Janhvi Kapoor takes Urdu lessons for Karan Johar's Takht

Even though Karan Johar is months away from rolling his magnum opus Takht — which also features Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt, among others — his protege Janhvi Kapoor has busied herself with prep for the film. Turns out, the actor — who reportedly plays Zainabadi Mahal aka Hira Bai in the period drama — has been working closely with a diction coach to learn Urdu.

A source close to the actor tells midday, "Over the past four months, Janhvi has been training with a language coach to ace the finer nuances of Urdu, including diction and pronunciation. Since the film is said to be based in the Mughal era, she has also brushed up on her history. Her reading material includes Aurangzeb: The Man and the Myth by Audrey Truschke, and Storia Do Mogor by Niccolao Manucci." According to reports, Singh plays Dara Shikoh, Shah Jahan's eldest son, and Kaushal slips into the role of Aurangzeb.