Shabana Azmi To Drashti Dhami: Here Are The Cast Members Of 'The Empire'

The first trailer of the Magnus opus The Empire debuted on Saturday and fans got to see glimpses of the characters in the upcoming period epic series. The Empire cast

The Empire, based on the book Empire of the Moghul: Raiders from the North by Alex Rutherford, will have a direct OTT release on August 27. The eight-episode series will tell the story of Emperor Babur, "from the valley of Ferghana to Samarkand and beyond".

The makers of the series have called it "the biggest show ever created in India".

The Empire, the large-scale drama hardly see in the digital space, has an ensemble cast that includes Kunal Kapoor and veteran actor Shabana Azmi. It also stars Drashti Dhami, Dino Morea, newcomer Sahher Bambba, Rahul Dev and Aditya Seal among many others.

The show has been created by National Award-winning filmmaker Nikkhil Advani and is directed by Mitakshara Kumar. Kumar has worked as an associate director on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epics Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat.

Here's all about The Empire cast:

Shabana Azmi

Veteran actor Azmi, known for her diverse range of stereotype-smashing roles, said that she loves the stories from history where women play strategic roles, much like her character in The Empire. She is fierce, confident and knows what she wants, the 70-year-old actor added about her character in the series. She said for many years she has been fascinated by the imperial lives from the pages of history and finally, she is portraying one such character in this historic drama.

Azmi will next be seen with Hollywood veteran Emma Thompson in the upcoming film What’s Love Got To Do With It, directed by Shekhar Kapur. She holds the record of winning five National film awards for Best Actress and five Filmfare awards and several international honours as well. Azmi is also the recipient of the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan.

Drashti Dhami

The television actor is making her digital debut with The Empire and playing the role of a warrior princess. Talking about playing such a character for the very first time, she said that her look in the show reflects “royalty”. However, it also allows her to shapeshift into the warrior she can be.

No one is above family. No sacrifice is big enough for #TheEmpire. #HotstarSpecials The Empire coming soon only on @DisneyplusHSVIP@kapoorkkunal @AzmiShabana #DinoMorea @AdityaSeal_ @nikkhiladvani @mitaksharakumar @monishaadvani @madhubhojwani @EmmayEntertain pic.twitter.com/lBdpUvTFdm

— Drashti Dhami (@drashti10) July 30, 2021

Dhami made her television debut with Dill Mill Gayye but her breakthrough performance came when she was roped in for the daily soap Geet – Hui Sabse Parayi. She is also known for her work in the television shows like Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani, Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil and Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka among others. She was praised for her performance in Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon opposite Vivian Dasena.

Sahher Bambba

Bamba, who played the leading lady in Sunny Deol's directorial Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, got her first break in Bollywood with no connections in the filmy background. The Shimla girl, however, said that it was her childhood dream to become an actor. Details about her character in The Empire have not yet been disclosed.

Kunal Kapoor

The Don 2 actor in this fiction saga plays a conqueror. He called it a challenging project and revealed that the makers have paid special attention to this character’s look as it's very unique to his personality. He terms the character "grandeur and royalty" but he is also emotionally complex at the same time.

We have seen him in films like Rang De Basanti, Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities and Aaja Nachle. He also turned producer with an upcoming biopic on Indian Winter Olympian, Shiva Keshavan. The versatile actor is a chef, a host, a tv show judge, a writer, and an entrepreneur, and a businessman too.

Dino Morea

He plays a regal and ferocious warlord in the upcoming series. Unveiling his first look, Morea had earlier said that the character's hair, scars and costume are detailed in a way that makes him look deadly yet may be desirable. Previously he starred in the political thriller Tandav that was embroiled in controversy. The model came into the limelight with the blockbuster horror flick Raaz in 2002. He turned producer with films like Jism 2, Femina Fusion, Love Fight.

Aditya Seal

The Student Of The Year 2 actor has also starred in musician AR Rahman's maiden production 99 Songs. He made his acting debut in film with Ek Chhotisi Love Story and was seen in the 2016 film Tum Bin II. He has also been roped in to star in Rocket Gang, the directorial debut of choreographer Bosco Martis along with Nikita Dutta. More details about his character in The Empire are awaited.

Rahul Dev

Dev has starred in films such as Asoka, Indian, Omkara, Blue Fight Club - Members Only, Dishoom, Pagalpanti and Operation Parindey to name a few.

Watch The Empire trailer here:

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The Empire will stream on Disney+Hotstar from August 27, 2021.

Feature Image Credit: Disney+Hotstar