Historicals are 80% entertainment and 20% history: Shahbaz Khan

For someone who has essayed powerful roles in historical and fantasy shows like 'The Sword of Tipu Sultan' and 'Chandrakanta' in the last two decades, actor Shahbaz Khan, currently seen in Bharat Ka Veer Putra — Maharana Pratap, feels that historical shows are more about fantasy and imagination these days. He says, “Historicals are no longer showing actual history.If you want to really know about Maharana Pratap or any other historical character, you should hit the library than follow TV shows. Gone are the days when you could follow shows like Bharat Ek Khoj or The Sword of Tipu Sultan and claim you are following history. Today, it is more about weaving stories around characters for entertainment and so, these shows are a work of fantasy than actual history.”
We asked the actor if he is enjoying playing historical characters and he says, “It is not about enjoyment. It is just an appeal to the masses to not follow these shows for their historical value. For this, no one is to be blamed. Today’s youth look for entertainment and people want results and viewership, so they are justified. In fact, some historical shows have gone ahead and even claimed that they are fiction and do not have any reference to the past.”