Taj – Divided by Blood Trailer: Naseeruddin Shah’s Akbar is on a quest to find a worthy successor in the period drama

ZEE5 released the trailer of one of the most anticipated series of the year Taj – Divided by Blood starring Naseeruddin Shah, Dharmendra, Aditi Rao Hydari, Aashim Gulati, Taha Shah Badussha, Shubham Kumar Mehra in the lead. Inspired by true events, Taj – Divided by Blood chronicles around King Akbar (played by Naseeruddin Shah) and the ensuing blood battle between his sons for the Mughal throne. The 10-part succession and family drama series will stream on ZEE5 from 3rd March 2023.

Produced by Contiloe Digital along with William Borthwick as the showrunner, Simon Fantauzzo as the writer and Ron Scalpello as the director, Taj – Divided by Blood stars Naseeruddin Shah as King Akbar, Aditi Rao Hydari as Anarkali, Aashim Gulati as Prince Salim, Taha Shah Badussha as Prince Murad, Shubham Kumar Mehra as Prince Daniyal, Sandhya Mridul as Queen Jodha Bai, Zareena Wahab as Queen Salima, Padma Damodaran as Queen Ruqaiya Begum, Rahul Bose as Mirza Hakim and Dharmendra as Sheikh Salim Chishti. The series also stars Subodh Bhave, Aayam Mehta, Deepraj Rana, Shivani Tanksale, Pankaj Saraswat, Digambar Prasad and Zachary Coffin in supporting roles.

As seen in the trailer, the series encapsulates the reign of King Akbar who is on a quest to find a worthy successor for his grand legacy leading to a bloody battle between his sons for the throne. While most stories on the Mughal era have been portrayed through the rose-tinted glasses of romance, Taj – Divided by Blood will showcase these historical figures as humans with ambitions, desires and flaws. A complete visual spectacle, Taj – Divided by Blood is full of drama, politics and tragedy; jealousy, deceit and betrayal; love, lust and romance; arts, poetry and architecture and most importantly it’s a bloody war of succession in the quest for power.

Director Ron Scalpello said, “I have been an avid follower of Indian History hence when I got the opportunity to put forth a series on the Mughal empire, I was ecstatic. Since there have been so many versions of the Mughal history, I did have to research a lot to unravel the unknown facets of these historical figures and that is where our show stands out in Taj – Divided by Blood, you will get to see these historical figures as humans with ambitions, desires, greed and flaws which is rather an unseen side of the empire. Also, the theme of war and succession is global hence I am sure that the series will appeal to a global audience”.

Naseeruddin Shah said, “Taj – Divided by Blood is the story of war, succession and power set against the backdrop of the Mughal empire. The show unveils the inner workings that played out in the hallowed chambers of King Akbar’s empire. While many have recreated the Mughal history but Taj – Divided by Blood has taken an unexplored and unchartered take on it hence making it compelling for old and new viewers. A brilliant team from across the globe has brought this series to life and from whatever I have seen so far, I can tell that it is going to be one of the most riveting series of the year”.

Aditi Rao Hydari said, “I have always enjoyed history; there are always great stories many of which are outside of our textbooks. When I was asked to play Anarkali I was afraid as much as I was excited. Anarkali is an iconic character, her beauty and grace was considered unparalleled and enchanting beyond one’s imagination. I was intimidated at first and especially because of how it’s been portrayed by the mesmerising Madhubala in Mughal-e-azam. What made me take a leap was a meeting with the director Ron Scalpello and the writers William and Simon. Anarkali has been written very uniquely and so it felt like a new challenge to take on. The collaborative nature of our discussions also really added to my journey into this world to make it my own. It has been a privilege and responsibility to play Anarkali and I hope that I have done justice to it”.

ALSO READ: Dharmendra shares FIRST LOOK as a Sufi saint from the epic saga Taj – Divided By Blood

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Tom Cruise is a fearless actor, Shah Rukh Khan is the same, says Pathaan’s action coordinator Casey O’Neill

Yash Raj Films’ latest offering Pathaan has turned out to be a winner at the box office, not just in India but also world over. Apart from Shah Rukh Khan’s powerful act, this was also because of the international standard of stunts and action sequences the Siddharth Anand directed film offered.

This was made possible because the makers roped in the Hollywood action director Casey O’Neill for the film. He has worked in some of the internationally acclaimed and successful Hollywood flicks, including Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Jack Reacher and Top Gun: Maverick. Casey planned and executed some of the exciting action sequences in Pathaan.

O’Neill said that he found some similarities between Cruise and Khan after working with both of them. “They are both true professionals in their craft and so talented. Tom Cruise is a fearless actor who lives and breathes his craft and wants to push the envelope when it comes to his body and his cinema to only entertain audiences. SRK is just the same,” he said in a statement.

He added, “Shah Rukh Khan has pushed his body, he has unlearnt and learnt action to deliver Pathaan as an entertainer like no other. Both are driven and committed lovers of cinema who will do whatever it takes to make the audience happy. I have worked with Tom on many and exciting films. We all have enjoyed working with each other through the years. It was a pleasure working with another global movie star like Shah Rukh Khan and seeing him transform into an action star that no one has ever seen before.”

Heaping praises on Khan, O’Neill added, “SRK is an exceptional athlete and performer. He can adapt into many different action sequences and excel in the process of movie magic for the big screen. He is a true gentleman and an amazing actor and I was honoured to be a part in the making of Pathaan with him and the entire crew.”

O’Neill planned the Dubai action scene and the ice lake bike chase in Pathaan, two of the most liked moments from the film. Talking about the latter, he said, “In collaboration with director Siddharth Anand, we came up with an exciting chase on the snow and ice, taking into consideration the vast beauty Siberia has to offer. This showed up in such dramatic fashion and really made the action of that scene look like no other. The deep blue ice was an exceptional backdrop for the chase on Lake Baikal which was an adventure in itself shooting in the elements on a tight schedule before the ice melted.”

O’Neill has also worked behind the action in films like Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Ant-Man And The Wasp, Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2, etc.

As far as Pathaan’s box office performance is concerned, the film, which also stars John Abraham and Deepika Padukone, recently crossed the Rs 500 crores mark at the India box office.

Also Read: Pathaan Box Office: Shah Rukh Khan hits Rs. 500 crore Not Out with all-time mega blockbuster Pathaan

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Shah Rukh Khan, Mouni Roy, Ronit Roy strike a pose at Smriti Irani’s daughter’s wedding reception, see photos

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan attended the wedding reception of Union Minister Smriti Irani’s daughter Shanelle with Arjun. The wedding festivities began on February 7.

Shah Rukh Khan looked dapper in an all-black suit as he posed next to Smriti and her husband Zubin Irani. In the photos, Mouni Roy was also seen, who played Smriti’s on-screen daughter in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Smriti wore a red and golden saree whereas Mouni was dressed in a mint green saree. Smriti’s daughter Shanelle and her husband Arjun were also seen in the photo. Mouni captioned the photo, “Congratulations Shanelle & Arjun.. wishing you both the happiest most meaningful journey ahead. Love you di @smritiiraniofficial.”

 

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In attendance was also Smriti Irani’s on-screen husband Ronit Roy who came along with his wife. “Years of friendship @smritiiraniofficial @ravikishann and the warmth and love keeps growing. Grateful Congratulations @shanelleirani and Arjun. Wish you a blissful wedded life ahead. Thank you @zohrirani for taking such good care of us. Lovely meeting you @zoishh.irani,” he wrote. The photo also featured Ravi Kishan.

 

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On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan was last seen in Pathaan which is inching towards Rs. 1000 crore in worldwide collections. The actor has Atlee’s Jawan and Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki next.

ALSO READ: The Romantics: Shah Rukh Khan feels Hindi cinema is part of our DNA; calls it “an inherent part of us”

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Photos: Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt snapped at the airport

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Photos: Indian Navy cadets and officers watch Anupam Kher’s Shiv Shastri Balboa

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Ajay Devgn shares exclusive preview of Bholaa song ‘Nazar Lag Jayegi’ for few selected fans

Ajay Devgn’s directorial Bholaa, where he also plays the titular character, has been in the news because of its trailer and the all-out promotions by the makers. The actor cum director has now come up with a unique strategy to build up excitement for the film’s upcoming song ‘Nazar Lag Jayegi.’

Although the song will release online at a later date, Ajay shared a special preview of the track to some of his chosen fans, so that they get to hear a part of the track exclusively before anyone else.

Sharing the reason for the gesture, an official statement from the makers said, “He sent out a thirty-second audio clip of his song to the fans even before the song actually broke, making it a full-on surprise for the fans because he felt they deserved to hear it before everyone else. After all, they’ve been integral to his films’ success over the years.”

Just heard the first song of Bholaa Nazar lag jayegi
Thank you @ajaydevgn sir that was so special Grateful I got to hear it.#Bholaain3D #BholaaOn30March #AjayDevgn pic.twitter.com/wdcAgen220

— Krish ???? (@KrishTweetss) February 16, 2023

As expected, his fans were delighted by the gesture. A fan, who goes with the name of Krish, shared a screenshot of his Twitter inbox and said, “Just heard the first song of Bholaa Nazar lag jayegi. Thank you @ajaydevgn sir that was so special Grateful I got to hear it.” Similarly, his rest of the fans also reacted in the same way.

 

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Going by the preview of ‘Nazar Lag Jayegi,’ it’s an energetic qawwali song about a person getting overwhelmed after receiving love in abundance from his beloved.

Coming Soon ???? blockbuster loading #Bholaa #BholaaIn3D #bholaasong @ADFFilms @ajaydevgn #AjayDevgn pic.twitter.com/mgWHmv8cZO

— ????Khimesh ???? (@ADiansKhimesh) February 17, 2023

Bholaa is the official Hindi remake of the Tamil hit Kaithi (2019). Also starring, Tabu, Raai Lakshmi, Sharad Kelkar and Deepak Dobriyal, the film is all set to release in theatres on March 30.

Also Read: Ajay Devgn shoots and performs deadly action stunts in Bholaa in latest BTS, see video

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Thalapathy Vijay & Rashmika Mandanna starrer Varisu to premiere on Prime Video on February 22

Prime Video today announced the exclusive streaming premiere of Varisu, the Tamil action blockbuster starring Thalapathy Vijay. Directed by Vamshi Paidipally, the film boasts of a power-packed cast including Rashmika Mandanna, Prakash Raj, Yogi Kumar, Sarath Kumar, Shaam, Prabhu, and Meka Srikanth playing pivotal roles. Prime members in India and over 240 countries worldwide can stream Varisu from February 22 in Tamil along with Telugu, and Malayalam language dubs on the service.

With a majestic backdrop, Varisu beautifully showcases the importance of family, and how situations that put a strain on relations, also test the veritable strength of those very ties. Head of a loving, joint family, business tycoon- Rajendran (Sarath Kumar) involuntarily pits his three sons against each other in his pursuit to find the worthy successor from amongst them. While the two older sons Jai (Srikanth) and Ajay (Shaam) choose a more unexpected divisive path of destruction, the youngest son- Vijay (Vijay) opts to keep his family together, while defending it from the clutches of a prying enemy.

 

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Commenting on the streaming premiere of the film on Prime Video, Thalapathy Vijay, said, “Varisu is an extremely special film for me. Despite having a palatial backdrop, in essence, it is deeply emotional and family-oriented. We had a phenomenal time making it, and are overwhelmed by the love and response the film has received thus far, from the audience that has watched it in cinemas. And we’re thrilled that even more of our fans in over 240 countries and territories will now be able to watch this film when it streams on Prime Video.”

Director Vamshi Paidipally, added, “As a filmmaker, it is extremely heartening to see the audience shower their love and appreciation on your film. Varisu is a complete family entertainer that has action, comedy, drama, romance, and more, appealing to audiences of every age group. Complementing the engaging storyline are the impeccable performances by a star-studded ensemble cast and catchy music that elevate the film further, making it a must-watch. Following an extremely successful theatrical run, we are delighted that even more viewers will now be able to enjoy Varisu, when it premieres on Prime Video on 22 February.”

ALSO READ: Allu Arjun to have a cameo in Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara starrer Jawan?

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