With Prithviraj, Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi is attempting his most ambitious venture. Like his previous acclaimed offerings Chanakya, Pinjar (2003) and Mohalla Assi (2018) that were based on books, the upcoming Akshay Kumar-starrer is inspired by a famous literary work. “Prithviraj is based mainly on medieval literature, an epic titled Prithviraj Raso written by the poet, Chand Bardai. Apart from a couple of versions of Raso, there are many other literary works on Prithviraj’s life and some commentaries on Raso,” says the filmmaker, who has taken on the responsibility of introducing the audience to warrior king Prithviraj Chauhan. The ruler of the Chahamana dynasty had valiantly foiled the early invasions of Muhammad of Ghor before being defeated in the second battle of Tarain in 1192.

Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi