The Empire; Grand epic with engrossing tale of Babur's tumultuous journey to becoming  ruler of Hindustan 


By Rajesh Ahuja

His name is etched in history as the person who laid the foundation of the grand Mughal Empire in India,which held its sway over the country during the 16th and 17th century.

While most history books and historical accounts tell us about the conquests made by Babur in course of his efforts to lay foundation of the Mughal Dynasty in India,  not many historical accounts tell us about Babur's evolution as a human being during his journey from his homeland of Samarkand and Ferghana to becoming emperor of Hindustan,  as india was called at that time.

The new web series The Empire,  streaming on Disney Hotstar,  takes viewers through the journey of Mohammad zaheeruddin Babar from being a heir apparent of the Timurimd land of Samarkand to becoming the emperor of Hindustan.

The Empire is a grand epic with an engrossing tale of Babur's tumultuous journey to becoming emperor of Hindustan 



The journey of Mohammad Zaheeruddin Babar, son of philosopher King of Taimur land Omer Shaikh , to laying the foundation of what is considered one of the greatest empires in india was a  traumatic one with death constantky playing game of hide and seek with Babur  and circumstances and people close to him often driving him towards doing things against his inner voice,

In the opening scene of the web series,  Babur (Kunal Kapoor) is heard saying that 'Chaudaan saal ki umarcse Hum maut ko dhokha dete aaye hain', ab use age kahan(from the age of 14 , I have been playing hide and seek with death. Now where do I go from here) .

It is a line that encapsulates the journey of Babur from the hills of Samarkand to the prized land of 'Hindustan,

It was a journey that saw him being constantly crippled by self doubt and faced with delimmas of choosing between protecting his own family and consolidating his empire with Babur giving precedence many a times to the safety of his family over his territorial ambition.

The web series,based on Alex Rutherford's Empire of the Moghuls: Raiders from the North, traces the origins of the Mughal Dynasty , taking us through the tumultuous life journey of a young Mohammad zaheeruddin Babar as he  embarks on expansion of the Mughal Empire. His tumultuous journey sees Babur
being confronted by self doubts, treacherous allies and fierce opponents .

Aiding him in this journey with their counsel or armed support are his close family members including his grandmother Eisandawalat or Shah Begam(Shabana Azmi), his elder sister Khanzada(Drashti Dhami) , his loving wife Maham and his trusted lieutenant Wazir Khan(Rahul Dev) .

: While most history books deal with the various conquests by Babar during his journey to consolidating the Mughal Empire,  The Empire deals with the evolution of Babar as a human being in the course of his journey.

Through the various episodes in his life, the director Mitakshara Kumar attempts to provide us a peek into Babar as a human being.. it shows that beneath the exterior of a fierce warrior and emperor lies a tender and gentle human being who cares immensely about his family, friends and his subjects..

Beneath his tough exterior of a ruthless emperor,  Babur is a pacifist who believes in resolving conflicts through dialogue.  Through various episodes,  we are shown
that for Babar the well being of his family is more important than any conquest.

Also,  beneath his exterior of a tough emperor lies a person who is crippled by self doubt and often swayed by the opinions of people close to him.

A major portion of the web series deals with effort by Babur to deal with the challenge posed by Uzbek leader Sheybani Khan (Dino Morea) . The latter half of the series deals with Babur's foray into Hindustan and his decisive battle with Ibrahim Lodhi.

. The series boasts of grand production values - grand sets that bring out the magnificence and the grandeur associated with the Mughal Empire. War sequences are well mounnted and  a visual delight while the various locations in Samarkand and Ferghana come across as visually appealing.

The dialogues are well written and true'to the era.

The real USP of the series' are however it's performances.

Be it kunal Kapoor as Babur, Drashti Dhami as Khanzada, Shabana Azmi as   Shah Begum, Rahul Dev as Wazir Khan, Dino Morea as Sheybani Khan or Aditya Seal as Humayun, every actor has played his or her part with perfection.

Kunal Kapoor bowls you over with his nuanced portrayal of Babur whose tough exterior hides his real persona of a gentle human being who cares for his subjects, friends and family while beneath his strong Emperor image lies  a person who is constantly nagged by self doubt.

He comes across as endearing as the emperor with frailties and vulnerabilities and as a person whose heart bleeds for his close family members and who holds himself responsible for any hurt caused to a family member.

Shabana Azmi, seen on screen after a long time, is impressive as Babur's grandmother Shah Begum to whom the king often turns for advice and who is the conscience keeper of the emperor.. The Empire may be about Babur's journey but it is the character of   Eisandawlat or Shah Begum  who holds an all encompassing presence in the life of Babur. .

Rahul Dev cones up with a stellar act as Babur lieutenant Wazir Khan who us constantly aiding him through his journey and who acts as a constant shield of Babur against his adversaries.

Dino Morea springs a surprise with his portrayal of Uzbek leader Sheybani Khan whose brutality and savagery knows no mercy for his opponents and who is out to destroy the Timurimd empire of Babur. .

The real scene stealer in The Empire is however, Drashti Dhami with her spirited act as Khanzada who remains strong amid the frequent attempts by Sheybani Khan to break her and overpower her. Also, after the death of Shah Begum, she acts as the advisor and conscience keeper of Babur,  who often turns to her for advice. Hers is a performance to watch out for.

Imad Shah and Aditya Seal are competent as Babur's friend Qasim and the Mughal her apparent Humayun.

In short The Empire  is a grand epic that narrates an engrossing tale of  Babur's tumultuous journey from his homeland in hills of Samarkand to becoming the emperor of Hindustan . It boasts of  brilliant performances by the cast, including Kunal Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Rahul Dev, Dino Morea and Drashti Dhami


My rating; 4/5


Watch trailer


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