New Delhi:In 2019, filmmaker-producer posted a photo of a majestic throne, with the title and star cast of what was supposed to be his magnum opus - Takht. Vicky Kaushal, , , , Bhumi Pednekar and were the key cast of the film, as per the announcement. But the film was never made and was shelved without any official announcement.
The interest in the film didn’t fade even years later. But now we finally have an answer as to why the movie never got off the ground.
Why has Takht been put on ice?
Actor Mahir Pandhi was also roped in for a key role in the Takht. He discussed the reasons the film was never released and the process he went through to accept its cancellation. But the actor claims that Takht had problems that were far more than just scheduling issues. He explained what went wrong, “Takht was not a regular film. It was Mr Yash Johar’s last dream project and had a historical connect to it. If you write a script based on history, you can’t change the facts. “Getting so many actors together and coordinating their dates after COVID was very difficult.
The actor also added that the budget for the project had ballooned to over Rs 200 crore, adding more hurdles for the makers. “It would have been impossible to get the whole cast together even if you had planned it two years later,” he added. And if you make Takht today you have to rewrite the script from scratch because the audience has changed.
The shelving of Takht was particularly painful for Mahir. Being a part of a Dharma Productions film of that scale was a huge milestone in his career and he admitted that he had already begun living that dream. I was living that dream almost. They invited me to parties. They made me feel welcome. They really made me feel like I was in the movie.” "Looking back, only I know how difficult it was to accept that a Dharma film was not happening for me," he shared.
When was Takht set to release?
Karan Johar had announced the release plans of Takht in February 2020 and had confirmed that the ambitious period drama was set to release in theatres on Christmas 2021. The filmmaker took to X (formerly Twitter) to break the news and revealed the ensemble cast which includes Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, Janhvi Kapoor and Anil Kapoor. He wrote, “Presenting #TAKHT. Produced by Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar & Apoorva Mehta. SCREENPLAY BY: Sumit Roy WITH: Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, Janhvi Kapoor AND: Anil Kapoor. Release date: 24.12.2021 (sic).
Takht was thought to be set in the Mughal era. But the movie never materialized.
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