‘Action gives me a high’

A still from the film

When it comes to action, there is little that Akshay Kumar can't do. He has been one of the most enduring action stars of Bollywood, with a career spanning three decades. With Prithviraj, the superstar saw the potential of pushing the envelope. Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi's directorial venture, which focuses on the mighty king's war against the Muhammad of Ghor, demanded elaborate fight sequences that had to be designed keeping in mind the warfare techniques of the era.

Slipping into the armour and practicing sword-fighting left Kumar excited. "I was like a kid in a candy store when I realised the scale of action that I will get to perform," grins the actor. "Prithviraj is mounted on a [lavish] scale, and action plays an integral part in heightening the entertainment quotient of the film. The big-screen extravaganza will give the audience numerous highs, given how Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan took on the responsibility of protecting the country and its people from the merciless invader, Muhammad of Ghor."

Dwivedi roped in action directors Parvez Shaikh and Franz Spillhaus to design the mammoth war sequences. From choreographing the on-screen armies consisting of 500-odd people to filming in the arid deserts of Rajasthan, the stunt directors had a difficult task at hand. Kumar, who hasn't featured in many historical dramas, admits that he thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the warfare of a bygone era. "Doing action gives me a high. It was tough to pull off these elaborate war sequences, wearing heavy armour in the sweltering heat, but I knew that these scenes would look spectacular on the big screen. Prithviraj is a film that's high on patriotism, given the king's valour. It needed to be presented in a way that would make people gasp with excitement, and I think we have achieved it." The period drama also stars Sanjay Dutt, Sonu Sood and debutante Manushi Chhillar.