Disney+ Hotstar has released the trailer of their upcoming series, The Empire. A lavish period actioner, the series stars actor Kunal Kapoor as Mughal emperor Babur. It explores the early years of Babur's life and is based on Alex Rutherford's novel series, Empire of the Moghul: Raiders from the North.

The trailer depicts Babur's journey as a young king faced with incredible challenges. On the path to establishing his Empire, he is faced with rampaging armies and brutal enemies. The main antagonist, Uzbek leader Shaybani Khan, is played by Dino Morea. The show also features Shabana Azmi, Drashti Dhami, Aditya Seal, Sahher Bambba, Rahul Dev and others.

The 8-episode series was shot across India and Uzbekistan. It promises to raise the bar in VFX and production design in the Indian OTT landscape.

Showrunner Nikkhil Advani said, “The Empire is a dream project that I have nurtured for years. The narrative we are exploring is something none of the makers have ever attempted in the history of Indian entertainment and given this story a fictional and creative bent."

Actor Kunal Kapoor said, “We have heard many stories about Babur and the Mughals, but very little about who they were, where they came from and how they came into India. In this fictional take, this is a character with a lot of complexities, and that is what intrigued me as an actor. The trailer is just a small glimpse into the world of The Empire.”

The Empire premieres on Disney+ Hotstar on August 27. You can check out the trailer here -