History has so many forgotten chapters of glorious battles that have shaped the lives we lead today. One such story is that of Bundelkhand’s saviour Chhatrasal – who challenged the tyranny of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the mid 16th century and raged a war to win his kingdom independence from the growing Mughal rule. MX Player is bringing to life the story of this courageous ruler with its show Chhatrasal, a first of its kind historical drama based on the life of the unsung warrior King Chhatrasal of Bundelkhand (Jitin Gulati) who dared to defy the formidable Aurangzeb (Ashutosh Rana).
For the uninitiated, here are 5 interesting facts we found out about this Bundela King.
He was ahead of his times as a ruler – He brought many revolutionary reforms in his kingdom. His acceptance of women priests back in the mid 16/early 17th century and the introduction of the canal system and Panchayat Raj are just testimony to his forward thinking. His belief about religion stemmed from egalitarianism. He was one of the bravest and most spiritual leaders the kingdom had seen.
He was Mastani’s father and considered Peshwa Baji Rao I as his son: Chhatrasal gave the hand of his daughter Mastani to Peshwa — Baji Rao I, whom he considered to be like his son after the Peshwa helped him defeat Muhammad Khan Bangash.
Chhatrasal is a part of Bundelkhand’s identity – In his honour, there are roads, colleges and even a university named after Chhatrasal today. The city of Chhatarpur is also named after the valiant Maharaja. A famous stadium, known for wrestling is called the ‘Chhatrasal Stadium’ in North Delhi that was recently in the news when Sushil Kumar was arrested in connection with his alleged involvement in the death of a 23-year-old old wrestler at the same Chhatrasal Stadium.
He was blessed with a Kingdom of diamonds – Chhatrasal was a staunch disciple of Swami Prannath Ji. According to a local folklore, he granted Chhatrasal with a boon that diamonds would be found in his kingdom. He made Panna his capital and this eventually led to the discovery of the famed Panna diamond mines. It is said that because of him, Chhatrasal became prosperous. Even today, Swami Prannath Ji is worshipped across Bundelkhand & in other parts of the country as well.
He never lost any battle against the Mughals – Veer Chhatrasal fought 52 battles and has never lost any battle even once. He was highly admired for his strong spirit, honour, and love for his homeland.
Chhatrasal is a significant part of Bundelkhand’s culture and continues to inspire the youth even today.
The show is directed by Anadii Chaturvedi, narrated by the timeless Neena Gupta and will additionally see Vaibhavi Shandilya, Manish Wadhwa, Anushka Luhar, Rudra Soni in pivotal roles.
Watch all episodes of the riveting saga of Chhatrasal’s fortitude on MX Player for FREE.