Friends, yesterday's episode of the serial was about half-filled with the happy jashn (when Jalal gave Jodha some lovely gifts, aside from the gifts of all others) and then half-filled with the arrival of the mountainous Khyber who entered the Palace, thrashed everything and everybody in sight and then threw Jalal to the ground like a piece of nothing at least three times!
I enjoyed both parts of the serial ... the pretty jashn and then the pretty complete mayhem of Khyber. Almost the whole day for me yesterday had been a "powercut and Netless" day and so by the time the serial time came around, I was sorely in need of self-pampering. With pakoras and chai ready to hand I began to hugely enjoy the action on screen.
In the earlier part of the serial, Jodha stole the honours for many reasons: she first appeared looking exquisite in Mughal livaaz that even Jalal couldn't help but marvel at. Even though Ruq herself had taken all pains to try and look her best, it was Jodha who was the cynosure of all eyes. Jodha then did the hugely magnanimous thing of asking Ruq to come and sit beside Jalal as the Khas Begum. And when Jalal finally asked her for her one wish that he would grant her, she said she wanted to give that prerogative of making that first wish to Ruq ... and thus stole the honours herself for her bigheartedness!
I loved the gifts that Jalal thought of giving Jodha. One of these was a little Kanha in a cradle which he gifted saying "You wanted me to never rock an empty cradle, so look who's here now!" Another of his gifts was a group of Ameri singers and dancers who sang and danced to an ode to Jodha's beauty. Yet another lovely gift was the music of the great Tansen. Tansen sang beautifully for the occasion of course, but it was super special when Jalal told Jodha "Hererafter Tansen will sing exclusively for you - and you alone!"
Amidst all these gifts, guys, I forgot to tell you that Jalal also gave me - Mansi - a very special gift. He gave me the small and miffed face of Ruq to enjoy as she chafed at everything ... the way Jodha was being the centre of attention, the way Jalal was smiling at Jodha and she was smiling back, the way Jalal was complimenting Jodha for including Ruq in her big moments, and the way Jalal and Jodha were holding hands.
Everybody else, including the proud Bharmals, also gave Jodha many gifts, but I was surprised not to see Jodha's mother there at a time when her daughter was being feted for her first pregnancy! I didn't see Shivani too. These two characters should have been there to make the jashn look realistic from Jodha's family side, na?
Anyway ... then started the mayhem and the surprising twist at the penultimate moment of the episode.
The man-mountain Khyber had reached outside the Palace walls as Tansen was singing. He had been allowed to sniff the clothes with the old blood stain of Jalal on them and so Jalal was his direct killing target. He was then uncaged and unleashed upon the Palace. As the sipahis of Mahchuchak clambered up the walls of the Palace and laid waste to Jalal's sipahis inside, Khyber meanwhile was too big to try scaling walls. He right-royally made his way into the Palace via the gates, groaning and grunting like an animal in the wild, whereupon he proceeded to crush Jalal's sentries like toothpicks. He then made short work of more sipahis inside and reached almost to the Angoori Bagh area, even as Jalal was being told by Atga inside that "an attack by an alien army has happened, and they have brought a darinda'".
Jalal ran out himself with Atga, Todarmal, Mansingh and some crack sipahis - leaving Bharmal to usher the agitated ladies to the higher floors of the Palace. The "darinda" meanwhile took one look at his "blood-identified target" Jalal and proceeded to pick him up and throw him splat on his back at least three times. Jalal was looking helpless and strategy-less against this behemoth and his onslaught, and it almost looked like Khyber would pulverise Jalal imminently with a pillar also thrown against him.
Just then Jodha seemed to save Jalal. Standing upstairs on the balconies with all the other onlooking and aghast women, Jodha hurt her hand through her own jewellery cutting into her palm. Fresh blood oozed from her hand onto her dupatta ... which then flew down onto Khyber's head. Smelling Jodha's fresh blood I think the "darinda" then got distracted towards Jodha as his new target and he left Jalal (presumably because Jalal's blood sample he had earlier smelled being much staler compared to Jodha's?).
Anyway there stood the episode, at this turning point and the rest was foretold by the precap ... where Khyber is seen lifting and carrying away Jodha right in front of the hapless eyes of a stunned Jalal. The sentence I most liked yesterday was from Atga, who says in stupefied stutterings, "Ya khuda, yeh kya karishmma hai. Yeh to pishaash lagta hai!"
For those who want a more detailed view of the story here it is ...
Hamida and Salima and Gulbadan and JijiAnga (the querulous quartet!) are already at the jashn in all their finery as they discuss whether Jodha has arrived yet or not. Just then Jodha is announced in ... and she swishes in literally in her Mughal outfit looking ultra-pretty. As Jodha walks in with folded hands greeting everybody the look of pleasure on Jalal's face is to be seen. Jalal does a special "adaab" to Jodha which she coyly nods and acknowledges. The Bharmals sitting amongst the crowds look the most proud. As Jodha goes and sits to Jalal's left on the main sofa, the two jackasses of Adham and Sharif make their appearance with pinched and unhappy faces. Hamida and her ladies quartet then goes up to Jodha and Jalal to let Hamida bless them both.
Ruq is then announced in, perhaps arriving a trifle late to corner the attention all to herself. She looks dressed to the nines with a lavish swishy skirt and loads of jewellery - and she stops now and again to best show her defiant and superior expression to all as she lavishes them all with an "adaab". Jalal does look pleased that she has taken the effort to dress well for the occasion and Jodha genuinely seems to appreciate the way she looks. But when Ru has to say her "adaab" to Jodha after she wishes Jalal, there is just a moment's hesistation before she does so. Anyway she then makes up for it by wishing Jodha on her pregnancy and impending delivery of the Mughal Sultanate's waaris.
This apparent magnanimity of Ruq is then quickly neutralised by an even more generous gesture from Jodha. Seeing Ruq turn to take her place among the guests, Jodha tells Ruq to come and sit beside Jalal as his Khas Begum. Jodha then shifts over to Jalal's right, vacating the seat she had to his left, where Ruq could now sit. Ruq nods at Jalal who nods back formally, but his eyes of praise are reserved for Jodha who made this grand gesture.
The Bharmals then rise to give gifts to Jodha. It is a sentimental moment for father and daughter. As her brothers greet Jodha, Adham and Sharif exchange peeved glances. Salima then gives her gift - for which Jalal says "shukriya" - but he again looks at Jodha and smiles. Ruq tries to drag her mouth into as much of a fake smile as she can manage.
Jalal then looks at Jodha and says in a heartfelt way "Jodha Begum, as my first gift to you this evening I will grant any wish you have. So tell me what you most want." Everybody is agog to see what Jodha will ask for. Jodha then says "My wish is that you first ask Ruq for her wish, for she too is going to be the mother to my baby isn't she?" Jalal is overwhelmed with appreciation for Jodha's thoughts for Ruq. "Subhanallah!" he says as he looks at Ruq for her wish. Ruq replies "Shahenshah, I'll take a raincheck on this wish. When the right time comes, I will ask it of you!" Jalal then turns to Jodha and says "So Jodha Begum, hope you liked my first gift to you?" and she nods a "yes".
Jalal then tells Jodha "I now want to give you a very special and a very unique gift". He claps his hands and two bandhis bring in the gift. Jalal extends his hand to Jodha to hold, as he bids her rise from her seat and walk with him towards the gift. Ruq is seething at this handholding. She rises to see what this precious gift is all about. As Jalal uncovers the gift we see it's a tiny cradle with a baby Kanha inside it. "You told me, Jodha Begum, that rocking an empty cradle is an apshagun, so see here who is now in this filled cradle!" he says. Jodha is stunned and blissfully happy at the same time. Ruq again registers a face that is dismayed by the uniqueness of Jalal's gesture. Jodha folds her hands to pray to Kanha and tells Jalal "It's truly more beautiful than I could have imagined. Thank you". But he puts a hand on her head lovingly and says "Don't thank me so soon, there are more gifts."
He claps in a group of singers and dancers of the Ameri banjara gharana, and Jodha and Jalal both sit again on the sofa to enjoy the entertainment. The singers sing an ode to the beauty of Jodha, verse after verse extolling every beautiful feature of her face and body, much to Ruq's extreme chagrin.
(Incidentally, how many of you remember that Jalal once heard the same song from some Banjaras just before he was about to marry the beautiful Jodha. At that time he had enjoyed the performance and paid the Banjaras, but them told them he would cut off their tongues if they ever sang this song again in front of anyone else!)
As this naach-gaana concert starts at the jashn venue, just outside the Palace walls Khyber's cage arrives with hordes of Mahchuchak sipahis. Khyber's handler lets him out of his cage and gives him again the cloth with Jalal's blood stains on it to "sniff" and says "Jalal is your target, Khyber!" Khyber tears off the animal like mask on his face and reveals a set of deadly huge white teeth, flashing starkly in contrast with his dark face. As Khyber takes his first step out of the cage, the ground cracks under his foot and he gives loud grunts and his handler guffaws.
Meanwhile Mahchuchak's gas-masked soldiers creep over to kill all the sentries at the Agra Palace gates and then throw ropes over the walls to be able to clamber up in huge numbers. Inside the jashn, the singers are extolling Jodha's lips as "kamal ki pankhuri" and Jalal smiles at her coyness while Ruq looks disgusted. "Now here's the other gift for you" says Jalal after the dancers finish. A silhouetted singer begins singing an exquisite rendering of classical music as all the unlit lamps in the room get lit. The brightness in the room reveals the singer ... its Tansen! He transports everyone in the room with his masterful melody. Jodha's hand is tapping in rhythm to his music but Jalal then envelops it with his own hand and the two lovers sit and enjoy the music with hands entwined. Ruq is by now looking daggers at them both.
Outside the Palace gates Khyber with a huge sword in hand grunts some more and then slashes to bits all the remaining sentries. Mahchuchak's men clear up any soldiers still left standing by Khyber. Then the huge Khyber moves further and further into the palace, felling soldiers in groups. Some of Jalal's men try throwing a pillar at him, which he just deflects back at them, thus pulverising them.
Tansen meanwhile is at the height of his prowess and entharalling the audiences. His song finally ends, when there is all round praise. But by then one sipahi of Jalal shouts "Tell Atga Sahib fast, there's been an attack!"
Jalal meanwhile thanks Tansen for the lovely music and then turns to Jodha and says "Jodha Begum, hereafter if Tansen sings,it will be for you and you alone!" Jodha looks at him with loads of love in her eyes. Ruq looks like she can't believe the levels to which Jalal will go! "Hereafter Tansen will be part of our Mughal durbar" adds Jalal.
As the guests are then being given refreshments, Atga runs up to Jalal and whispers some bad news in his ears that he and Todarmal have heard from his sipahis, "Huzoor, there's been an attack on the Palace. There are masked soldiers everywhere, and with them is also a vaishi darinda'". Jalal, on hearing this, looks very angry. He turns to Bharmal and says "Bharmal Sahib, please gather all the women and take them to a safe place in the Palace but let them not know what is happening or there will be chaos. Meanwhile Atga Sahib, come with me and bring some sipahis along."Jalal walks out with purpose to face the attackers.
Bharmal then tells the women to follow him and Todarmal and herds them all into a safe place upstairs. En route Jalal is stopped by Jodha who says "Shahenshah, what is happening?". Jalal tries to soothe her alarm. He says "Nothing much. All is well. Don't worry" and marches on. Jodha looks at his back with dismay.
Outside Jalal recognises the masked soldiers as belonging to Mahchuchak. "Nigar was right in warning us of this Mahchuchak attack" says Atga as Jalal then through clenched teeth says "They need to be taught a lesson for disturbing our jashn" and he exhorts his troops to advance towards the enemy. The "darinda" has by now reached the Angoori Bagh, where Jalal comes face to face with him. Atga is priceless when he takes one look at the this Khyber and says "Ya khuda, yeh kya karishma hai. Yeh to pishaash lagta hai!" In answer Khyber gives a big grunt that sounds like a giant belch.
Atga then quickly brings Jalal up to speed on the possible origins of this animal man. "I have heard that by the mating of animals and men such creatures are created and nurtured as weapons". As Jalal takes stock of this "creature", the women begin crowding the upper balconies to have a look and they are all aghast at what they see. Jodha is especially frightened as she sees Jalal running towards the "darinda" trying to use his force against him ... but Khyber just picks up Jalal with one hand and bodily tosses him back into the waiting arms of his men like he is playing beach volleyball! The women can't believe this is happening to their greatest ever soldier!
Jalal then, with a sword thrown to him by Todarmal, slashes a small part of Khyber's knee, as Khyber is attacked by the onrushing Todarmal and Jodha's brothers. He again swats them all off of himself like they are flies. Jalal rises up again to make a lunge at Khyber but this time Khyber throws him with a spin to the ground. (Oh, he is an off- spinner in addition to being a fast bowler?!!)
Jodha's mouth flies open as she shouts "Shahenshah". She makes a tight fist of her hand, but in the process her hand ornaments tear the skin on her palm and her hand begins to bleed. Drops of her blood fall on her dupatta which then flies off her head towards the fighting men below. The dupatta lands squarely on the head of Khyber who is temporarily blinded on account of wearing this ghunghat!
Jodha sees Jalal about to rise again to fight this monster and says "I have to go to the Shahenshah!" but the other women restrain her from interfering in the fight. Khyber meanwhile pulls off the dupatta from his face and smells it. (We are shown a flashback of his handler telling Mahchuchak that he "goes after" anyone whose blood he smells since "khoon" is his "khuraak".)
Meanwhile Jalal's sipahis try trundling another huge pillar at Khyber that he pushes away with just one hand. The pillar almost lands on Jalal and is about to trap him under - but thankfully Jalal is saved by his closest group of men all en masse holding the pillar inches away from crushing his body. Jalal tries to work his way out from under the pillar and Jodha puts a hand to her head in sheer fear.
The episode ends there with more "action" on the cards for Monday. So you had all better be prepared with enough popcorns and other things to eat. This Monday will not be a blah episode, I can guarantee you that!
In the precap, we see Khyber pulling Jodha by the hand and dragging her out of the crowd of women she is with. To her horror, he then slings her over his shoulder and starts walking away with her. She shouts "Bachao!" just as Jalal manages to heave off the pillar from above his body and gets free. But one look in the direction of Khyber and Jalal's eyes become ready to pop out of his head as he sees Khyber walking out with his "chahete" begum on his shoulder like he is a dhobi taking a bundle of clothes for a wash!
My comments on this episode ...
It all looked too much like a one-sided match yesterday because the leviathan Khyber looked at least 50 sizes bigger than the already rather short Jalal. Sorry for the pun, but Khyber did make "short work" of Jalal and all his men.
I expected the direction of these action sequences to be a bit farcical, but was actually surprised to see that the arrival and mayhem created by Khyber was not that tackily handled. Excepting his strange grunts that I found to be very funny and often ill-timed, the camera did all the time preserve the feeling of his "mountainousness" against the hordes of "toothpick sized" sipahis of Jalal's that he flung around or stomped out, so the feeling that "something big and unprecendented" was happening on screen was kept intact throughout the sequence.
The very interesting part for me though will come on Monday, I think, when Jalal comes up with some strategy against Khyber after he has made off with Jodha. Usually, in legends and folklore, these behemoths are shown to have some "weak spot" in their big bodies, which if targeted can render them ineffective in a second, and then hasten their capture or demise. Jalal may thus have to have some clue as to which part of Khyber's body to tickle so that he becomes powerless suddenly and can be overwhelmed. Some such subterfuge is needed ... because our poor Rajat, valiant though he is, is only a fraction of the size of India's biggest body builder that Ekta has roped to play this "darinda" character.
There can be a debate amongst some of us on whether such a genuinely huge enemy should have been pitted against our hero who looks even shorter than he usually does by comparison. But then, I suppose, when Jalal with some clever masterplan overwhelms such a huge animal with a combination of brains and brawn, our rebounding hero will look taller than he ever had before! So there are pluses and minuses to having chosen an enemy looking many times bigger and more fit than our hero.
Regarding the switch of Khyber's attention from Jalal as target to Jodha, the fluttering dupatta with her fresh blood stain seems to have been a good idea. In a way Jodha seems to have saved Jalal by making herself the target in his place. Nowhere were we expressly told that the "darinda" responded better to fresh blood rather than stale blood, so I admit that was my own presumption that this could be the reason he lost the "scent" of Jalal (due to having sniffed only his stale blood stain) and later got the stronger scent of Jodha from the "sniff" of Jodha's fresher blood-stained dupatta. Anyway, Jodha is now the target ... so in the next episode I hope we will not have to watch again and again our hero Rajat being picked up and flung inelegantly on his bottom a few more times.
Accha, one good thing in this melee of arms and legs, as the sipahis of Mahchuchak fought with Jalal's sipahis, was that for the first time I could tell which sipahi was on which side - since Mahchuchak's sipahis were all wearing oxygen masks!
Now let me go back to the first part of the jashn, where I want to say some things were beautiful.
-I loved the way Jodha sashayed into the hall in her Mughal outfit (she was looking quite pretty) and I thought Ruq was a bit too overdone, like a birthday cake, even if she had tried hard to look her best.
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