Tabu and Amitabh Bachchan in Cheeni Kum

Tabu and Amitabh Bachchan in Cheeni Kum

After the contemporary take on relationships Cheeni Kum, Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu are teaming up again to work in period film The Legend Of Kunal. Amitabh will play emperor Ashoka, while Tabu will play his wife Tishyarakshitra. Director Chandraprakash Dwivedi is going to direct the film. However, Big B’s company AB Corp Ltd. will produce it. Dwivedi has earlier made the period film Pinjar.

“Tabu had not a moment’s hesitation in saying yes to the role of emperor Ashoka’s powerful wife Tishyarakshitra, so powerful she swayed the entire Mauryan Empire with her politics and aura. We needed an actress with the strength of conviction,” said Dwivedi.

Later he added, “History and its cinematic treatment demand the characters to be true to their antecedents. And emperor Ashoka, who is caught in his twilight years in my film, had to be played by Bachchan saab. Only he possesses the gravity, sobriety and personality along with being the age required.”

“I wouldn’t make Ashoka without him. As for Tabu, she plays his young, fiery, assertive wife. She is an actress I have wanted to work with for a very long time. Again, only she could play Tishyarakshitra,” said Dwivedi.

Apart from Tabu and Bachchan, the film stars Arjun Rampal as emperor Ashoka’s son Kunal and Amrita Rao as his wife Kanchanmala. For them Dwivedi said, “Again, I cast them because of their suitability rather than salebility.”

The director said that Amrita was recommended to him by Jaya Bachchan. “In fact, Amrita was recommended by Jaya Bachchan. Tabu and Amrita have many dramatic confrontation scenes together. I needed an actress who could hold her own against someone as powerful as Tabu. Amrita is delicate but strong,” added Dwivedi.

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