Web Series: The Empire

Director: Mitakshara Kumar

Cast: Shabana Azmi, Kunal Kapoor, Dino Morea, Drashti Dhami, Rahul Dev

OTT: Disney+Hotstar

Duration: 8 episodes approx. 45 minutes each

Rating: 3 Moons

(The review is based on the first 3 episodes of The Empire)

Family dramas have been an integral part of the Bollywood culture. Some are about deceit and some, simply about basic emotions. Mitakshara Kumar has now given family dramas a Mughal touch. The debutante director, who has assisted maverick filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali on films like Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat among others, has ventured into the territory of Babur and takes a detailed look into the politics, sinister agendas of insiders and sacrifices made for the sake of family. 

Taking a leaflet out of Mughal history, Mitakshara presents a visually grand web series titled The Empire. Based on the novel Empire of the Moghul by Alex Rutherford, the eight episodes long show stars Shabana Azmi, Kunal Kapoor, Dino Morea, Drashti Dhami, Rahul Dev and others in key roles. 

The Empire’s opening shot transports us to 1520 A.D. and takes us straight to the battlefield where Babur (Kunal Kapoor) has given up on the hope that he’ll survive Ibrahim Lodhi. With the help of his army, he is rescued. The kind-hearted Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, is too worried for his people. Later we get to know that Babur battled against Ibrahim Lodhi for Hindustan. 

As a child, Hindustan for Babur was a dream that he continued to chase when he grew up too. For the son of Umar Shaikh Mirza II, the badshah of Ferghana, Babur was too naive and kind-hearted, just like his father who trusted people too easily. While Babur was giving training in sword-fighting, his elder sister, Khanzada Begum, diligently followed the lessons given to him by the family’s loyal man Wazir Khan (Rahul Dev). 

Babur, who was happily learning defence methods under his father’s kingship, witnesses a sudden change in his life when Umar Shaikh Mirza is declared dead after a portion of their palace in Ferghana collapses. Just like the portion of the monument, Babur’s life collapses. But his maternal grandmother Aisan Daulat Begum (Shabana Azmi) becomes his pillar of strength. She serves as his counsellor.   

While Babur is aiming for Hindustan, he has to clear various other obstacles too. The primary one is Shaibani Khan, an Uzbek leader, who wants to rule over Samarkand. With devious intentions, he makes Babur and his family’s life hell. 

Set in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, The Empire is about Babur, the more humane leader, his struggles in and around Samarkand and Hindustan. Relying heavily on a stellar cast, a strong vision that Mitakshara saw for her directorial debut and of course, costumes, settings and atmosphere, The Empire gets to the point without much ado. 

Mitakshara, who has worked closely with Sanjay Leela Bhansali on epic period films, draws heavy reference from Padmaavat and Bajirao Mastani. There are a few scenes in the series which will remind you of the films that had Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone as the common connecting thread. 

Without stressing the viewers much, Mitakshara keeps her characters clean. Retelling the Mughal family drama that is etched in history, the director serves what is expected out of The Empire- a show where deceit, powerplay and battle against life, death and enemies form the core. In Mitakshara’s version of battle for the takht, Babur is oversimplified whereas Shaibani Khan is too delicious to be real. 

Dipped in cruelty and ruthlessness, Shaibani Khan is the next best villain on OTT. Dino Morea brings the character to life and rules every frame is a part of. With kohl-rimmed intense eyes, the actor makes you uncomfortable at times. Yes, you will find fragments of Ranveer Singh’s Khilji embedded in Shaibani’s mannerisms and look. Speaking more with his body language, Dino is too delicious to savour. 

Dino’s scenes with Drashti Dhami a.k.a Khanzada Begum are beautifully done. They are aesthetic and both the actors are at their best. Drashti, who looks delicate and beautiful, surprises you with her performance as Khanzada Begum. Sacrificing for her family’s safety and well-being, Drashti moulds herself into the character that requires her to be bold yet restrained and impactful yet sensitive. She oozes brilliance in every scene. 

Shabana Azmi as Babur’s grandmother is wonderfully cast. In her first historical show, the veteran actress proves that the role was made only for her. She commands attention with her body language and steals the limelight. 

Kunal Kapoor as Babur gets an oversimplified and glamourised role. Letting go of the minuses, the actor expresses emotions of Babur well. There is a certain degree of innocence in his looks and the way he talks with his eyes. Through Kunal, the audience will get to see the humane side of Babur. 

Rahul Dev performs equally well. He breathes life into Wazir Khan and adds more value to The Empire. Mehroos Mir and Gracy Goswami deserve a huge round of applause for playing young Babur and Khanzada convincingly. They gave a tough competition to their experienced senior co-stars.  Rishabh Sawney and Swattee Thakur played the roles of Mahmud and Nishqa beautifully. The actors justified their characters’ emotions perfectly. Kallirroi Tziafeta, Akshay Nagori and Naved Aslam nailed their characters too. 

The Empire soars high in terms of visual effects (done by Vinay Chuphal and Ashoke Chaudhary), production design (done by Priya Suhas), camerawork (DOP Nigam Bomzan) and costumes (by Sheetal Sharma and Chandrakant Sonawane). However, it dwindles when it comes to pacy action and screenplay. For a historical show of such stature, one would expect high-octane action sequences, unpredictable twists and turns. But it never meets that level. 

The Empire, at times, becomes too verbose and loses its grip. Despite some misses, the show can be a perfect watch if you are looking for something that’s not a thriller or crime-based drama. With a stellar cast, The Empire should help you pass your time on weekends. 

PeepingMoon.com gives The Empire 3 Moons