How important was Hrithik or Aishwarya’s resemblance to the original characters? Was star value the only criteria?
They were also my first choices because they are superb actors and their physical attributes lend themselves very well to the looks of a comic book emperor and a princess. My images of Akbar and Jodhaa are from the Amar Chitra Katha and like those portrayals, Hrithik is strong and has princely looks, while Aishwarya is the quintessential princess. As regards historical resemblance, my belief is that, it doesn’t matter. Ben Kingsley is far removed from the Gandhi you see in all his photographs, nor does Brad Pitt match the mythical depictions of Achilles. Sometimes, you need a face that will do justice to the character and take it a little ahead by making it more believable.  

Poonam S Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha’s wife, seems to be one of the most unlikeliest debutants in your cast. How did you think of her and convince her to come onscreen after three decades?
She has an extremely charming and regal personality and has a body language, which is very elegant. While casting, I kept saying that I need someone who looks like Poonam Sinha for the role of Akbar’s mother, but I wasn’t getting anyone. So I decided to ask her instead, and she was pleasantly surprised. But she said that I must first take Shatruji’s permission and, thankfully, they both liked the role and said yes. As Hamida Banu, an empress from Turkey, she makes an impact with very few words.

... contd.