The Empire trailer: Hotstar brings Bhansali-level scale to small screen ‘in India’s biggest show’, watch

Hotstar on Saturday debuted the first trailer for its upcoming period epic series, The Empire, based on the book Empire of the Moghul: Raiders from the North by Alex Rutherford. The eight-episode series traces the saga of emperor Babur, ‘from the valley of Ferghana to Samarkand and beyond’.

Kunal Kapoor makes his streaming debut with the show, produced by Nikkhil Advani of Emmay Entertainment, who also serves as showrunner. Shot across India and Uzbekistan, The Empire is billed as ‘the biggest show ever created in India’.

The series is directed by Mitakshara Kumar, who has worked as an associate director on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epics Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat. The ‘story adaptation’ has been credited to Bhavani Iyer.

Nikkhil Advani said in a statement, “The Empire is a dream project that I have nurtured for years. The narrative we are exploring is something none of the makers have ever attempted in the history of Indian entertainment and given this story a fictional and creative bent. It’s overwhelming to see the trailer receive resounding praises and we hope that it makes for an unforgettable viewing experience.”

Also starring Shabana Azmi, Drashti Dhami, Dino Morea, Aditya Seal, Sahher Bambba and Rahul Dev, The Empire is slated for an August 27 release on Disney+ Hotstar.

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Here’s an official synopsis:

The king of Ferghana dies in an accident and a young prince is now tasked with taking over the throne. It’s a time of great distress due to imminent danger from an evil warlord. An assassination attempt on the king that further deepens the worries about the vulnerability of Ferghana. The young king must now take responsibility for an entire kingdom.