Director Ashutosh Gowariker’s magnum opus — Panipat has been constantly making headlines ever since its announcement. The film, which is mounted on a grand scale, has already secured a host of Bollywood actors for its large ensemble cast and now there is another addition to its stellar team  supermodel-turned-actor — Sahil Salathia.

Sahil, who made his acting debut as the main lead in Ashutosh’s telenovela Everest, will play Shamsher Bahadur in the historical drama. Shamsher Bahadur was the son of Bajirao I and Mastani and a formidable warrior, who played an important part in the Third Battle of Panipat.

Speaking about the latest addition to Panipat, producer Sunita Gowariker said, “Sahil had left an impression on us ever since he did Everest with Ashutosh Gowariker Productions Pvt. Ltd (AGPPL). We had been wanting to work with him again and this role was a perfect fit for him. Sahil is a talented actor and we are certain that he will do complete justice to Shamsher Bahadur’s character.”

Panipat is based on the Third Battle of Panipat, which is one of the most epic battles in the history of India that took place onJanuary 14, 1761 at Panipat. The battle was fought between the northern expeditionary force of the Maratha Empire and invading forces of the King of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Abdali, supported by two Indian allies — the Rohilla Afghans of the Doab, and Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh.

The film also features Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon in pivotal roles, and is produced by Sunita Gowariker under their home banner AGPPL in association with Rohit Shelatkar’s company,  Vision World. The film is scheduled to release on December 6, 2019.