Bollywood stars Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are great parents to have, actor Sahil Salathia has said. Sahil plays Bajirao and Mastani’s son in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Panipat; Ranveer -Deepikaplayed titular roles in Bajirao Mastani. The film was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and featured Ranveer as Bajirao Peshwa while Deepika essayed the role of his second wife, Mastani.
Panipat, on the other hand, stars Arjun Kapoor in the lead role of Shadashiv Rao Bhau. Sahil essays the role of Sadashiv’s cousin and Bajirao-Mastani’s son Shamsher Bahadur. Panipat is Sahil’s second project with Ashutosh – he had earlier worked in the filmmaker’s TV show, Everest.
Asked about playing Deepika and Ranveer’s son, Sahil told Mumbai Mirror, “It’s a different filmmaker (Bhansali), a different vision, but they (Deepika and Ranveer) are definitely good parents to have, being exceptionally talented and stunning. So it’s flattering.”
He also talked about his character and said, “He was the son of Bajirao and Mastani and is well etched in people’s mind, but in our film you will see his contribution to the third battle of Panipat.”
Touted to be a war drama, Panipat traces events that led to the third battle of Panipat. It boasts an ensemble cast including Sanjay Dutt as the antagonist Ahmad Shah Abdali, apart from Padmini Kolhapure, Mohnish Bahl, Kunal Kapoor, and Zeenat Aman. The film is slated to hit big screens on December 6.
Talking about the film, Ashutosh had said, “When you choose a historical movie, the responsibility begins from the writing of the script. My approach is to make sure that the movie should be authentic and realistic. The audience should have the feeling that this is how it must have happened.”
Talking about the comparisons being made between Panipat and Bajirao Mastani, Arjun had told IANS, “People are comparing Panipat with Bajirao Mastani. There are so many stories belonging to that era. Should we stop making such films then? Then Tanhaji also cannot be made. There are so many stories waiting to be told! Just because we have seen something that resonated with us two years back, that doesn’t mean any other story from that era cannot be made into a film.”
