Jodhaa Akbar to Manikarnika: Bollywood's best periodical dramas that were released before Chhaava
Vicky Kaushal’s ‘Chhaava’, co-starring Akshaye Khanna and Rashmika Mandanna, among others, has been making waves since the time it was released in cinema halls on Friday. Under Laxman Utekar's direction, the film brings a forgotten hero to the forefront, chronicling the remarkable journey of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. While the film is out in theaters and is expected to go big with its box office collection, we bring you a listicle on some of Bollywood’s commercially successful periodical dramas.
‘Jodhaa Akbar’: Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starred in Ashutosh Gowariker’s ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ in the titular roles. A musical periodical drama, it was released worldwide in 2008. It is a fictional story about the marriage of Mughal Emperor Akbar with Rajput Princess Jodha Bai. Made on a budget of Rs. 40 crore, it went on to mint Rs. 120 crore at the box office, worldwide.
‘Bajirao Mastani’: Based on Nagnath S. Inamdar’s Marathi novel ‘Rau’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’ is a 2015 film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The movie, which stars Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, narrates the love story of Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I and his second wife, Mastani Bai. Despite the numerous controversies that ‘Bajirao Mastani’ faced before its theatrical release, it still went on to become a huge commercial success, earning roughly about Rs. 356 crores at the box office.
‘Padmaavat’: Bhansali once again reunited with his ‘Bajirao Mastani’ lead actors for ‘Padmaavat’. He also roped in Shahid Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Jim Sarbh. The film is based on Malik Muhammed’s epic poem of the same name. It featured Deepika as Rani Padmavati, Shahid as Maharawal Ratan Singh, Ranveer as Alauddin Khilji, Aditi as Khilji’s wife Mehrunisa, and Jim as Malik Kafur. Similar to ‘Bajirao Mastani’, ‘Padmaavat’ also faced multiple controversies, yet it became one of the biggest blockbusters. It earned over Rs. 570 crore at the box office.
‘Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi’: Released in 2019, this periodical drama is based on the life of Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi. Starring Kangana Ranaut in the titular role, it also marks her directorial debut which she co-directed with Krish Jagarlamundi with V. Vijayendra Prasad writing its screenplay and story. Upon its release in India and internationally, the film scored big with the bucks. It went on to become one of the highest-grossing women-centric movies in India, reportedly collecting about Rs. 133 crore at the box office.