‘GENGHIS KHAN IS RELEVANT TODAY’
Film-maker Akbar Khan talks about his passion for history and his film on the Mongol emperor
Film-maker Akbar Khan is currently gearing up for the casting and preproduction for his next project, a film on the life of Genghis Khan, the emperor who founded the Mongol Empire in the 11th century and united many nomadic tribes in Northeast Asia. “After the response to Baahubali as it broke records around the world, I felt it was the right time to make a historical film,” Khan says. “Today, people are getting fed up of men flying around and fighting robots, as such films don’t have a soul. My film will be entertaining and will have the nature of a classic film. Genghis Khan is more relevant today than ever before. The film will have a mix of actors from India, China, Turkey and other countries, and I plan to go on floors by October.”
Khan has a name in mind for the lead, but he’s not willing to reveal who it is until the actor is on board. “I am looking for the appropriate face for the titular role. The casting of a historical film is important, as the actors have to suit the personality.”
So far, Khan has directed some episodes of the TV show, The Sword of Tipu Sultan, and has produced, directed and played Emperor Akbar in the classic ’90s TV serial, Akbar The Great. He also produced and directed Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story (2005).
Many films have been made on Genghis Khan, but that has not fazed Khan, who wants to show a side of the emperor that the other movies haven’t explored. “Most films show him as a plunderer, but he had a vision. I will focus on his vision to create an empire with one code of law. He felt that if he had an empire with no borders, only then would people be at peace. That’s why he went about uniting the Mongol tribes.”