India, May 16 -- The year was 2019. COVID-19 did not exist yet (for a few more months). Bollywood was thriving, and nepotism was just a buzzword that did not yet derail careers. But it was all around the corner. And it began with one film, one that never even went on the floors and yet changed the landscape of Hindi cinema. Touted as the most expensive Bollywood film ever, this movie starred seven big names and was helmed by the biggest director around. Karan Johar's Takht was more ambitious than most. But then what became of it?

In 2019, Karan Johar announced his next directorial after Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Titled Takht, the period drama revolved around the power grab in the Mughal Empire at the end of Emperor Shah Jahan's reign. The focu...