Ekta Kapoor. Picture: Sudeshna Banerjee

Small-screen czarina-turned-big-screen path-breaker Ekta Kapoor speaks to t2 on her first foray into historicals, the risk of reprising Jodha Akbar, why she identifies with the young Mughal emperor, and her return to the classroom at Harvard Business School.

This is your first period show. Why did you decide to bring Akbar to TV, as the film (Jodhaa Akbar) is still fresh in public memory?

Jodha Akbar is special to me as I have come out of my comfort zone for this. I want to show historicals like they have never been seen before. When I decided to do Jodha Akbar, Ashutosh (Gowariker, the director of the Hrithik Roshan-Aishwarya Rai film) asked me ‘Why are you doing Jodha-Akbar again?’ I said the beauty of history is such that there can be many interpretations. I know I am taking a huge step, opening myself to ridicule. But if I get scared of that I can never move forward. What history does is give us a road map, with incidents, experiences…. What a creative person does is add the colour of relationships.

The journey of Akbar is full of drama. At the age of 21, he is the head of a country where there is no democracy. He has trust issues; he has personality issues. No one can say ‘no’ to him. Such is the power, the madness in his life. And then comes love which makes him humble. It is a story of love in the time of hatred, of how a cruel king became a lover, and an understanding and humane king.

How different will your Akbar be from the big-screen portrayals?

In a three-hour film you can’t show much. So every Akbar played so far has imbibed only a part of his character. Prithviraj Kapoor’s Akbar had already transformed. Hrithik’s Akbar caught a portion of his life. We catch Akbar at the age of 21. He was a volatile character when he was young, he was easily swayed. At one point, he even went against Bairam Khan. I have gone into his relationships and shown how bedroom politics affected his decisions as a king and how his bond grew with a woman with whom he never thought he would fall in love. Imagine, a love story ended one of the biggest religious wars of the time!

What made you cast Rajat Tokas as Akbar?

When we started looking for Akbar, there was a dichotomy we faced. We couldn’t have someone looking like a 30-year-old playing Akbar at 21 nor a boy who would neither suit the personality of an emperor nor could stand up to Jodha. Because Rajat started working early, there is a maturity on his face which belies his age.

Do you find any similarity with yourself when you started Balaji Telefilms with the all-powerful Akbar at 21?

(Laughs out loud) I was thinking which smart woman will ask me this question! When you are young and you get a lot of success you become... umm… a bit brash. Once you grow up, you cannot associate with that person. Your relationships start to count.

How much time did you devote to this project?

After coming back from my educational trip (at Harvard), I have given most of my time to this project though if I said I am giving as much time to it as I would give to my soaps six-seven years ago, I’d be lying. I am a small part of this company. I have a strong team in place. They have been doing the research. It took us eight months to write the show.

When you show day-to-day events, how historical will the serial be?

The facts will stay. How you portray them is your perception. History allows you to creatively understand a character and fill up the gaps between recorded events. Everything we show will be loosely based on historical facts. You see Robert Redford in The Great Gatsby and you see Leonardo DiCaprio — both play the same person. Facts are not hard; they are fluid.

How was the Harvard experience?

Very tough. To become a student after all these years of being a producer! But it was very humbling. You understand what it takes to subah saade chhey baje uthke, ek ghanta workout karke nikalna…. I understood what kids go through. Once it was Saturday, mazaa aa jata ke chalo, ek din toh late sone ko milega.... The course I went for was called OPM — Owner/President Management Program, a management course. I didn’t know much about business earlier. I learnt a lot.

The small-screen Akbar and Jodha

Rajat Tokas

Hails from: Delhi

Claim to fame: Played young Prithviraj in Dharti Ka Veer Yodha — Prithviraj Chauhan on STAR Plus

Reaction on getting the role: After Tere Liye (STAR Plus), I was sitting at home for two-and-a-half years. I was quite depressed at the time. Once I got selected, I felt like I was back. It was such a relief.

Preparation: I had to learn how to stand in front of the camera as Akbar. As for horse-riding, martial arts or six packs, every actor has to do all that now. There is nothing different about historical shows for an actor... it’s just costume drama.

On Hrithik as Akbar: He is awesome in whatever he does. He is a superstar. He was playing Akbar in his 30s. I am still in my early 20s.

Paridhi Sharma

Hails from: Indore

Claim to fame: Ruk Jaana Nahin (STAR Plus)

Becoming Jodha: My father is a PhD in history. He gave me tips, like Rajput women never turned their back on elders.

Toughest part of being Jodha: Horse riding. I was very scared the first day. Once the horse started galloping with me on its back, my heart was in my mouth for a while but I kept my head and controlled it. My horses keep changing but I am pretty confident now. Also, my costumes are so heavy but that’s the way a historical show is.

On Aishwarya as Jodhaa: I loved her. She is the most beautiful actress. It is lovely that people will be comparing us!

Mythology is the small screen’s current MANTRA. t2 ZOOMS IN

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