They Have Dragons & Zombies: The Empire Dir Mitakshara on Comparisons to GoT

The Empire actors Kunal Kapoor and Dino Morea also reacted to comparisons to Game of Thrones and Padmaavat.

The Empire director Mitakshara Kumar reacts to comparisons to Game of Thrones. 

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram/ IMDb)

The Empire director Mitakshara Kumar opened up about the comparisons between the show and the HBO drama Game of Thrones. After The Empire’s release, several people compared the show’s aesthetics to the hit HBO show. In an interview, Mitakshara clarified that the subject matter of both shows is different and there is no comparison between the two.

Mitakshara told Indian Express, “They have dragons and zombies, how can people compare? You want to compare our show to Game of Thrones? Give us the budget of Game of Thrones." She added that Game of Thrones was made on a huge scale.

“I think our entire series could be made in the budget they use for just 1-2 episodes. If despite having a fraction of the budget, we are still being compared to Game of Thrones, I think somewhere we have done something right.”

Mitakshara Kumar, ‘The Empire’ director

The Empire, starring Kunal Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Drashti Dhami, and others, is based on Alex Rutherford’s series ‘Empire of the Moghul’, which follows the life of Mughal emperor Babur. On the other hand, the HBO show Game of Thrones is based on the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ novels written by George RR Martin.

Kunal Kapoor, who essays the role of Babur, also addressed the comparisons between the two shows. He told SpotBoyE, “I think these are unnecessary comparisons. Comparisons will be made and it is tragic that it is Game of Thrones because it is a fantastic show. Whenever you do a period drama like that it will be compared to something.”

He added, “Some will say it is like Padmaavat, Bajirao (Mastaani) or Game of Thrones, but it is a different story, it’s a different world, different characters, different people. If people are comparing the scale, then great, it’s wonderful, but I don’t think there is any other commonality between that show and this show.”

Actor Dino Morea, who played Muhammad Shyabani Khan on the show, also denied speculations that his performance was influenced by Ranveer Singh’s character Khilji in Padmaavat. Morea told Bollywood Bubble, “If you compare me to someone who has done a fantastic job then chalo theek hai. I’m okay with it. Because Ranveer has done a fantastic job as Khilji. I have not been influenced by what he did as Khilji. I have tried to introduce my madness through Shaybani Khan.”

The Empire released on 27 August on Disney+ Hotstar.