Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Kapoor, Kriti Sanon to star in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Panipat 

The Mohenjo Daro (2016) disaster notwithstanding, Ashutosh Gowariker is all set to churn out another historical drama. The filmmaker announced his next project Panipat, that will star Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon. 

Panipat: The Great Betrayal will be based on the third battle of Panipat, fought between the Marathas and the Afghans on 14 January 1761. 

“Historical dramas have always fascinated me. This time it is a story about what led to the Third Battle of #Panipat. Here’s the first Teaser Poster,” Gowariker tweeted. 

The third battle of Panipat was fought between the Marathas and the Afghans. The Afghans were led by Ahmed Shah Abdali, while the Maratha forces were led by Sadashivrao Bhau. Though the Marathas fought valiantly, the Afghans emerged victorious. 

As the title reads Panipat: The Great Betrayal. it would be fair to assume that the film will be based on Sadashivrao's key man, Malharrao Holkar's, retreat from the battle.

The film, co-produced by Gowariker and Rohit Shelatkar of Vision World, will be released on 6 December 2019. Buzz has it that Sanon would be playing the role of Parvatibai in the film.

Speaking on the collaboration, Gowariker said, “I am very excited to be working with Rohit Shelatkar and his company Vision World! As his company name suggests, Rohit truly has a vision for cinema. He has an interest in movies that matches mine, especially in the historical genre. Both of us share a high level of excitement and intrigue for this particular story of Panipat (the third battle). I am looking forward to this association and journey with him.”

Shelatkar added that he is fortunate to work with Gowariker for his first production. "My company Vision World and I have found the best partners in Ashutosh and Sunita Gowariker. The third Battle of Panipat has been very close to my heart, and I have also been reading on the subject for the past 10 years. We decided to come together to make a film on this very important historical event, which still remains an unparalleled attempt of bravery, passion and patriotism in history.”