I know this blog is dedicated to current shows, but Zee TV has started airing Jodha Akbar again. And I am not going to let go of any chance to discuss one of my favorite Indian serial!
Jodha Akbar too had it's share of cliche plots. There is this forced marriage to begin with, where Jodha marries Jalal to save her kingdom. Jalal himself begins as the valiant warrior with no heart and Jodha would ignite love in him. While Jalal's real mother loves Jodha, there is Maham Anga to fill the role of evil mother-in-law. Jealous of her reducing impact in her son's life, Maham Anga hatches every conceivable plot to separate these too. Misunderstandings abound in Jodha and Jalal's married life. Jodha is even asked to leave her husband's house. Ruqaiya Begum, Jalal's first wife too conspires to insult Jodha at every opportunity she gets.
Yet, the show ruled the hearts of millions. And not without reason.
Jodha Akbar too had it's share of cliche plots. There is this forced marriage to begin with, where Jodha marries Jalal to save her kingdom. Jalal himself begins as the valiant warrior with no heart and Jodha would ignite love in him. While Jalal's real mother loves Jodha, there is Maham Anga to fill the role of evil mother-in-law. Jealous of her reducing impact in her son's life, Maham Anga hatches every conceivable plot to separate these too. Misunderstandings abound in Jodha and Jalal's married life. Jodha is even asked to leave her husband's house. Ruqaiya Begum, Jalal's first wife too conspires to insult Jodha at every opportunity she gets.
Yet, the show ruled the hearts of millions. And not without reason.
The lead actors
Paridhia Sharma as Jodha and Rajat Tokas as Akbar/Jalal are examples of excellent casting, setting a benchmark by their portrayal of the historical characters. Jalal's evil eyes, arrogant smirk and intense stares were depicted with much conviction. Despite this, when Jalal listened to reason or traveled the path of greatness, it never seemed out of character for him. Even when he softened up, he still could look ferocious in the blink of an eye, roaring like a lion against his enemies. Seeing Jalal walk on screen, it never felt as if an actor was portraying a character. Instead, it was as if a royal person has descended on the screen to give us a piece of his life. Same goes for Jodha. She is a Rajwanshi princess, always standing up for what she believes to be right, fearlessly countering all arguments and conspiracies. And yet, she has a soft side, always respecting her elders, finding the strength in herself to forgive all wrongs done against her. The elan and grace with which she conducts herself just calls for respect from viewers. And when Jodha and Jalal come onscreen together, it sets the scene on fire. Be it their fights, arguments or intense passion and bonding, their chemistry is unmatchable.
Complex characters and excellent acting
This was a show blessed with very strong actors portraying complex characters. Maham anga plotted against Jodha and even Jalal when she thought the policies were going against Mughal traditions. But she never stopped loving Jalal. Despite all her evilness, the scene where she loses her real son Adham Khan or the scenes when she is about to die, makes her side of the story also believable, forcing viewers to shed tears for her. Ruqaiya Begum was another complex character. She was always insecure and power hungry, but she still recognized Jodha's goodness when she didn't herself felt threatened. That changed significantly in the later years, but she portrayed all that meanness beautifully. (and by that I mean I wanted to throttle her occasionally.) The various other characters too acted well, transferring us to an era in the past, giving a glimpse of the royalty of that time.
Cliches done well
Cliches become so for a reason. They touch the viewers heart and, when done well, can forge strong connection with the audience. Unwilling marriages might be prevalent in serials of today. But when you think of the context, of Mughals and Rajwanshis entering into a marriage alliance for political gains and the repercussions it might have on the individuals involved, it is true that the show portrayed it believably. Jodha and Jalal's journey towards love and Jalal becoming Akbar through his good deeds had the viewers hooked. And even when Jodha and Jalal separated, temporarily, it was believable. Jodha was a woman of immense self-respect. When Jalal asks her to leave due to a misunderstanding, not only does she goes away, she refuses to return when Jalal comes to take her back. She makes it clear that she will return only when she herself desires to. So taking a regressive plot line where the woman is shown at the mercy of her husband's command, the show gave it a feminist twist, empowering the female lead again.
Another separation between them occurred because of the loss of their children and their own guilt. It was a painful sequence portrayed beautifully and with a lot of care. There are several such examples which made the show a treat to watch.
Fast moving pace
The child deaths that I talked about above and the subsequent separation - how long did that last? Maybe three episodes. While there were several overarching plots, what with Maham Anga and Adham Khan getting their comeuppance after more than 200 episodes, Sarifuddin lasting even longer and Ruqaiya's doings continuing till the end. Still, there was no "dragging", a common complaint today. Mysteries that cropped up were dealt with soon or given some closure before moving on, the misunderstandings that arose were resolved early. (Jalal accuses Jodha of an illicit relationship but realizes the truth the next morning itself.) Something important is happening always, with wars, conspiracies, alliances, new policies and new entries. And when nothing happens, judicious use of voice-over is employed to indicate passage of time.
Progressive messages
Though set in the sixteenth century B.C., the show had messages relevant till today. Though Jodha and Jalal had numerous differences and arguments over the course of the show leading often to the exchange of sharp words, domestic violence was conspicuously absent. Not even slaps. While wars were fought along enemy lines, differences in home were often resolved through lengthy dialogues. The entire family (well not the thousands of women in the haram) took part in these arguments often, setting an example of how to go about strife in home. The show also talked about a lot of social issues, talking against child marriage, slavery, favoring widow remarriage and had strong, independent female characters. With the leads belonging to different religion and culture, it showed a harmonious co-existence of both. Jodha and Jalal both learnt and appreciated the teachings and life-styles of the other, while remaining true to their own origin.
The show could breathe such a fresh air in our hate filled lives! It is telling how social issues present back then could be still relevant.
Creating the right atmosphere
Be it the sets, costumes, dialogues, the attention to detail or the demeanor of the actors, when you watch the show, you really believe you are witnessing a piece of history. Things that we had read about in books, the Diwan-e-Khas and the Diwan-e-Aam, the navaratnas of Akbar's court, Akbar's haram, talks of Humayun nama, historical figures like Tansen and Birbal - the show was much more than just the love story of Jodha and Akbar. Though it was repeatedly stated that creative liberties have been taken and the show was not an accurate portrayal of history, yet it did an excellent job of immersing the viewers in a whole other world. The music and tunes developed for the show were also very soulful and touching. After watching the show, the movie of the same name seems grossly inadequate in comparison.
This is not the say that the show was perfect. Towards the end witches and ghosts found their way into the story. Seeing that it is based in a time where superstition was widely prevalent in the Indian society, it is acceptable to watch characters like Shakuni bai making predictions and believed by the royal queen. It also adds to the feel of destined love. But a character actually dying and then possessing Jodha as a ghost is pushing the limits of storytelling too far!
Besides, I felt the ending of the show was also a little weak and abrupt. After the introduction of the British, Ruqaiya was sent to Kabul where she would look after the Mughal business affairs and return only after proving herself equal to Jodha. Jodha and Akbar seemingly have a happy ending. But the story of their son Saleem and his love Anarkali was neither explored nor given a proper closure. Ruqaiya's brainwashing of Saleem was also not revealed. In fact, the whole arc of Saleem was ignored towards the end.
All things considered, the show still remains one of my favorites and I am glad it ended when it did. Over 500 episodes of a historical piece is long enough. With writers running out of ideas and ghosts getting screen time, I am happy there weren't further pointless tracks. Maybe one day we will get a separate story of Saleem and Anarkali. Until then, lets enjoy the rerun on Zee TV!
This is not the say that the show was perfect. Towards the end witches and ghosts found their way into the story. Seeing that it is based in a time where superstition was widely prevalent in the Indian society, it is acceptable to watch characters like Shakuni bai making predictions and believed by the royal queen. It also adds to the feel of destined love. But a character actually dying and then possessing Jodha as a ghost is pushing the limits of storytelling too far!
Besides, I felt the ending of the show was also a little weak and abrupt. After the introduction of the British, Ruqaiya was sent to Kabul where she would look after the Mughal business affairs and return only after proving herself equal to Jodha. Jodha and Akbar seemingly have a happy ending. But the story of their son Saleem and his love Anarkali was neither explored nor given a proper closure. Ruqaiya's brainwashing of Saleem was also not revealed. In fact, the whole arc of Saleem was ignored towards the end.
All things considered, the show still remains one of my favorites and I am glad it ended when it did. Over 500 episodes of a historical piece is long enough. With writers running out of ideas and ghosts getting screen time, I am happy there weren't further pointless tracks. Maybe one day we will get a separate story of Saleem and Anarkali. Until then, lets enjoy the rerun on Zee TV!
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