On April 23, Siddharth Roy Kapur announced what may easily be his most ambitious project—the screen adaptation of William Dalrymple’s acclaimed book, The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company. Imagine our surprise when he, during our chat, tells us that mid-day has been instrumental in introducing him to the 2019 book. “I first read about the book in mid-day many years ago, before it got published,” he recalls.
That article led him to contact Dalrymple via his publishers in early 2019. Kapur remembers meeting the historian and author at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai. “[When we started talking], what Dalrymple had in mind aligned with what I was trying to explore—the impact of global corporations that function as mini nation states today. Its ripple effects have been felt by everyone because almost every nation has been either a coloniser or colonised.” The producer adds that after a bit of back-and-forth, Dalrymple came on board, even passing on the unpublished manuscript to him.
Stephen Frears. Pic/AFP
That sowed the seeds for the expansive multi-season series, which will have the author serve as the consultant and the Oscar-nominated British director Stephen Frears at the helm. Together, they will tell the story of how the East India Company rose to power in the Indian sub-continent in the late 18th century as the Mughal Empire crumbled. The story demands a large canvas, and Roy Kapur, along with Paul Lee’s studio Wiip—which produced the acclaimed Mare of Easttown (2021)—is determined to give it just that. “It’s a sprawling piece about a lush world that has the Mughals, Marathas, British, Dutch and how they shaped the country’s tapestry. I call it our Game of Thrones’ ambition meets The Crown’s telling. There are multiple seasons because we want to stay true to the nuance of his writing,” states Kapur.
When it comes to bringing nuance to screen, Kapur—who has grown up on Frears’ works, Dangerous Liaisons (1988), The Grifters (1990) and The Queen (2006)—knew he’d be the best choice. “Stephen has the ability to treat characters as whole people, while retaining the story’s scale. It’s the most definitive story of modern history for us. The Anarchy shows India with a curious gaze. Only Stephen can pull this off,” he shares, adding that the casting process will begin in a few months.
Siddharth Roy Kapur. Pic/Instagram
Making an ambitious saga is daunting. It only becomes amplified in the current market when more films are failing than succeeding. Does that play on his mind? “It’s always a good time to tell a great story,” Kapur says assuredly. “From time to time, we feel a creative and monetary vacuum. But that doesn’t mean one doesn’t swing for the fences. Yes, two years of COVID have shrunk our attention span. We’re competing with innumerable avenues, even Instagram Reels. But if you give people something breathtaking, they’ll come in hordes.”
Did you know?
The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company had featured in Barack Obama’s list of favourite books of 2019. It traces the East India Company’s rise in the Indian sub-continent.