Naseer plays Emperor Akbar in OTT series 'Taj - Divided by Blood'

Mumbai, Feb 17 (IANS) The trailer of the upcoming period streaming series 'Taj - Divided by Blood' was unveiled on Friday. As seen in the trailer, the series encapsulates the reign of Emperor Akbar depicting historical figures as humans with ambitions, desires and flaws.

The series stars Naseeruddin Shah, Dharmendra, Aditi Rao Hydari, Aashim Gulati, Taha Shah Badussha and Shubham Kumar Mehra, among others.

Talking about the series, Naseeruddin Shah said in a statement, "'Taj - Divided by Blood' is the story of war and power set against the backdrop of the Mughal empire. The show unveils the inner workings that played out in the hallowed chambers of Emperor Akbar's empire. While many have recreated Mughal history, 'Taj - Divided by Blood' has taken an unexplored and unchartered take on it, hencing making it compelling for old and new viewers."

He added, "A brilliant team from across the globe has brought this series to life and from whatever I have seen so far, I can tell that it is going to be one of the most riveting series of the year."

The series, which is touted to be a visual spectacle, is a historical fiction full of drama, politics and tragedy; jealousy, deceit and betrayal; love, lust and romance; arts, poetry and architecture.

Aditi Rao Hydari said, "I have always enjoyed history; there are great stories, many of which are outside of our textbooks. When I was asked to play Anarkali, I was afraid as much as I was excited. Anarkali is an iconic character, her beauty and grace was considered unparalleled and enchanting beyond one's imagination. I was intimidated at first and especially because of how it's been portrayed by the mesmerising Madhubala in Mughal-e-Azam."

"What made me take a leap was a meeting with the director Ron Scalpello and the writers William and Simon. Anarkali has been written very uniquely and so it felt like a new challenge to take on. The collaborative nature of our discussions also added to my journey into this world to make it my own. It has been a privilege and responsibility to play Anarkali and I hope that I have done justice to it," she added.

Produced by Contiloe Digital along with William Borthwick as the showrunner, Simon Fantauzzo as the writer and Ronald Scalpello as the director, 'Taj - Divided by Blood' also stars Subodh Bhave, Aayam Mehta, Deepraj Rana, Shivani Tanksale, Pankaj Saraswat, Digambar Prasad and Zachary Coffin in supporting roles.

The series is set to premiere on ZEE5 from March 3.