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Sahher Bambba

If there is one thing The Empire has achieved, it is showcasing the talent of its women actors. Sahher Bambba was confident in her portrayal of Babur's wife, Maham Begum, as she joined Shabana Azmi and Drashti Dhami on the series. "The women in the show are so powerful. That's a rarity. Sharing the frame with Shabana Azmi was intimidating, but she taught me that it's alright to feel butterflies in your stomach before a shot," says the actor.

Habib Faisal

While it has been a tough climb after her debut film Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas (2019) bombed at the box office, Bambba is not deterred. She has bagged another Disney+ Hotstar show - Those Pricey Thakur Girls, based on Anuja Chauhan's book of the same name. "Habib Faisal was directing the show; that's what made me test for it. I did a couple of [auditions] that took over a month. Habib sir wanted to be sure of who he is casting as the lead."

The drama, set in the '80s, will see her play newsreader Debjani Thakur, who has high ambitions and the grit to realise them. While Faisal helmed the first part of the series, the directorial baton was soon passed on to Tarun Mansukhani. "The credit of world-building goes to Habib sir. He was sure of the clothes, even the watch I am wearing on the show. He set the DNA of the character so well that Tarun sir didn't take much time to adapt when he stepped in." The makers are eyeing an October release for the series.

Also Read: Kunal Kapoor: The sets of ‘The Empire' looked like a set of robots