I was honoured to get a chance to play the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. I knew it would be very difficult but it is my humble endeavour to portray a character of his stature, says Paras Arora,who plays the role of Shivaji Bhosle in Veer Shivaji,the television series to premiere on Colours on September 2.
For the role,Arora had to go through rigorous lessons in sword fighting and language correction. I also picked up horse riding in a short span of eight days. Fortunately I did not end up with broken bones even though I fell off the horse twice, he adds.
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?