Good to be compared with 'Bajirao Mastani': Ashutosh Gowariker on 'Panipat'

Director Ashutosh Gowariker on Saturday said he doesn't mind parallels being drawn between his upcoming directorial "Panipat" and "Bajirao Mastani" as Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus was a well-me film. "Panipat" chronicles third Battle of Panipat in 1761 fought between Marathas, under leership of Sashivrao Bhau, and inving Afghan army, led by Ahm Shah Abdali. Arjun Kapoor stars as Sashivrao and Sanjay Dutt plays Ahm Shah in film, scheduled to be released on December 6.

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period drama is also being compared to Bhansali's latest "Pmaavat" over similarities between looks of Sanjay's Ahm Shah and Ranveer Singh's Alauddin Khilji. "Comparisons will always be re. When I me 'Jodhaa Akbar', my direct comparison was with 'Mughal-E-Azam'. re was connection, but it was probably because film was set in Mughal period and h Akbar in it. When 'Bajirao Mastani' h come, it was compared to 'Jodhaa Akbar'... When 'Pmaavat' trailer came, it was compared to 'Baahubali'.

"As an audience, we tend to compare it with previous hit film. It is good. In our film, Sashivrao Bhau is next generation of Bajirao. It is story 20 years later. So maybe house, 'Shanichar Va', clos may remain and look same. If comparison is re, it is good as Bajirao Mastani' was a good film," Gowariker told reporters. filmmaker was speaking at song launch of "Panipat".

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He said it took him about one-and-a-half year to write script. Pune-based historian Pandurang Balkawe was also a part of film's writers room. Gowarikar said he was toying with idea of making a film on important historical event for a while. "Though we h lost Battle of Panipat, we don't kw why we lost, what happened. This is only battle in world in which an army walked a thousand kilometres to stop an attack. I was amazed how Marathas came from Pune and reached Panipat. It is a story of ir cour, so I h to share it with everyone."

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director, whose period dramas have often run into controversies, including his last "Mohenjo Daro", said it is natural that questions are raised whenever history is depicted on celluloid. "When you depict history cinematically questions always arise about how much has been included in film and how much has been excluded. When you have a history book, you have so much information to put in. That is why it is called an account. "But when you bring history to screen, you have to deduct and keep a path rey about where you story will start and end."

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Some people were uncertain about wher ir family members have been shown in film, director said, ding doubts were cleared. "We have Malhar Rao Holkar, Shamsher Bahur, Dattaji Shinde, Nana Fnavis, and ors as a part of film," he said. "When y h come from Pune, re were 40,000 soldiers. By time y reached Panipat, re were 50,000 soldiers. re were Hindus and Muslims. It was a cooperative kind of army, I felt it was important to bring that to screen," he ded.

On a lighter te, Gowarikar, best kwn for lavishly mounted period films, said he often makes a promise to himself about directing a smaller film but always goes back to history. n"When I am done shooting for a film I always make a promise to myself that next one will be a smaller movie. It will have two characters, one house in Switzerland and it will be story of one night. That way, re will be t many costumes. But this promise is broken every time. If I get attracted to a me, which is universal and has a good story behind it, I just go ahe," he said. film also stars Kriti San, Mohnish Bahl, Pmini Kolhapure, among ors.