Past Continous

At the announcement of the series at Jadhavgadh Fort,Shilpa Tulaskar,who plays the role of Jijabai,was also present. “It was Jijabai who taught Shivaji the Bhagwad Gita and sowed the seed of swaraj in his heart. Shivaji was greatly influenced by his mother. I’m happy to have got the opportunity to essay the role of such an important character,” Tulaskar says. The comparison to Mrinal Kulkarni,who played Jijabai in another television show,does not worry Tulaskar. “My only concern is that I should do justice to the character I am playing,” she says.

The serial narrates uncharted incidents from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s life while highlighting the bond between him and Jijabai. “Paras was a pleasant surprise. Being so close to the subject,as all Maharashtrians are,I was very worried about who this new actor was and how he would manage to pull off Shivaji’s role. But,Paras cleared all these doubts from day one. From horse riding to fight sequences to expressions – he was brilliant,” Tulaskar adds.

Ali Hassan,who plays the role of Adil Shah,describes his experience as an opportunity to explore new horizons. “We all have been K-series actors and when the opportunity for playing a role in a serial like Veer Shivaji came up,we grabbed it,” he says,adding,“Where else will I get to do a role of such flamboyance and richness?”