Shahid Kapoor in Padmavat, Ajay Devgn in Tanhaji, Ranveer Singh in Bajirao Mastani.
How beautifully these larger-than-life characters have been played by the respective actors, right?
Wait, what? There’s a catch. We are not going to talk about the brilliant performances in historical films. Rather, we’ll talk about the misfit casting in the upcoming film Prithiviraj as Akshay Kumar plays the titular role.
It was only last week when the trailer of the historical drama Prithviraj was unveiled by its makers. It stars Akshay Kumar as the Rajput ruler Prithviraj Chauhan. Along with Akshay, the film also features Sanjay Dutt, Sonu Sood and Manushi Chhillar. It is all set to release on June 3. The trailer of the Chandraprakash Dwivedi directorial displays glimpses of the epic love story of Prithviraj (played by Akshay) and Samyukta (played by Manushi). It also displays the patriotic values that motivated the king to fight for his motherland.
Ever since the trailer of Prithviraj has been released, it has witnessed mixed responses from the audiences. While some are going gaga over Akki’s performance, others are mocking him by comparing stills from the trailer to that of the character ‘Bala’. Bala, as you know, is a comic character played by Akshay Kumar in Housefull 4.
A larger-than-life character of Prithviraj Chauhan
Prithviraj Chauhan was the last Hindu king ruling over Ajmer and Delhi in the 12thcentury. He inherited the throne at the very tender age of 13. He united Hindu rulers against Turkish invasions. Prithviraj succeeded in preventing Shahabuddin Ghori from advancing into Hindustan. It was in the first battle of Tarain that he defeated Ghori and forced him to retreat along with his huge army. In a typical showing of Rajput Chivalry, Prithviraj did not pursue Ghori army in its retreat. He paid a heavy price, as this invader reassembled his army of 120,000 men and led them into a second battle, in which Prithviraj was defeated and captured.
Such a kind-hearted person he was that he defeated and pardoned Ghori 16 times until Ghori won the 17th time, while historians argue on how many times Ghori was defeated and let go, it is clear that he was pardoned multiple times.
Actors who could have performed better
You see, Prithviraj Chauhan was a warrior and had a certain kind of persona and physique as well. Thus, it was required for the filmmakers to cast a young actor with a physique and personality that can perfectly fit the character. Instead of Akshay Kumar, the casting director could have done a better job to find a better fit.
Akshay is surely a fine actor but when it comes to period films, it requires extra effort before casting any actor.
While the filmmakers and the team failed terribly to do their job, we have compiled a list of actors who could have looked better as Prithviraj Chauhan.
Shahid Kapoor
One of the reasons why the cinemagoers came out all emotional and were convinced by the plot of ‘Padmavat’ is Shahid Kapoor. The way he portrayed the character of Rajput king Maharawal Ratan Singh is commendable. He performed extremely well with what he was given. It is not only one movie but his performances in the movies like Kabir Singh and Udta Punjab makes him not only a star but a true actor.
Sushant Singh Rajput
Talking about acting skills and how can anyone forget to mention the star that late Sushant Singh Rajput was. Be it, Kai Po Che or MS Dhoni, Sushant Singh Rajput, in a very short period of time, made it clear that he was in the industry to rule. Apart from his acting skills, the physique and character of Sushant would have resembled Prithiviraj Chauhan’s personality. It has been two years since the actor passed away but not a single day goes without him being trending on social media. Such is the love among fans for their favorite actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
Read more: Sushant Singh Rajput – The outsider who was killed by insiders
Vicky Kaushal
When ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ was released in the theatres, it had invoked immense love from the masses. Kaushal had gathered much praise from the audience as well as from critics for his performances in films like Raazi, Sanju and Manmarziyaan. For Vicky Kaushal, the ‘Josh’ is really high among the audience.
Vidyut Jammwal
Another talent who has made it in the list is Commando actor Vidyut Jammwal. A recipient of several awards including one Filmfare award, he is quite popular among the masses for films like ‘KhudaHafiz’ and Commando series. He is also loved by the audience as he inspires others to stay fit. A fine actor with a strong physique, he would have done justice to the character of Prithviraj Chauhan.
Randeep Hooda
Randeep Hooda is probably one of the most underrated actors in the Bollywood. While the actor will soon hit the big screen with the biopic of Veer Savarkar, his performance in Sarabjit could have made anyone emotional. I wonder if anyone else could have done the magic he did in the movie. With every release, Randeep has proved that he has what it takes to rule the entertainment industry. If he would have played the character of Prithviraj Chauhan, it is hard for us to imagine the grand success of the film in terms of performances.
Make no mistake, Akshay Kumar, despite being a decent actor, is a misfit for the character and we really doubt if this will not have a negative impact on the box-office collection of the movie.