battle of Panipat as a wounded Babur (Kunal Kapoor) is taken back by his soldier. A voiceover explains about it but then catapults back and forth between flashbacks to present day (1526) and near future as well. The saga, in its core is actually simple - the conflict between Babur and Shaybani Khan (Dino Morea) that crossed many limits and Khanzada (Drashti Dhami) being the main casualty of it.

The Good

Grandeur

Courtesy : Disney+ Hotstar
It almost seems like a given but the show has lived up to the fact that it is the biggest show to come in Indian entertainment space. The scale is huge, the sets are ginormous, the special effects are impressive and the overall grandeur is indeed a treat to behold. With the visual aspects, The Empire delivers and excels.

The cinematography of the show is splendid as well. Be it capturing a large scale battle sequence, a simple confrontation between two characters, the camera is placed just apt enough to capture the right mood and the colors and shades are era-appropriate. The costumes and production design is fantastic. Be it the over-the-top yet eccentric look of Shaybani Khan or the royal and commanding look of Babur, the costumes are the perfect complement to the characters.

Costumes

Courtesy : Disney+ Hotstar

The Not-So-Good

Director Mitakshara Kumar


Courtesy : Disney+ Hotstar
Director Mitakshara Kumar has been a protege to director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. And that couldn't have been more prevalent. While Kumar makes sure that the outer look and scale is not compromised with and does full justice to it just like Bhansali does with his films; she falters in what makes a show truly watchable - the story and emotions, also just like Bhansali (at times). The story, while so interesting and fascinating in essence becomes surprisingly underwhelming in the way it is adapted here. To make a historical show is difficult in India but with so much mileage, one would expect a better outcome. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen here.

Babur Aisan Daulat Begum

As mentioned above, The Empire falters in what should have been the main factor - the emotions and connect. For your viewers to be attached and engrossed with the story and characters for eight episodes long clocking an average of 45 minutes each, you really need a lot for them to be glued. The Empire has way too many dull moments and after a point of time, you just want to stop watching. It doesn't help that some scenes are just preposterous and stereotypical in its portrayal of the royals which is even worse because it becomes predictable.

The Performances

Shabana Azmi

To my shock, a veteran like Shabana Azmi has probably been the weakest of the cast. Yes. I can't believe I am writing this. Azmi, a legend otherwise just doesn't seem to have caught hold of the character and ends up being a one-toned character. While she plays the kingmaker, it doesn't help that Azmi has to mouth some ridiculous lines.

Kunal Kapoor

Kunal Kapoor looks and dresses the part amazingly well but is entirely unconvincing with his acting performance. Apart from having a stoic look and dialogue delivery, he barely brings anything else to the character. In scenes, where he is required to emote, he doesn't impress.

Dino Morea

Dino Morea is seemingly amongst the best performers in the ensemble. Even though his character is bizarrely stereotypical and an amalgamation of Alauddin Khilji-meets-Khal Drogo, Morea has his fun with it and it shows. He makes sure that even with OTT stuff that his character has to do, he makes it look convincing enough.

Drashti Dhami

Drashti Dhami is another performer who shines. As Khanzada, she is actually the centerpiece of the conflict between Babur and Shaybani Khan. Dhami makes sure to let her acting chops do the talking and does a fine job in almost every scene. Her TV experience is very helpful here as she is required to do some really OTT acting but as she knows the medium well enough, she has you glued. The rest of the cast do their jobs well enough but special mentions for actors Rahul Dev, Saher Bammba and Aayam Mehta, who do brilliantly with their respective roles.

The Verdict:

The Empire Battle



There's only that much that the grand scale and alluring visuals can do to keep a viewer stuck to the screen. If the core - the story and emotions aren't convincing enough, it doesn't transpire into being a worthy watch. The Empire ends up being rather underwhelming on multiple occasions and given it is on a streaming platform where shutting it and switching over to something else is easy - it isn't good news.

Rating - ** (2/5)

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Drashti Dhami is an Indian Model & Television Actress. Drashti did many advertisements & music videos in her modeling days. She debuted in "Dill Mill Gayye" as Dr. Muskaan Chadda on Star One. Then she became popular in "Geet Hui Sabse Parayi" by playing the role of Geet. And now she is playing Madhubala character in famous show "Madhubala-Ek Ishq Ek Junoon" on Colors TV. She is the Brand Ambassador of "Canvironment Week". Younger sister of Jaisheel Dhami. Vibhuti Dhami is her mom. Actress Suhasi Dhami is her sister in law.



Dino Morea was born on December 9, 1975 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. He is an actor, known for Om Shanti Om (2007), Happy New Year (2014) and Karzzzz (2008)


One of the leading lights of the now-largely-defunct Indian New Wave, Shabana Azmi (alongside the late Smita Patil) was one of the main female actors who dominated the films of the so-called "Parallel Cinema" in India in the 1970s and 1980s. Born to noted Urdu progressive poet and lyricist Kaifi Azmi and theatre actress Shaukat Azmi, Shabana has acted in films by virtually all of India's most famous art-house directors including Shyam Benegal, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Aparna Sen and others, as well as in commercial and middle-of-the-road Hindi films, where she has essayed several strong female characters (e.g., in Mrityudand: The Death Sentence (1997) and Godmother (1999)). Shabana Azmi was paired opposite Rajesh Khanna in 7 successful films.She is noted for her naturalness and intensity on-screen, matched by her fierce advocacy of the rights of women, minorities and slum-dwellers off-screen, both through activism and in her role as a Member of Parliament, where her consistent stand in defense of liberal values and the freedom of expression is noteworthy. She has also acted on stage to considerable acclaim, most notably in Tumhari Amrita with Farookh Sheikh. She is married to noted scriptwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar.



Kunal Kapoor was born on October 18, 1975 in New Delhi, India. He is an actor and assistant director, known for Rang De Basanti (2006), Don 2 (2011) and Dear Zindagi (2016).

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Drashti Dhami Starrer 'Moghuls' Ropes in Aditya Seal To Play Humayun

Moghuls is a screen adaptation of Alex Rutherford’s six-volume historical fiction novel, Empire of the Moghul, which starts with Babur and ends with the reign of Aurangzeb. The series will premiere on Hotstar.



It might have been just over a few days since Nikkhil Advani's upcoming show, Moghuls has been in the news but is has now easily become the talk-of-the-town, mostly because it stars telly favorite Drashti Dhami making her digital debut.It was earlier reported that actor Ronit Roy is roped in to play the role of Babur while Shabana Azmi will be playing the role of his grandmother, Esan Daulat. Dhami has been confirmed to play the role of Khanzada Begum which was earlier supposed to be played by Dia Mirza.

The lavish and mega show has now confirmed yet another development and has roped in actor Aditya Seal to play an important role in the show. As per reports, Seal will be playing the role of Humayun, who was the son of Babur. Seal has been a part of several projects recently where he starred in Student of The Year 2 and was in Alt Balaji's Fittrat too. Moghuls is a screen adaptation of Alex Rutherford’s six-volume historical fiction novel, Empire of the Moghul, which starts with Babur and ends with the reign of Aurangzeb. The series will premiere on Hotstar.