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DISCLAIMER - NOT A WU 😳
JALAL JODHA
'I didn't steal anything...I'm not a thief..please don't punish me' Rahim pleads
Jalal glares at Jodha with an I-Knew-it look!
'Fret not Rahim...' Jodha lovingly tells the child 'Just tell him where you got the dibbi from...and who was adding the dature-ka-arkh...tell him about it...'
'Don't try to brainwash him...' Jalal shouts at Jodha 'I'm talking to him, am I not?' he turns to face the already rattled child 'Rahim, did you take this dibbi?'
Rahim stares at Jalal in fear and then lies to cover his tracks 'I didn't steal it...I will not talk to choti Ammi...she's being bad to me...'
Saying so, the child runs off - unaware of what he'd just done or rather not done!
'So, this is your evidence? You tried compelling a 4 year old to suit your own needs...' Jalal retorts with contempt. Jodha attempts to justify herself, but Jalal is in no mood to listen 'Didn't your conscience stop you from doing this? That child wouldn't even know what this arkh is and you are trying to make him say he saw Badi Ammi commit this crime?'
Needless to say, Jodha's soft pleas fall on deaf ears
He continues 'You make tall claims about your upbringing...so, back home is this how they teach you to force a child to lie?'
'The truth is the truth Shehenshah!' Jodha states - finally finding her voice 'Whoever says it...be it a child or an adult'
'True...that's why even that child... just now..called you bad' (lol, he has a point here!)
'He is a child...he thought you were going to punish him for having stolen this dibbi...so he ran off!'
'No! He ran off after coming to know of your treachery...now, please get out of here...and better not come here unless you have solid evidence'
Disgruntled, Jodha mumbles aloud 'I am trying to show the truth to a person who possesses nothing but blind faith...you have to set yourself apart from affection and relations if you are in quest of the real truth!' [Wah Wah...I'd like to see Jodha say the same if ever in future her bapusa or bhaisa are blamed!]
'Didn't you hear me - GET OUT!'
Disappointed by her failure, Jodha leaves his chamber soon after.
'Don't know why Jodha Begum is after Badi Ammi's life!' Jalal tells himself in frustration after she leaves
JODHA
Well Jodha suddenly decided to change sides and pray to Ambe Maa instead of Kanhaji...after all, her meeting with the Fakir outside that temple was 'Maa ka sanket' right? So Jodha decides to step out to pray - for the sake of the 'shanti of the palace'😛 What was sweet was that not only did this angelic queen not have a single word to utter against Rahim, she held no grudges against Shehenshah either - almost like she expected it...almost like she understood his stance! 😊
Later, Hameeda Banu's 50 watt smiles transforms to one of 100 watts when she hears this visit-to-temple request from Jodha! Oh this HB-Jodha love jodi!
MP Vs RB
Maharana Pratap ji meets Bharmal - I liked the questions Maharana Pratap put forth to Bharmal. Though his dialogue delivery leaves a lot to be desired, his questions were quite significant and powerful. Bharmal did not retort much - out of dignity, I take it!
One point to note - I am glad to see Ekta presenting us both sides of the coin and in a balanced manner - even though the serial is on AKBAR!
However, my gripe with this scene is - An Emperor as great as Maharana Pratap seems to come to meet Bharmal everytime just to insult him...erm...this didn't make much sense...I thought he'd have come with an agenda!
BAZAAR
Jalal, as we guessed went ahead to meet the dibbiwaala in the bazaar - assuming the disguise of a Fakir as he does so! His coincidental meeting with Jodha was something we were all waiting for with bated breath - Jalal as a fakir in the streets and Jodha praying to her Ambe Ma in the temple!
'Please help me Devi ma' Jodha prays to the idol 'The Shehenshah has to know of the truth' (awww noble thought Jodha!)
Once she completes her Pooja she takes two men to task for not maintaining the temple properly - it did seem quite neglected! This chiding of Jodha manages to alert Jalal of Jodha's presence in the bazaar. [Jahaan bhi jaao uski lecture shuru!😆]
'Wonder what Jodha Begum is doing here in the bazaar' he thinks to himself (possibly feeling sorry for the men)
Now, though the next scene was not directed as well as it could have been - it was significant! What follows is basically two men gossiping about their Emperor and his relationship with their new queen Jodha. They assume that Jodha is being held like a prisoner with little freedom within the palace.
Fate would have it that both Jodha and Jalal (unbeknown to Jodha) overhear this malicious conversation between the two men.
Stepping forward in annoyance, Jodha takes two men to task 'How dare you speak so about your emperor thus? He is your leader..he protects you...'
'You don't know how cruel he is' one man tries telling her
'Why wouldn't she know' another man steps up 'She is Jodha Ranisa herself'
Realizing the truth, the men offer her their salutations which she accepts.
She goes on to advice them that whatever happened between her and the king was the Royal family's personal matter and that it was very disrespectful of the subjects to be gossiping thus! 'After all a king and queen are also human beings' she reminds them 'The king is considered like a father to his subjects...and one doesn't talk about his own father in such a manner'
The men are abashed and seek forgiveness.
Jalal is watching all of this - the softness in his eyes slowly gives way to respect and then admiration. He was moved - this was her true self...and an honesty she possessed despite having been just shut up and banished by him from his room a short while ago!
Having finished her sweet lecture, our kind queen goes ahead to give the beggars their alms. Only, one of the beggars sitting amidst the group was none other than the Shehenshah himself!
When his turn comes, Jalal stands up like he was a frail man 'In the name of Allah...please give me some alms'
She studies his attire, his features and it takes her less than a moment to see through his disguise!
'What alms can I give the one who's the provider for the entire Sultanat?' she pauses with a genial smile 'I hadn't recognized you in Amer once...but, this time I shall not be fooled!'
He gradually looks up at her with guilt-ridden eyes 'So...you've recognized me, then'
'This kadaa that you wear in your hand is a gift my father had given you during our wedding' she reminds him
She then concludes her soliloquy 'By the way...neither does it look good for a Shehenshah to be seeking alms, nor does it honour a wife when she catches her husband begging for money thus'
Following this, Jodha leaves casually - like nothing'd ever happened!
Jalal can't help but break out into the slightest hint of a smile - The emperor was impressed indeed!
Jalal's meeting with the dibbi-waala was very very well shot! The manner in which the Fakir revealed himself to the man as 'THE MIGHTY JALAL HIMSELF' was a treat to watch!
THE PAINTING
He fetches the man back to his palace to have him describe the facial features of the culprit to the painter - the one who'd painted Jodha's face not too long ago!
Jalal paces around in the room while she completes her painting. He does not look up once till the painting is actually completed...and when he does, he GETS NOTHING LESS THAN THE BIGGEST SHOCK OF HIS LIFE!
The woman in the portrait was veiled no doubt. However, Jalal is moved to tears as he recognizes his Badi Ammi's eyes.
MY TAKE- beautiful episode indeed! The Ja-Jo meeting didn't appear forced or out-of-nowhere...there was ample reason for Jalal to have completely cooled down by then. Jodha was her dignified self. The scene was well-shot. It was also a treat to watch Jalal resume his kingly avtaar with the dibbi-waala.
The icing on the cake had to be the intelligent plot Jalal came up with without the help of any of his advisers. He got the dibbiwaala to describe her eyes to the specialist painter! Masterstroke indeed! Our old CVs are back! Or, are they new? Whichever, I am impressed! The episode did not lose out on the MC track just to give way to AKDHA...yet the scene at the bazaar was an absolute treat! Gotta love this serial!
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
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