Takht is set in the Mughal era and will be the story of Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb, director Karan Johar confirmed in the latest episode of Neha Dhupia’s podcast No Filter With Neha.

After the announcement about the film, media reports speculated that it would be about the succession battle between Dara Shikoh and his younger brother, Aurangzeb, in the seventeenth century. Vicky Kaushal said that he is playing Aurangzeb in the recently released The Actor’s Roundtable 2018 video on CNN News18. Ranveer Singh is said to be playing Dara Shikoh.

Shooting for the period drama will begin between August and September, Johar told Neha Dhupia. Calling Takht the “most passionate piece of material” he will have the opportunity to direct, Johar went on to talk about his obsession with the Mughal era’s “visual texture, the controversial content, the political betrayal, the love, the lust, the decadence, the debauchery, the madness, the violence”.

Takht features an ensemble cast that includes Kareena Kapoor Khan, Anil Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Janhvi Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar. Written by Sumit Roy, the film will be released in 2020.