We have been reporting exclusively about the cast of producer Anirudh Pathak's television adaptation of the iconic film, '
Mughal-E-Azam
'. Following the report about
Shaheer Sheikh being finalised to play Salim and
Sonarika Bhadoria as Anarkali, we had also informed our readers that actress
Gurdip Punjj
has been roped in to play Shaheer's on-screen mother, queen Jodha. The latest update on that front is that the makers have got on board
Shahbaz Khan to play Emperor Akbar.
When contacted, the seasoned actor confirmed the news. He said, "It's a dream role for me. I have always wanted to play Shahenshah Akbar. It's an honour to play the part because no historical character is bigger than him. At the same time, it's challenging as the character has been immortalised by the great Prithviraj Kapoor in the film. Hrithik Roshan was also phenomenal in 'Jodhaa Akbar'. They have set such high standards, that the expectations are huge."
The actor finds historical characters more challenging than a regular saas-bahu saga. He says, "Historical characters are physically, mentally and spiritually challenging. They extract too much out of the actor. I try to play every character differently, as every part has got its own dimension. This show will explore the father-son relationship in a rather intricate manner, something that's not easy to encapsulate in a three-hour film."
With such talented actors roped in for the show,the TV adaptation of the epic will sure be a treat to watch.