Rani Nandini In Ponniyin Selvan: I, And Other Upcoming Historical Characters In Bollywood

Bollywood has produced numerous historical dramas over the years. Some films have etched a particular place in the hearts of moviegoers for their magnificence, while others have won critical praise and broken box office records.

These movies feature strong female characters like Padmavati from Padmaavat, who committed Jauhar, the fabled act of women jumping into the fire to avoid being raped and captured by the invading army, and Jodhaa Bai from Jodha Akbar, who maintains her identity and acts as an equal partner to the emperor. After years of production and filming, more large-scale period films will be produced in the future. The movies that will be released this year will have powerful female characters like Shakuntala and Sita, from Shaakuntalam to Adipurush.

Here is a list of upcoming historical dramas, along with information about the historical female characters who will appear in them.

 The portrayal of Historical Characters in Bollywood:

Rani Nandini from Ponniyin Selvan: I

Ponniyin Selvan: I  period action drama movie was released today. This is the first of two feature films based on the 1955 book Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki Krishnamurthy. Together with Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prabhu, R. Sarathkumar, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, Rahman, and R. Parthiban, these actors make up the film's ensemble cast. The protagonist of the story is Vandiyathevan, a charming, courageous, and intelligent young man. He travels to the Chola region to deliver a letter from the Crown Prince, Adithya Karikalan, to the King and Princess.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's character is one of the most important characters in the film. In the film, Nandini is the character she is portraying. The movie, set against the backdrop of the Chola dynasty, includes Nandini as its primary antagonist.

Shakuntala from Shaakuntalam

An upcoming mythological drama film in Telugu called Shaakuntalam is based on the well-known Kalidasa play Shakuntala. Along with Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who plays Shakuntala, and Dev Mohan, who plays Dushyanta, the ruler of the Puru Dynasty, the movie also stars Mohan Babu, Gautami, Aditi Balan, and Ananya Nagalla in supporting roles.

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Shankuntala, a character played by Prabhu, was the mother of Emperor Bharata and the wife of Dushyanta. The ancient Indian epic Mahabharata tells her narrative, and various writers have dramatised it; the most well-known adaptation is Kalidasa's play Abhijnakuntala (The Sign of Shakuntala). The film, Shaakuntalam was expected to be released on November 4. However, the new release date will be announced soon. 

Suggested Reading: 7 Must Watch Period Films From Bollywood With Strong Women Characters

Sita from Adipurush

The upcoming Hindu mythological movie Adipurush is based on the epic Ramayana. In the movie, Saif Ali Khan plays Lankesh, Kriti Sanon plays Janaki, and Prabhas plays Raghava in the movie. The movie will demonstrate in order to save his wife Sita, who has been kidnapped by Lankesh, the king of Lanka, 7000 years ago, Ayodhya's king Rama travels to the island of Lanka. Sanon's character Sita in Hinduism also known as Janaki is the spouse of the god Rama. Adipurush is scheduled to theatrically release on 12 January 2023 in Hindi and Telugu, along with dubbed versions in Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada.

Period films take us back in time while also revisiting history by skillfully portraying historical tales. Are you waiting for these characters to appear on-screen?