The preparation game

Playing the historical icon Prithviraj Chauhan and his better-half Sanyukta won’t be a  cakewalk for Akshay Kumar and Manushi Chhillar respectively.

 It is reliably learnt that the director Chandraprakash Dwivedi, known for his factually and emotionally accurate historical serials and feature films, intends to do a series  of workshops with the two  actors  before they face the camera.

A  source close to  the  director reveals, “Akshay has played only contemporary characters throughout  his career, and we are  not  even going into his  ‘Bala’ act  in  Housefull  4. He is excellent at playing  the  patriotic card in present times. The same, when transported  back by  century would  need a  different  body language. Even the walk has to be   different, something  that  Hrithik didn’t understand when he played Akbar in  Ashutosh  Gowariker’s  Jodha-Akbar.”

The  source says  Diwedi aims to make an authentic historical and not just a costume drama.

“It would be easier  to mould Manushi Chhillar since she has  never faced  the camera. But  Akshay   will  have to  work very hard  on his  speech and  body  language,” says  the source.