The Empire caused waves when it was first released in 2021, and now U.S. viewers can watch it at home.
The series was added to Disney-owned Hulu in August 2025, featuring all eight episodes of the Mughal-era drama. This is yet another historical and war-based drama on the service, of which it has many. The Empire first premiered on Disney+ Hotstar in India, but is now presented to a larger audience.
Learn more about the controversial nature of the show below.
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What is The Empire About?
The Empire was created by Nikkhil Advani and directed by Mitakshara Kumar as an adaptation of Alex Rutherford’s Empire of Moghul novels. The series centers around Kunal Kapoor as Babur, as he goes from a 14-year-old prince to the founder of the Mughal Empire.
The show originally premiered on August 27th, 2021, running for eight episodes.
Mixed Reviews
The arrival of The Empire on Hulu has garnered similar reactions to when the show premiered in India and abroad. The series earned praise for its production design, costumes, and sweeping cinematography that rivaled major international epics. Some critics even referred to the series as “India’s answer to Game of Thrones” because of the sheer scale and palace intrigue in every episode.
However, the series only received a 4.7/10 on IMDb, reflecting the divided feelings about The Empire. Critics disliked the writing, dialogue, and some character performances, and others criticized the show’s visual effects. Vice’s Navin Noronha commented that the series, “has plot threads that are eerily similar to GoT, as well as shot-by-shot copies of several iconic scenes from the HBO show.”
Perhaps the show takes after Game of Thrones just a little too much.
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Political Controversy
The dislikes even delved into political and cultural controversy in India after the premiere. Viewers objected to what they saw as a glorified portrayal of Babur, and The Economic Times recorded the hashtag #UninstallHotstar revolving around social media platforms. Hotstar is the company that distributed The Empire first.
Later, grievances were filed under India’s IT rules, but Hotstar’s grievance officer ultimately rejected the complaints.
The smaller debate about the show reflected larger issues with historical representation on streaming platforms, and the dramatization of controversial figures in history skews viewers’ perspectives on the past.
Refresh of Hulu’s Catalog
The addition of The Empire to Hulu’s U.S. catalog is part of a broader refresh of the service’s August 2025 catalog. Other new additions range drastically, with a mix of older films and full seasons of television titles.
As for The Empire, the series aims to show lavish visuals and a condensed narrative inspired by novels. While the show did not receive unanimous acclaim for its message, it did achieve an immense scale in terms of characters and settings.
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If you have a chance, take a quick look at The Empire and decide for yourself whether the show is worth praising or criticizing.