Ah, how I have missed you and your magical words. The way you bring the different flavors of this saga is as splendid as the man himself , The Great Akbar. I am sure he would have been beyond honored to be immortalized in words with such finesse.
So I finally caught up with the episode and my , have they not raised the royal quotient. Finally we see the grandeur of Rajputana.
Bhagwand Das - More and more I watch of Bhagwan Das, I get why Raja Bharmal selected him as the heir apparent. The man is non-conflictive, he is not driven by his sword , there is a sense of duty and restraint which suited the throne of Amer. He was a 2.0 version of Bharmal himself, who would rather marry off his sister to the enemy instead wage a war. A step Sujamal and the likes would never have given a thought even. BD sets the precedent of all the following Amer rulers who used the tact of diplomacy rather than the might of the swords to safeguard their territory.
The Emperor and his protege - Apart from the blooper that how come Man Singh grow up this big when last I heard Jodha finding out about the pregnancy during the war against the Mughals. Jai ho the creative liberties. The young Prince justifies all the laurels and accolade his name goes on to symbolize in the history books. He reminded Jalal of Jodha and himself. The virtues of a warrior yet the tact of a royal. He earned his respect from Jalal when he didn't mince words about his views on him as still being an enemy while knowing the stature of the man standing in front of him. His journey towards being one of the jewels of Akbar's court would be interesting. Jalal was both amused and proud of this young man.
Dulha confusion- Frankly, I just cannot relate to the fact that Jodha has been kept in the blind about her nuptials with her sworn enemy by the whole palace. What were the parents thinking that Jodha would be easier to appease once the knot is tied, she won't feel cheated and somewhat compromise herself for a life she would rather die than imagine.The hide and seek ,not letting her know the identity of her Dulha, what are they playing at . Surely a more articulate approach would be a heart to heart dialog with a daughter who is brave enough to put herself in the path of any obstacle to save the kingdom. I would be happy, if Jodha decides to give a cold shoulder to each one of them. It saddens me that beyond the royal finery these Princesses were traded for better deals, their life - a golden cage.
Jalal- Rajat Tokas, you are beyond brilliant, single handedly raising the bar of acting not only in your own serial but in the whole tubular medium. He lives and breathes Akbar. The slight smile and the flick of the eye , he makes Jalal a personality. Bravo , young man.
Major points for having an effective network of spies, now please extend that to your harem as well. he wants to possess Jodha , wants to drive amusement in watching a woman who dared to be-head him bow hers' willingly so that he can put a garland and call her his own. He wants to see the anger in Jodha's eyes as she compromises her ideals for her kingdom. This would give him immense pleasure and a sense of accomplishment. Hence his desire to make sure Jodha knows what she is signing for. He check mated the Rajputs when he suggested the Muhdikhayi, he intended Jodha to see her fate before she accepts it with her own will. He wanted to savor every emotion that she would undergo while realizing the fact, that was hidden by her own well-wishers. He made sure she saw and heard him, he relished very shade of expressions on Jodha's astonished face. His ego enjoyed at winning this battle with Jodha. But what he doesn't knowis that its this silent defiance of Jodha that will win her his respect and love.
Mainawati- Finally the women is coming to terms with the reality. Her hesitation during the Tilak ceremony,and again Jalal understanding the mother behind the MahaRani and tilting his head for the Tilak. That moment is so significant , marking the shift from the hostile policies of Mughals to more tolerant and secular ones, laying the foundation of the whole essence of Akbar's rule.
Maham Anga- this character once enthralled me but now is completely over-played. Her disappointment while watching Jalal being tolerant to the Hindu defeated royals had her flabbergasted, she sneered at Jalal speaking for Jodha, she has no idea what is going to hit her. Yet her overt expressions undermine her fine brain. The character should be more subdued as Ila Arun's, she made it cold and menacing without raising a single finger.
Shaifaudin- Sharp and clever. his slight sucking up to Jalal and his reference to his brother in law as Emperor still ,shows he is very much in control of himself than that good for nothing Adam Khan.
Jodha- Paridhi -hatts off. Whatever worries I might have with the character, you surpass each one of them with your expressions. The way her body reacts to everything Mughal and to her obsession with Jalal. I cannot wait to see her in Agra. The moment she saw jalal's reflection , her eyes refused to see and acknowledge the truth the water held, to the sheer shock and numbness when the dupatta flew forcing her to set her eyes on the man who is going to be the one she might have to pray for longevity was the same demon she wanted to be-head. Ah, the irony of life. Her instincts advising her to take her life, a fate much welcomed , to her disheveled self as she listened to her mother reminding her of the Raj Dharm, her transformation to a resolved, strong and willed Rajputani was phenomenon. Beautifully done.
Two conditions- The courage of Jodha , inspite of knowing the grave danger her Amer might face, she put forth two conditions she knows somewhat defines who she is. Ofcourse Jalal is going to agree letting the winds of Mughal empire change and probably by this move he would become more real to the people of his rule. And ofcourse he would be more fascinated by Jodha and her bravery. The ways of the heart.
My apologies and regret at missing last week of JA. But you as usual keep on spell-binding all of us with your magnificent narration. Loads of love.
Bindi
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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