Known for his predominantly positive roles on television, Avinesh Rekhi is taking a darker turn with his portrayal of Muhammad Ghori in the historical series Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan. The actor, who is playing an antagonist for the third time — after Madhubala Ek Ishq Ek Junoon and Tere Bina Jiya Jaye Na — says the complexity of the role was too compelling to pass up. “I don’t focus on whether a role is the protagonist or antagonist, as long as I am playing a good character. This would be the third time I am playing an antagonist. I wanted to do something different and it [was possible here because] it has a lot of layers,” he says.
Avinesh Rekhi
When it comes to depicting historical figures, authenticity and responsibility go hand in hand. “As an actor, since we are being given detailed and well-researched scripts, we don’t really have to think much about it. We get the basic nuances from the script, and the physical training is the only aspect we need to take care off. There is no visual record of it, but the character is not fictional, so you still have to be responsible while playing it.” Rekhi underwent a month-long workshop to nail the Urdu dialect, walk, and body language of Ghori. “There are paintings and written material on him, but the makers took creative liberty in costumes, dialogues, and his mannerisms. Since we wanted to keep it a bit simpler for the audience to understand, there is less Kabuli in the dialect. Initially, we used the Kabuli accent, but it sounded too caricaturish.” While he did read up on the historical background, he was cautious not to let conflicting narratives interfere with his performance. “Yes, I did, but every historical character written by a historian may have a different perspective. I started reading and then I stopped because it
confuses you. I didn’t want that conflict to happen on set. So it’s important to stick to the script.”
While he is aware that television is doing well, Rekhi believes original content is the way forward. “I feel we should do more original shows, so that it becomes unique for the audience to watch rather than it being repetitive.”