Making a historical drama can be daunting. Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi knew that all too well as he teamed up with Akshay Kumar for Prithviraj, a retelling of the warrior king who fought valiantly against Muhammad of Ghor. Authenticity is the foundation of any period piece. The director left no stone unturned to recreate the 12th century Chahamana dynasty — from building sets of palaces that resembled the period’s architectural style, to creating era-appropriate outfits. “Detailing was key to making a film like Prithviraj. For instance, 500 different turbans were created for the film. All these were authentic replications of the kinds of turbans worn by kings, masses, and people of various professions at that time. We had an expert on turban styling, who would oversee the process on the set,” says Dwivedi.

Chandraprakash Dwivedi