Posted:
MAHAM
The scene where Maham Anga takes charge of the soldiers was a very good cinematographic achievement - especially by this serial's standards. The powerful lady stands atop a cliff and roars out her dialogues with fervour to the army while the setting sun tinged the entire vista with a violet light!
Now if THIS scene hadn't given Maham a sore throat, I don't know which else would have! Either way, no one else could have carried out the speech as well [Seeing how no one can match the decibels her voice produces!]
By the way, was it Maham's patriotism that caused her to break out into a sweat once she'd instigated the troops to stay loyal to their Shehenshah and protective of the Sultanat?đ¤
GOSSIP at AGRA
The way gossip spread around the palace women was worth-a-watch. [Btw, none of the other Begums seemed to shed even a tear for their Shehenshah!đ] Anyway, how different people interpreted the events that had transpired in the jungle earlier was quite interesting to watch!
ADHAM
I was pretty shocked when Adham was certain that Jalal would not survive the wounds he'd endured! The Hakim's medicines were having no effect on the king either. Those scenes were all realistically shot though.
SALIMA
What I failed to understand was why Salima was so certain of the fact that she DID NOT want Ruqaiyya to learn of her husband's health? (Yes..yes..I know she was following HB's orders, but still!) Ruq is his wife and she ought to know! Were Ruqaiyya ill or pregnant, I can understand this concern.
Anyway, her strict instructions to the Harem inmates over and over again about NOT approaching Ruqaiyya didn't make much sense to me. Thankfully, Jodha saw some sense this time - that Salima's stance was neither practical nor fair!
Thereafter, our Ameri Mirchi takes the responsibility upon herself - the daring queen that she was - to inform Ruqs of the unfortunate turn of events in the palace.
RUQAIYYA-JODHA
I shall change my id if this scene doesn't evoke the maximum posts within the next 24 hours in this forum (Hey watching a lot of Indian shows has this 'draamebaazi' effect on youđ)
Anyway, back to the scene -
Lounging on her couch, Ruqaiyya's tone of welcoming (or rather, not welcoming) Jodha was for want of better word - derogatory - from the very start!
It's only when she observes Jodha's dishevelled avtaar does she realize something is wrong!
Following the precap; half the forum was supporting Ruqaiyya - bearing in mind that she was raising her hand on Jodha AFTER learning of Jodha's misdeeds. However, Ruqaiyya ended up slapping Jodha probably more than expected/needed (???)
Why, she'd started off on her slap-a-thon even before she knew of what Jodha'd done -right since Jodha gave her the tell-tale 'buri-khabar' of her shauhar being unwell! Now, that DEFINITELY did not befit her status - however emotionally distraught she was! The CVs could have restricted it to 1 slap - yes one would have sufficed milady!
Out of all of it, she did speak one line that made sense though 'You'd gone with him to pray for his well-being, then how did you become the reason for such news of his death?'
RUQAIYYA RUSHING TO JALAL
The next scene was a form of a justification to Ruqaiyya's reckless outburst - if one can call it that!
What followed was basically flashbacks of a little Ruqaiyya & Jalal - their childhood scenes playing in the backdrop as Ruqaiyya made a mad rush to the chambers where the injured Jalal lay. They showed us all - Ruq-Jalal's playtime, their squabbles, their hobbies - why, even their wedding!
[CVs take care of your editing/transition please...one second we have light-hearted music with children playing and abruptly next sec its harrowing scenes again]
Though the painful montages might not be enough to satiate her non-fans of her impulsive behaviour against Jodha, Ruqaiyya's possessed scampering to Jalal's chamber was very startling indeed! It was the first time one saw her in a form that resembled an anguished wife more than a dignified Empress. It was the first time I've seen glimpses of her selfless love for her husband.
'Your Ruqaiyya needs you' she wails in his presence - that was the first time one could hear an otherwise stern Empress utter those words - for anyone at all!
The ensuing scene - when the entire Harem joined together to pray for the health of their Shehehenshah was more-than-just-whelming! I must confess I felt something tug at my heartstrings!
JODHA
How sweet - this scene was a respite when taking in the depressing settings before this!
Jodha is seated in front of a large table that's arranged with a plethora of herbs and plants. The engrossed queen is busy pounding and preparing her own concoction of medicines and pastes. [My lil nurse Jodha, here she comes!đł]
It turns out - how favourably, though not unbelievably - that Jodha had learnt of different kinds medicines and their purposes when at Amer. Why, she'd even learnt the 'Vidya' of medicine under the tutelage of a renowned doctor which she'd used to treat her brother Sujamal! [So, it turns out she's a semi-doctor haan?]
JODHA-HB
What took me by surprise is Hameeda's implicit faith in Jodha, still! She instantly let the slaves use Jodha's medicinesđ˛.
However, that does not mean she is NOT angry with Jodha. One could witness the sweet-bitter conversation she shared with her favourite Bahu
'Pray to the Lord that your medicine works because if it doesn't..not only would Jalal be in danger...YOU would be in danger too!' HB chides Jodha 'You'd be considered a traitor...why, a slave could take your life because you were responsible for killing her King...a Begum might poison you for having stolen her husband from her...a soldier might attack you because you'd taken away his leader!'
Jodha wails that she'd prefer death to being accused with the label of a 'traitor' wherever she went!đ
'If it gives people peace, I don't mind dying for it' she cries
MEDICINES
I am surprised that the ladies of the harem were ready to allow Jodha's medicines to be used on the king.
Unfortunately for Jodha, the medicines that showed wonders for the first few hours started turning against him (or so the Hakim said!)
Needless to say, the ladies only found another instance to taunt her!
'You should have NOT have allowed the Hakim to use Jodha's medicines on Jalal' Maham shouts at Hameeda
'Jodha must have poisoned the paste' Ruqaiyya sobs 'After all, she is Jalal's sworn enemy!'
PRECAP
Music to everyone's ears - the one line that Jodha uttered
'I cannot leave the Shehenshah behind when he's suffering so' [Yes...yes...me taking respite in the few glimpses we have to go on for now...]
My take
As expected a tearful, heartfelt, but believable episode! A necessary evil (if one might call it that!đ) It is, after all; needed to form the transition to the next one. After yesterday's bad accidents, the Shehenshah is NOT going to mysteriously wake up hazy-eyed to stare into the eyes of his Jodha -who in turn was seated beside him like an angel with fairy-wings - ready to give him his next dose of pills!
Today and tomorrow's bitterness will have to be borne if one has to enjoy the sweetness that's to follow!
Anyway, its with the glycerin-induced tears of our heroines through which Indian serials seem to earn their spots in the TRP charts!
Hopefully, this sad phase doesn't last too long (for the sake of some of my Harem...I mean forum waasisđ) and Jalal starts showing signs of recovery within the next 1-2 episodes!
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