Retelling the events leading up to the First Battle of Panipat, led by Mughal emperor Babur, on screen is a tall order. The challenge is heightened when you have to recreate the 16th century battle amid the biggest setback of the 21st century — COVID. So, how did creator-producer Nikkhil Advani and director Mitakshara Kumar create The Empire — featuring Kunal Kapoor, Shabana Azmi and Dino Morea, among others — in the face of such obstacles? “Detailed research, patience and with the help of an army of people,” says Kumar, who walks us through the making of the Disney+ Hotstar offering.  

Setting up the stage

It helped that Kumar trained Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s projects, Bajirao Mastani (2015) and Padmaavat (2018), two of the country’s most ambitious period dramas. The director admits her eye for precision was often a joke on set. “Nikkhil would tell me no one is checking if the flags in the battle sequences are aligned or not. But when one is making a show of this nature, we might as well perfect it.”