Moghuls unit builds lavish 17th century set in Thane as director Nikkhil Advani gears up to resume shoot of Shabana-starrer next month
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; August 29, 2020)

In development since 2018, Nikkhil Advani-directed web series, titled Moghuls finally kickstarts its second schedule of the shoot. After a stint in Jaipur in February, the unit is building a lavish set in Thane. "Since it is a period drama, a lot of research has gone into designing the set and palace [to depict the era accurately]," informs a source of the Disney+ Hotstar venture.

Producer Madhu Bhojwani (below) of Emmay Entertainment says that the Ronit Roy and Dia Mirza starrer will roll out next month. "[At present], we are building the set as per protocols. The shoot will start in September and continue for a few months."

Moghuls is a screen adaptation of Alex Rutherford's six-volume historical fiction novel, Empire of the Moghul. The drama also features Shabana Azmi, 69, as Babur's grandmother Esan Daulat. Bhojwani is excited to see the veteran actor back on the set. "For the last few months, our team has worked hard to ensure that the safety guidelines recommended by the state government and Producers' Guild are implemented. We have left no stone unturned to keep our workplace secure and are delighted to have Shabana ji join us in this schedule."

To avoid overcrowding at the shooting site, the period drama will be shot across multiple sets. "Each set will be made ready in phases to ensure that everything doesn't happen at the same time," explains Bhojwani. Her other productions, Arjun Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh's tentatively titled Chale Chalo, Akshay Kumar's Bell Bottom and Kaun Banega Shekhawati are currently being shot in Mumbai, UK and Rajasthan respectively.