Hi Friends,
On Tuesday, we saw a host of fresh young faces, the next generation of Mughals and their citizenry. The children should have made the show more positive, more upbeat with their enthusiasm and innocent pranks. Unfortunately, the CVs with their penchant for the negative have robbed the kids of their innocence and thrust upon their delicate shoulders the passions and furies of the adult.
The underlying theme on Tuesday and Wednesday has been the demonstration of mature emotions by immature cherubs. :(
Shaguni Bai - Our Own Nostradamus
On Tuesday, Shaguni Bai made an entry in Agra along with her compass-kauris that always point to the future of the person for whom they are thrown.
She informed Zilbahar that her daughter would take her to the palace and that she (her daughter) would shake up the Mughal Sultanat and change the course of history. Zilbahar was naturally thrilled.
Shaguni also informed Jodha that her son would wear his heart on his sleeve and would embark on a love story written in blood and that he would even battle his father for love. She added that Salim would be loved by two women, one of whom would break his heart and the other mend it.
To appease viewers fed up of seeing Ruqaiyya's face, Shaguni added that Ruq had the feet of a dayan, as she saw blood footprints as Ruq walked away.
For most of her predictions, Shaguni used kauris that automatically moved around to form arrows that seemed to talk to her about the future.
It was weird the way Shaguni pronounced a heart-to-heart connection between Salim and Anarkali just by looking at the taveez on Salim's hand.
Salim Saved by Anarkali
Salim lay seriously ill and JJ prayed hard to Kanha / Allah to save him. What they didn't know was that his heart was tied with that of Anarkali's and the moment she was born, his heart miraculously started beating again. I don't wish to recall the innumerable voiceovers in Tuesday's episode because they were so pathetic. One such voiceover announced the birth of the epic love story of Salim and Anarkali right at the moment of Anarkali's birth. Disgusting!
Anarkali's Christening in DEK
Akbar has been reduced to an unemployed hey-you for anything that needs to be done, such as naming the babies born in his kingdom to ordinary mortals. He duly named Anarkali as Nadira on her mother's insistence.
If this wasn't bad enough, Zilbahar went behind the screen for ladies and sat right next to MUZ herself. And Salim was instantly happy to get a girlfriend so early in life and promptly showed his glee with a forehead kiss to Anarkali. Can anything be so pathetic and depraved as showing two babies in "love"???
The 8-Year Leap
As it is, I don't know how 1 year went by so fast. No one celebrated Salim's birth or 1st birthday. :(
But we were at least informed of the 8-year leap by a VO that announced that Salim was now 9 years old.
Who's the Mother of Murad
Murad entered the show on Tuesday as a 4-5 year old as did 9 year old Salim and an 18-19 year old Rahim.
But we have not been told till date who his mother is. Today we saw him being taken care of by Salima Begum as her son. But did she give birth to him? Or was he born to Jodha or any concubine and then given to Salima for upbringing? This question is vexing me. :(
Murad is first of all far too younger here than in real life (compared to Salim). Secondly, yesterday we saw the beginning of a sibling rivalry between Murad and Salim.
Murad was miffed with Salim being given the right to keep the injured dove that he had shot down. Later he was further agitated to see a tuladan being performed for Salim and none for him.
Somehow the idea of Murad being antagonistic towards Salim is hard to swallow. May be after they grew up, they may have had their share of power strugglebut to show them as "not getting along" right from childhood is stretching things a bit too far.
Somehow the idea of Murad being antagonistic towards Salim is hard to swallow. May be after they grew up, they may have had their share of power strugglebut to show them as "not getting along" right from childhood is stretching things a bit too far.
Adham Khan Junior
If we thought we had at least seen the end of Mahamanga and Adham Khan, we were wrong. Adham Khan junior is a chip off the old block in mannerisms and temperament. He is as jealous of the crown prince as his father was of Jalal.
Ekta is already preparing the ground for a confrontation between Salim on one hand and Murad and Khan Jr on the other hand. There were a couple of older boys whom I couldn't place. Let's see who they turn out to be and on whose side.
Salim - The Confluence of AkDha
Salim seems to have acquired his mother's universal love for everyone around him, from a dove to his grandmother. This was clearly visible in the way he saved a dove just the way his mother had saved a dove and a deer before her marriage.
But Salim is his father's son too. Just as Jalal had a fetish for collecting Jodha's payals, Salim seems to be developing a liking for Anarkali's ghungroos.
It was unbelievable to watch Salim walk off alone into the heart of the city followed at a distance by an unarmed Rahim. Wasn't Salim supposed to be surrounded by 2-3 rings of security at all times, as ordered by Jalal himself after SD's botched attempt to attack Salim during JJ's temple visit? Even otherwise, who will allow a royal crown prince to walk off alone into the city just because he had heard some sounds coming from somewhere? (This walking off in a trance, upon hearing the ghungroos, was reminiscent of Jalal walking off towards Jodha upon hearing her sing, leaving everything.)
But, while Jalal fell for Jodha as a 20-year old, Salim seems to be treading the path of "true love" right from infancy. And a doomed love at that. At least, Jalal got what he wanted. We know for sure that Salim will NEVER get Anarkali. If we didn't realise this ourselves, Shaguni Bai made sure we knew this.
What Next
The SA track seems to be a case of "history repeats itself on a minor scale". Replace JJ with SA, Mahamanga with Ruq, AK with AK Jr, and there's another epic love on our screens. If Jalal had to contend with Hakim Mirza and AK, Salim has to contend with Murad and AK Jr.
Ruq is laying stress on the fact that as a prince, Salim has the right to be impulsive and can well let his heart lead him. Already, we can see her laying the foundation upon which she will build a castle of resentment towards Jodha in Salim's impressionable heart.
What We Didn't Get
We didn't get the other kids of AkDha. Even the one we got - Murad - has been assigned to someone else - Salima.
During the Ruq MC track, we had seen Jalal trying to scare Salima by pretending to be amorous and she had submitted herself to his advances like a sacrificial goat. Then how did Murad happen? Or is it that Murad is supposedly the child of a concubine who has been given to Salima for upbringing?
We didn't get any war following Chittor.
We didn't get to know what happened to Bakshi's daughter and SD and his father.
We didn't get the move to Sikri.
We didn't get to see Akbar marrying any other princess.
What are we getting instead? Repeat scenes of JJ's "love" and "jealousy". Let's grow up. Jodha is living in a harem for 16 years now. Will she still try to stop her husband from going to other begums and will he still stay tied to her only?
Perhaps the SA love track will be used to show JJ progressing through the various stages of love, as they grow older together? We may get to see in fast forward mode how Jodha was caught between her son and husband and chose to remain by the side of her husband, out of her devotion to him.
I am trying to stay positive, because I don't want this fiction to affect me negatively. :)
You all are welcome to share your views, and discuss the episode...
*Important*
history_geek has updated the historical information related to children of Akbar and Mariam-Uz-Zamani here.>
Children of Akbar and Mariam-Uz-Zamani Begum
Children of Akbar and Mariam-Uz-Zamani Begum
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Awesome write-up Radhika.
ReplyDeleteThere is a 'limit' to the depiction of absurd fiction by BT. From your analysis,I can clearly see that the story is moving at supersonic pace, thereby depicting all major aspects of the plot, haphazardly.
I heard that Murad is being portrayed as Salima and Jalal's son :( :( conceived during the separation phase between Jodha and Jalal.Adham junior is a replica of his dear daddy, I think in the long run, BEK may use his and Murad's jealousies towards Salim as a weapon, to provoke them to go against him.
After distorting historical facts, we have to also believe the tall claims made by Zee Creatives, that they are presenting authentic historical information, after thorough research under the guidance of historians.
I am extremely confused about history now.I have doubts about the future of the show and shudder to think of the heights of natakiya roopantar that will be used in the presentation of Salim and Anarkali.
Charu.
Hi Radhika, wonderful post as usual. The Anarkali Salim angle at this age is revolting. I am also aghast as to why the CVs would want to show Murad's resentment for Salim. It is definitely being portrayed as more than sibling rivalry and I just don't get this angle.
ReplyDeleteI would love to know your views on the Murad and Salima angle.I am really disappointed that they would show this at this stage of the show. Historically Salima has every right to have a relation with Akbar and no one is denying her that. However for Akbar and Salima to develop a relationship after HH death is very offensive. Akbar does not speak to Jodha for 3 yrs and leaves her to grieve alone for her lost sons yet he himself has the liberty to seek solace in another woman's arms? How can they assassinate Jalal's character like that?
Also since Murad is younger than Salim then Jalal lied to Jodha when he told her he could not look at another begum? this inconsistency in their character makes no sense.
This is after all about JA epic love story, then why after repeated , unjust misunderstandings with Jodha would they lump this other woman angle down out throats. They could have just left this one alone ... really leaves a bad taste. All I can say that Ekta is lucky to have RT. As long as he is on board this show will definitely be successful as he is a favorite with the ladies and seems to be getting better with every leap.
Radhika, I really appriciate the way u balance ur mind n come up with the write up with humour.g-) I don't know whether to cry or laugh.How I thought Jodha Akbar would be an Epic love story, n what it is becoming :p Did u notice, they hv not clearly said Murad is Salima's child. We heard the dialogue like 'Mahal me itne saare Bachhe-----' something like that.CVs want to keep it like that.They don't owe any explanation to us. if Muraad has been the result of seperation of JA then he shud hv been elder to Salim :-? History -geek, was there any child of Adham khan at all? or this is also ati-natakiya rupantar?
ReplyDeleteAkbar had so many wives, he cannot act like a hermit. It's ok if he sleeps with other begums, bivis n baandhis. Why he shud proclaim every now n then that he doesn't go with anybody else? On the other hand he shud be confessing that I go to other women also, but I like ur company more than anybody else :)( R u not showing Akbar as lieing?
Radhika, leave alone the first birthday, there was no jashn for such along awaited child:( poor thing.As history-geek said, 'Jashn' was there only to scare us.Its really disgusting to see CVs cash on the Anarkali's story n in doing that they r butchering the charecter of salim by killing his innocence so soon.
In between all these they seem to be laying foundation fr the birth of Danial by introducing gujrat war track :)
Geeta
ReplyDeleteThanks! :)
Murad is the child of Salima who came close to Akbar during his separation 2 from Jodha and continued to remain close to him even after he patched up with Jodha. :)
Akbar seems to be acting like a typical man and making each wife believe that only she is special to him. That's why he never tells anyone if he is seeing another wife.
Ya, Salim was born after so many mannats and pilgrimages and Salim Chisti's blessings. Still no Jashn. May be even JJ feel now that a jashn is bad luck.
Btw Daniyal is already present. :)
Jalal never met that soldier who wanted to talk about Gujarat! *shocked*
Geeta,
ReplyDeleteThis Haider is a fictional character. There was no son of Adham Khan who wanted to take revenge from Akbar, which the makers are showing. This is another piece of NR.
Also, Daniyal is already present in Agra, though he should have been in Amer.!!