It is the time for historicals in Bollywood. After Karan Johar announced his period drama Takht based on the fight over the Mughal throne between Aurangzeb and his brother Dara Shuja, filmmaker Vicky Ranawat (who had last directed Haseena - The Queen of Heart), is launching his next movie, a historical based on the life of Maharana Pratap, who was the Rajput king of Mewar in Rajasthan in the 16th century. He lost the battle of Haldighati to the Mughals but later recaptured the western regions that were under his rule.

Talking about his casting Vicky Ranuat says, “There has been no film made on the life of the great Rajput ruler, Maharana Pratap so I have got a good response from some stars as to who can play the lead. I think John Abraham, Abhishek Bachchan, Arjun Rampal or Sonu Sood can play the role of Maharana Pratap. They all will suit the character. I require 189 actors in this film so while I will take some people from Rajasthan theatre for a few scenes. I will shoot at the actual locations in the palaces and forts of Chittor, Kumbhalgarh where he was born, Udaipur and Haldighati where the battle took place. I want to do detailed research in the costume department so they will be completely authentic and of that era and make it on a grand scale. There will also be a lot of VFX involved.” 

The filmmaker says the movie is his dream project. “My full name is Thakur Raghuveer Singh Ranawat but I am known as Vicky Ranawat. Being a Rajput, it has been my dream to make a film on Maharana Pratap for the last decade and I am directing it. I am a descendant of his dynasty and I have done a lot of research on the subject with my writer. I know the culture of our people, how the costumes will be, tehzeeb and tameez of the Rajputs will be – the way of living is something different for the Rajputs. In most films based on Rajputs, it’s more fiction and fewer facts but I will go on facts and history. My historian is the eminent historian and art critic of Udaipur, Dr Rajshekhar Vyas and our music director is Dr Prem Bhandari. My writer’s generation has been the rajpurohits (palace priests) for the last 1400 years. I have the support of the common man and people in Udaipur are excited as to when the film will start.”       

He says the inspiration behind the reason to make a film on Maharana Pratap is to tell his story. “People don’t know much about the brave warrior, great character and tremendous personality Maharana Pratap was. He was the first freedom fighter of India and taught guerrilla warfare. Hitler learned from him and other freedom fighters used to follow Maharana Pratap’s style of warfare. Maharana left his luxurious lifestyle at his palace and lived in the jungle with his family because he wanted to make his country and subjects free and keep alive the traditions and culture of his country. He respected all religions. When the man he killed at war, Sultan Khan, was dying and asked for water he gave him Ganga Jal to drink. Maharana respected women a lot too. People don’t know much of the great persona that he was and I intend bringing all those to the screen.”