Akbar and Birbal return on TV to bust your lockdown blues

MUMBAI: "Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal", which ran from 2014 to 2016, is back on television. Its cast members Vishal Kotian, Delnaaz Irani and Kishwer Merchantt went down memory lane to shared some anecdotes from the shoot.

The popular historical comedy, with a lot of drama, suspense, and thrills, was inspired by the tales of Akbar and Birbal.

Vishal, who played Birbal in the show, said: "My experience of working in the show was amazing as I was surrounded by a set of close friends. Sometimes, magic just happens and the exact thing happened with this show. Nobody knew at that time that '...Akbar Birbal' will become such a hit."

"I remember when I first went for the reading session for the show, Kiku (Sharda) and I were there and this movie 'Jodhaa Akbar' had released and was already a huge hit. So I had the image of Akbar as a well-built guy and when I went for the reading, I actually thought that I was called for the role of Akbar as I believed it suited me more. When I started doing the show, I realised how Birbal's character is so much like me in real life as well.

"Another thing which changed with the show was my Hindi, as being a Mumbaikar, my Hindi was not up to the mark and no one could have thought of casting me in a show like '...Akbar Birbal' but as the show progressed, my Hindi actually improved," he added.

Delnaaz was seen as Maharani Jodha in the TV show. "There are some beautiful memories associated with the show. As we used to spend most of our time on the sets, each one of us had decorated our rooms as per our choice and requirement. For instance, my room had a prayer corner, office corner, mirchi lights and I would light a diya every day.

"On the other hand, Kiku being a foodie, had his room filled with eatables, fridge, microwave, etc. There was altogether a different level of comfort between each and every member of the show where we were like one big happy family on the set."

Kishwer essayed the role of Urvashi, a beautiful dancer appointed by Emperor Akbar.

"It's a show that has been very close to my heart and always will be. This was a character that I thought I could never pull off but I still ended up giving it a shot. I am not very comfortable with comedy as most of my roles have been negative characters. But working with Kiku, Delnaaz and Vishal actually taught me a lot," she said.

"Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal" is aired on BIG Magic.