The actor plays Shuja-ud-Daula, the Subedar Nawab of Oudh, in Ashutosh Gowariker’s period-drama that features Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 15, 2018)

Mirror (October 31) had recently reported that Raj Kapoor’s youngest son Rajiv Kapoor who was last seen in the 1990 romance-drama Zimmedaaar, will be returning to the screen 28 years later with Ashutosh Gowariker’s upcoming production Toolsidas Junior, with Sanjay Dutt in a cameo as a snooker coach. We have now learnt that the filmmaker has roped in the late actor Shashi Kapoor’s son, Kunal, to play a pivotal role in his next directorial, Panipat, which features Arjun Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Sanjay in the lead. Kunal who made his Bollywood debut with Shyam Benegal’s 1979 film Junoon, alongside his father and Nafisa Ali, had made a comeback after three decades as Amy Jackson’s father in the 2015 action-comedy, Singh Is Bliing.

In Panipat, Kunal plays Shuja-ud-Daula who was the Subedar Nawab of Oudh from October 5, 1754 to January 26, 1775. The film revolves around the third battle of Panipat which took place on January 14, 1761, and was fought between the Marathas and the invading forces of the King of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Abdali, supported by two Indian allies —the Rohilla Afghans of the Doab and Shujaud-Daula.

Confirming the news producer Sunita Gowariker says, “Shuja-ud-Daula played a key role in the battle of Panipat, his army was huge with the result that both the Marathas and the Afghans tried to convince him to side with them. We felt Kunal was the perfect casting for this role.”

Recently, Mohnish Bahl too joined the cast as Nana Saheb aka Balaji Baji Rao, a Maratha Peshwa (Prime Minister), who is the cousin of Arjun’s Sadashiv Rao Bhau and husband to Padmini Kolhapure’s Gopikabai. The film rolls this month.