Originally posted by: sashashyam
Helena: Dangerous obsessions:
She is also a woman of extremes. Her love is absolute, and she demands total reciprocity, whether from the khargosh or, later, from Malayaketu.
And still later from CGM. Hope she is not turned into Ruqaiya 2. If Nandini is Durdara then someone like the Helena as portrayed here would suffice to drive anyone to Sanyas. I wouldn't be surprised if Ekta portrays her as the one who switched the poisoned plate to Durdhara much like Ruqaiya afeem-ing Salim. đ
Incidentally i have often wondered why a young dashing and capable emperor like CGM would renounce his throne and starve himself to death at the age of 42. He conquered such huge territories within such a short span of time, established Unified India, stabilised the economy and society and then quickly gave up everything to his young son and adopted Jain Sanyas. đ¤ Why would Chanakya allow that? Surely Ekta's version would be his Amar Prem with Nandini without whom life and hard fought and established Bharatvarsha would also have meant nothing to him. Helena's extremes and obsessions might be an added factor.đł
The khargosh was left to die - and her Jo mera nahin, wo jiye ya mare, mujhe koyi faraq nahin padta! Chhoda use maine nahin, usne mujhe tha..pretty much sums up her approach to a disloyal beloved, animal or human. Malayaketu, with his glad eye already wandering towards the wide-eyed Nandini, had better look outđ. Hell, the old saying has it, hath no fury like woman scorned. Or deluded.
4th century BC women seem to specialize in hiding stilettos in their hairdo, or perhaps it was a Greek style that Nandini copies from her new BFF.đ
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Nandini: Same old chulbulapan: But last night, she proved that whatever she might lack in the royal graces, she has a good bit of regal arrogance. This was on full display when she stared unbelievingly at Dushyant aka Chandragupta when he proferred her paayal,smirked triumphantly as he had to go down on his knees to fasten it around her ankle, and finally looked across with patent pleasure at her father, who had been the one to force Chandragupta to do that.
Would an ordinary soldier allowed such closeness with a high born princess and actually allowed to touch her and fasten the anklet around her feet! Weird! Also the total absence of daasis and soldiers when he brings an unconscious Nandini to her chambers...it was like anyone could walk into a princess' chambers and put her on ( or for that matter lift her off) her bed. It was unbelievable.
Chandragupta-Chanakya
Bhay aur bhavana: Now we finally come to the piece de resistance, the marvellous scenes between Chandragupta and his mentor. I have watched them three times back to back, and they are entrancing each time.
Yes.đđź
Part I-: Target Magadha: This segment was truly fabulous- both for the splendid lines, and for the actions and reactions of the two protagonists. It would be impossible to say, as both Chanakya and Chandragupta demonstrated anew the unique strength and the symbiotic nature of their bond, which of the two came out on top.
As he answers Chandragupta's surprised query as to why he has contradicted his own teachings -Aapne mujhe hamesha bhavanaon ko harana sikhaya, parantu aaj aap swayam bhavanaon se haar gaye? , Chanakya's face, turned towards the fire, seems frozen, as if he could see, in the dancing flames, the dark future of his belovedMathrubhoomi under the heel of the foreign conqueror.
Not just the bhoomi, but an entire civilization that flourished since the beginning of any world civilization was under threat. The regional differences had disrupted the unity and given way for the invaders. Ambhi and the likes might have just done what Raja Jaichand did 1500 years later if not for Chanakya and CGM. It was Bharatvarsh's good fortune that the strongest of the later 'videshis', the Mughal-e-Azam was no truant but a lover of Bharat and he sought to co-exist with mutual respect. But Chanakya couldn't be sure that the Macedonians wouldn't take over completely like the EIC did centuries later. He sought to prevent rather than cure and with CGM succeeded. But India was not not lucky enough the third time around with the British. We didn't have a Chanakya to prevent. Anyway the Mathrubhoomi's precious sons led by MK Gandhi rose to the situation to cure.
As he turns to answer Chandragupta, his voice is soft, almost like a plea for understanding: Bhay ko harane ke liye bhavanaon ka bal aavashyak hota hai, Chandra! Prashna keval Takshashila ya Magadh ka nahin hai, prashna hai sampoorna Bharatbhoomi ki raksha ka. ... Is bhay se mujhe aur hamari mathrubhoomi ko mukt karna, yahi ab tumhara jeevan lakshya hai, Chandra.
His voice becomes more urgent, more demanding: Vachan do, Chandra, ki hamari mathrubhoomi ki mitti ke maan ki raksha karne ke liye, yadi isme milna bhi pade to bhi tumhein sweekar hai!
Then the final exhortation, the mantra by which Chanakya lives, and by which he wants his bestshishya too to live and, if need be, die. Sabse pehle Mathrubhoomi hogi! Bharat maata sabse upar hogi!!
And as Chandragupta, seemingly lost in a trance of his own, does not respond, a half pleading , half disturbed appeal: Kya hua, Chandra? It is only when Chandragupta comes out of that strange reverie and murmurs: Mujhe aisa bhan hua ki main yeh sab pehle bhi sun chukha hoon..that Chanakya's face and eyes relax in exultant relief: Iska arth hai ki maine tumhein chunkar koyi bhool nahin ki!..
It is a compliment from the CVs to the viewers that they did not, at this point, insert a flashback to the patriotic perorations of Shishunaag and Suryagupta that Chandra, then still in his mother's womb, had heard and soaked up, Abhimanyu fashion.
So the plan takes shape, to identify and attack not Padmanand's strength, but his greatest weakness. The identity of this greatest weakness is not mentioned between the guru and theshishya, but no prizes for guessing, right!đ
Then comes the grand definition of what Chanakya, and their Mathrubhoomi, both want from Chandragupta.
Magadh aur Bharat ko ek aisa raja chahiye jiski na koyi durbalta ho, aur jise na koyi bhay ho..With a protective, affectionate arm around his protege's shoulders, Wo raja tum banoge, Chandra, kyonki tumhare pas khone ke liye kuch bhi nahin, aur paane ke liye sab kuch hai!
Time alone will tell if Nandini, now so intent on becoming her father's sabse badi shakti, will one day become the same for Chandragupta or, as Padmanand says of himself, his one and onlydurbalta.
đ Beautifully written. These lines were as wonderful as the scene itself. The sense of urgency and height of feelings evident in both.
Book Talk
Shiv Shakti
