Samrat Prithviraj

Introduction

Samrat Prithviraj is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language historical action drama film directed and produced by Chandraprakash Dwivedi and distributed by Yash Raj Films. The film is based on Prithviraj Raso, a Braj language epic poem about the life of Prithviraj Chauhan, a Chahamana dynasty Rajput ruler. It stars Akshay Kumar as the titular character, and Manushi Chhillar makes her Hindi cinema debut as Sanyogita. Other key actors in the picture include Sanjay Dutt, Sonu Sood, Manav Vij, Ashutosh Rana, and Sakshi Tanwar.

Yash Raj Films unveiled an official motion poster for the film on September 9, 2019, confirming that it will be released in theatres on Diwali 2020. Principal shooting started in Jaipur on November 15, 2019, but was halted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India, resulting in the film's indefinite postponement. The film's production will restart in October 2020 at YRF Studios. The film, originally titled Prithviraj, was renamed Samrat Prithviraj after a court battle a week before its planned release. On June 3, 2022, the film was published.

Table of Content

• Details

• Plot

• Release

• Review

• Casting

• Crew

• Behind the scene

• Songs

• Box Office Collection

• Conclusion

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Details

Plot

Samrat Prithviraj is an Hindi-language historical drama film based on the life of Prithviraj Chauhan, one of the most powerful rulers of mediaeval India. Here is a possible plot summary based on what has been revealed so far. The film tells the story of Prithviraj Chauhan, a fearless warrior and a brilliant strategist, who rose to power in the 12th century in the region now known as Rajasthan. Prithviraj was the son of Someshwar Chauhan, the king of Ajmer, and he inherited the throne after his father's death.

As a young prince, Prithviraj was known for his bravery and his love for archery. He was trained in warfare by his guru, Chanakya, and he soon became a formidable warrior. Prithviraj also fell in love with Sanyukta, the daughter of his rival, Jaichand, the king of Kannauj. Despite the political tensions between their families, Prithviraj and Sanyukta decided to get married.

The film follows Prithviraj's journey as a king and a warrior, as he faces several challenges and battles. He fought against the Ghurid empire led by Muhammad Ghori, who wanted to expand his empire into India. Prithviraj won several battles against Ghori and became known as the invincible warrior king.

However, Prithviraj's biggest challenge came from within his own kingdom. His own brother, Jagdish, who was jealous of his power, joined forces with Ghori to overthrow Prithviraj. In a fierce battle, Prithviraj and his army fought against Jagdish and Ghori's army, but they were outnumbered and defeated.

Prithviraj was captured by Ghori, who wanted to humiliate him. However, Prithviraj did not lose his spirit and his courage. He challenged Ghori to a final battle, and in one-on-one combat, he killed Ghori with his bow and arrow. Prithviraj's victory was short-lived, as he was killed by one of Ghori's soldiers who attacked him from behind with a poisoned arrow. The film ends with a tribute to Prithviraj's legacy as a brave warrior, a just king, and a symbol of Indian valour and pride.

Release

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The picture was previously scheduled to be released in theatres on November 13, 2020, to coincide with Diwali. However, it was postponed due to a manufacturing halt caused by the COVID-19 pandemic from March to October 2020.  The picture was supposed to be released in 2D and IMAX theatres on 21 January 2022, but it was postponed due to the spread of the Omicron variant. Finally, on 3 June 2022, the film was distributed theatrically in Hindi and dubbed Tamil and Telugu versions only. 

The release of the picture was prohibited in Kuwait and Oman. The distribution has been halted in Qatar. The film was deemed tax-free in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Uttarakhand prior to its release. From July 1, 2022, the picture was digitally streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

Review

The Indian Express' Shubhra Gupta gave the film two stars and wrote, As befits its simplistic, devoid-of-nuance tone, this Akshay Kumar-Manushi Chhillar film is larger-than-life and stays completely faithful to its stated intent. NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee gave the film two out of five stars, writing, A historical drama of this magnitude required more than just a big budget. It needed a sharper eye, a larger vision, and a higher level of integrity, none of which it possesses. Anuj Kumar of The Hindu wrote in his review, Director Chandraprakash Dwivedi's film seeks to revive cultural nationalism, but it does not serve the purpose of those who wish to reap the past for political gain. 

The Times of India's Rachana Dubey gave the film 3.5 stars and stated, Samrat Prithviraj is a well-performed and well-directed family drama. It lacks the opulence that we've seen in other historical shows. 

Filmfare's Devesh Sharma gave the film 3.5 stars, writing, It's fondly trying to recreate a time when everything was just and honourable, while also showing that it's our own disunity that allowed the invaders to step in.A Bollywood Hungama reviewer gave the film 3.5 stars and wrote, The Akshay Kumar film Samrat Prithviraj is an inspiring and entertaining saga of one of India's greatest kings.[68] Akshay Kumar and Manushi Chhillar starrer evokes sentiments of patriotism and Rajput valour, trying to recreate the dramatic love story of Samrat Prithviraj and princess Sanyogita, wrote Bohni Bandyopadhyay of News 18.

Rediff.com's Deepa Gahlot gave the film three out of five stars, writing, Akshay Kumar plays the part with enthusiasm, as if he was just waiting to get into the costume of a historical hero.

Cast

• Akshay Kumar as Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan

• Varun Buddhadev as a young Prithviraj 

• Sanjay Dutt as Kaka Kanha

• Sonu Sood as Prithvi Chand Bhatta / Chand Bardai

• Manushi Chhillar as Sanyogita

• Manav Vij as Muhammad Ghori

• Ashutosh Rana as Jayachandra

• Sakshi Tanwar as Jayachandra's wife

• Lalit Tiwari as Kannauj Purohit

• Govind Pandey as Jayachandra's main Senapati

• Manoj Joshi as a rich merchant

• Arun Bali as Arnoraja

• Rajendra Gupta as Thakurbaba 

• Vikas Shrivastav as Jayachandra's guard

Crew

• Directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi

• Produced by Aditya Chopra

• Music By Sanchit Balhara, Ankit Balhara, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

• Cinematography By Manush Nandan

• Distributed By Yash Raj Films

• Edited by Aarif Sheikh

• Based on Prithviraj Raso by Chand Bardai

Behind the Scenes

In 2010, Chandraprakash Dwivedi finished the script for Prithviraj, and his first choice for the part of Prithviraj was Sunny Deol, with Aishwarya Rai as Sanyogita. However, due to Deol's scheduling conflicts and lack of production house interest, he left the project, and it was almost shelved. However, Dwivedi still wanted to make Prithviraj, and after many years of struggling to find a producer to come on board for him, Yash Raj Films offered to produce the film in 2018, thus reviving the film.

Akshay Kumar revealed in March 2019 that he had been persuaded to play Prithviraj. The picture was officially announced on Kumar's 52nd birthday, September 9, 2019, with the release of a motion poster on social media.

Songs 

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The soundtrack for the film includes five songs, four of which were written by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, and the film score was composed by Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara.

Hindi 

Tamil 

Telugu 

Box Office Collection

Samrat Prithviraj was shown in 5,000 theatres around the globe. On its first day, it made 10.7 crore (US$1.3 million) at the domestic box office.This was less than the anticipated first-day earnings of 15 crore (US$1.9 million). The opening weekend was anticipated to recover earnings; however, earnings of 12.6 crore (US$1.6 million) and 16.1 crore (US$2.0 million) on Saturday and Sunday fell short of expectations.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 provided stiff opposition.On Monday, the fourth day after the film's premiere, earnings had plummeted to around 5 crore (US$630,000), a drop of more than 50% from the opening day.The film's early showings began to be cancelled due to low theatre occupancy. The performances that were not cancelled had occupancy in the single digits. According to the Indian Express, the film had a downward trajectory and ended up being a box office flop.The reduction and cancellation of shows was ascribed to an abundance of screens causing poor occupancy.

The film grossed 81.01 crore (US$10 million) in India and 9.31 crore (US$1.2 million) abroad as of 30 July 2022, for a total global gross collection of 90.32 crore (US$11 million). Following the film's poor theatrical performance, YRF intended to recoup some of its production expenses by releasing it early on Amazon Prime Video for streaming.

Conclusion

Samrat Prithviraj is a  movie about the legendary king of the ancient Rajput kingdom in India, who may ponder his life and heritage. It could honour his courage, valour, and battle leadership, his love for his wife, Samyukta, and his vision for a united India. It could also look at the challenges he encountered from competitor kingdoms, betrayal from his own subjects, and his ultimate defeat and death in battle. Finally, the conclusion may consider the significance of Samrat Prithviraj's life and legacy in Indian history and society. It may prompt spectators to consider the value of leadership, unity, and resilience in the face of adversity.