Will Jalal Ever Stop Playing Around with Jodha's Love? Updated 20/8 - Page 4

Originally posted by: history_geek

Wishing all, the very Best for Completing 67 years of Indian Independence..
:)

Originally posted by: RadhikaS0

Aurat ne janam diya mardon ko,

Mardon ne usse bazaar diya,

Jab jee chaha apna liya,

Jab jee chaha thukra diya...

Sad but true plight of the Indian woman. And Ekta's JA follows the same trend in depicting one of the greatest epic love stories from our country's past.

Ekta's Jalal seems to be having a split personality. He can't decide whether he loves Jodha or hates her. This has been the story since the beginning of the show. It's been one year since they have been married and he is still as confused as ever.

In every track, we are promised that Jodha-Jalal will come closer more than ever before. After the separation track, we were assured that there would be no more MUs between them.

But can a leopard change its spots? Can Jalal truly love Jodha all the time and, more importantly, trust her enough not to misunderstand her intentions ever? That which seemed au naturel not so long ago now seems more and more doubtful.

The Ben track was acceptable to a certain extent because the two had not yet formally confessed to true love. There was a hint in the track right from the beginning that Jalal had eyes only for Jodha and that he was trying to make her jealous and insecure by cavorting with Ben. We also knew who Ben was and what her mission was. So we were always aware that Jalal would not actually marry Ben.

Jalal feeling jealous of Sujamal was also taken lightly because we knew it would not be long before Jalal would find out that Sujamal was Jodha's brother.

But this convoluted quadrangle is irritating because we do not understand the significance of either Khyber or Atifa to the story.

Why Khyber

Was Khyber introduced to balance the scales for Jalal-Atifa getting closer? So that if anyone questioned Jalal getting intimate with Atifa and neglecting his beloved wife, who was going to give him his cherished waris, he/she could be silenced by someone else questioning Jodha showing sympathy for Khyber and understanding his love, as it were?

Was Khyber introduced to put a spoke in the wheel of Jalal-Jodha's love story? After all, if Jalal were happily married to Jodha and expecting his waris, why would he be attracted to Atifa, who is not going to win any beauty contest any day soon?

Was Khyber introduced to redeem Jalal's character after the war track, when we wept to see an ineffectual Jalal, who could so easily be trapped by his enemies and needed the resources of Man Singh and Jodha to save him and his harem? If this were so, why has Jalal never been shown to have the upper hand with Khyber, not physically, not emotionally? Khyber has probably walked off with a lot of audience sympathy and good will by dying like a love-lorn Romeo and, before that, by showing much more concern for Jodha than Jalal had ever done. Jalal could not defeat him either through brawn or through strategy (as we had speculated in the beginning that Jalal would come up with some clever ideas to worst Khyber).

In fact, Jalal even lost to him on the emotional plane with Khyber, in spite of his inability to speak, reached out to Jodha and gained her sympathy and trust, solely through his attitude and behaviour. (Jalal could learn much from him in how to treat a woman like a lady and let his actions speak louder than words.)

We will never know why Khyber came and went.

Why Atifa

We still do not know, and likely will not know any time soon, who she is and why she is here. Is she from Jalal's past? Is she some seductress with secret means of luring men? Is she on some mission to dethrone or kill Jalal?

If she is on some secret mission, why hasn't she made any attempt so far? She hasn't even been shown conspiring with anyone.

Is Jalal really attracted to her; is it infatuation, lust, love or all a drama?

In the Ben track, Ben's entry was preceded by the famous Dhakka. So there was some dubious reason to justify Jalal's anger on Jodha.

Here, there is no rhyme or reason for him to suddenly turn away from Jodha. Has he been hypnotised or is he faking anger / disinterest in Jodha? Or was there never any love between him and Jodha? Was it all just to seduce her and then reject her, just as Ruq had predicted to Jodha long back?

In Ben track, Jodha had to drink the vish ka pyala only once. Here she is being made to undergo torturous events, and still Jalal appears to be unmoved by her plight.

What exactly is going on in Jalal's mind?

What makes him think he can love Jodha or abandon her, as he pleases? Does she have no feelings or emotions?

Why is it alright for him to romance a married woman but not alright for his wife to sympathise with anyone apart from him? It's not just about Khyber; Jalal would have been equally displeased if it had been a woman - the Shehnaz track being a case in point.

Why is it alright for him to neglect a pregnant wife for the sake of a new "find"? Esp when we saw how caring he was with the faking Ruq and his own sister?

Why is it alright for him to be so casual about his khas begum Jodha's security and well-being, esp when she is going to deliver the heir apparent?

Does he really have a plan? Even if he does, it does not justify his callous behavior with his wife. Which king, even if he is the sleeping around kind, would humiliate his queen publicly or shout at his own babies in the womb?

It is my personal opinion that Jalal is not going to emerge as either Teda or wise in this track. He has not done so since many tracks and he is not going to start now.

Is Jalal Faking It

If he were really faking it, would he jeopardise Jodha's security and well-being by not assigning anyone from the royal family to look after her or by being flippant about suggestions of surangs leading to her hojra?

If he were really faking it, would he not appear more relieved and happy to see her after freeing her from Khyber?

Will Jalal be Ever Redeemed

Will Jalal be ever redeemed, esp for the way he plays Ping-Pong with Jodha's feelings?

The CVs have never been particular about redeeming him in any track. If he appears clueless or overemotional or mentally ineffectual, no justification is provided. We have to accept it blindly. And still go on liking him and hoping one day, the real TE will emerge and astound us with his stratagem and bravura.

The only way in which he is shown to be "redeemed" is by pushing Jodha to the depths of the nether world. His inclination towards Ben was justified by making Jodha push him away. (But the mystery of the dhakka was never revealed to him. Way to go, CVs! 👏)

Now he is being "redeemed" by gross suggestions of inappropriate behavior by Jodha. But, the CVs forget that their late introduction of Jodha's inappropriate behavior cannot justify Jalal's abject neglect of her much earlier in the day.

In the Ben track and the separation track, Jalal cried and cried copiously till Jodha relented to forgive him and returned to him. But how many times can she go on forgiving him if he keeps pushing her around and seeks pleasure elsewhere?

Is Jalal Following a Behavior Pattern With Jodha

His character seems to be modeled on the nature of a spouse abuser. Such people alternately abuse their wives or love them passionately. Each time, they make a mistake, they beg forgiveness , only to start the abuse cycle all over again.

Is There Anything Epic About This Love Story

Is this what epic love stories are made of? Would Romeo-Juliet be still remembered if Romeo had time and again pushed Juliet to the end of her tether? I cannot believe that a story that has endured over centuries could be so crass. Was Akbar really like this with the MUZ - if he had been like this, would she have been his shadow and even accompanied him to wars (even in the late stages of pregnancy) or stood by him against her son?

Even if this track is entirely fictionalised, if the story has to move ahead, then something has to be done about the oscillatory behavior of Jalal and fast. How long can we see him shout at Jodha, ogle at some commonplace woman, land in deep trouble, get saved by Jodha and then cry for forgiveness? Twice is too much already. 🤢

I don't care for a TE. All I want is a straight Jalal who is clear about his love for Jodha and is happy to show it publicly.

Originally posted by: MaddyO

Radhika - I read Impiya ask if there is a woman script writer in JA team? Absolutely wonder this.

Jalal Atifa his attraction, pretending, doing this to save Jodha - NOTHING should have come in the way of showing basic care and concern for Jodha!

Why do CVs think that if Jalal actually fell for Atifa also - should be shown NOT caring for his pregnant wife and twins she is carrying?! Never mind love, if he did NOT love his wife also - he should care about her health and their babies.

He is not visiting Jodha to ask about her health? Why would anybody think that if a man is in love, he should stop caring about his unborn babies?

If Jalal is supposed to come across as Teda and strong with a plan in this - why are CVs instead showing him as uncaring father and husband.

Love or no love, basic concern for a pregnant wife should not vanish.

So far Jalal has not come across as strong just uncaring and callous husband and expectant father.

Why could CVs have not shown this differently? Why not have Jalal take a promise from Jodha that for some reason he will have to act detached and drifting apart from her and she has to promise him she will not let that affect her and take care of herself and their babies?

CVs actually showed Jodha driven to think of suicide in a weak moment - why do CVs think that THIS desperate act of Jodha's will make Jalal look strong?!

For the portrayal of a pregnant woman undergoing so much physical, mental, emotional torture - whoever wrote this - deserves a big thumbs down 🤬

In each track they have butchered either Jalal or Jodha - this must be a rare track where BOTH Jalal and Jodha are butchered and CVs somehow thought this will be fun to watch! Do they follow TRPs?

WHY???? When we love Jalal and Jodha and their love so much - are CVs hell bent on destroying it and making them look like this.

I would have LOVED if they had shown Jalal visit Jodha secretly in the night and tell her he is following the plan he told her but could not keep from meeting her. Jalal telling SB to take care of her and SB there with Jodha always.

Where is Zakira?

Moti is USELESS - all she does is gossip with other bandis, hang around when Jalal comes to visit Jodha and behave as if she is his sali! When Khyber kidnapped Jodha the first time Moti ran away leaving her!
When Jodha who is in such low dejected mood which ONLY Moti knows when she even said she has lost everything now that she has lost Jalal's love - Moti just lets Jodha go out alone at night in her this mood?

I wish they bring back the old Moti - calling this Moti an eyesore is an understatement!

Originally posted by: Donjas

Yesterday's episode and the TRP's have left me in a pessimistic state of mind. I think our serial is doomed. You asked whether there is a woman in the CV's. I don't think there is, that photo of Khaiber with CV's, looked to me like he was partying with his body building friends from the gym.

No woman there, and however much we may talk about stereotypes, it is a scientific fact that men and women have different interests and different ways of thinking. A body builder Khaiber may interest a few men with his exploits but very few women are going to be impressed by it, nor will they be pleased by Jodha's adventures in this pregnant state. Similarly, the over the top depiction of Mahachuchak, with it's Chandrakanta like sets and characters, may please a few young males but not the general audience.

For a man, thinking the above situations is instinctual. It is what they want to see themselves. But they forget, this serial is not for men, it is watched mostly by women. Men want action, women want relationships and romance.

I think Ekta can save this serial if she wants too but I don't think she cares, that is why no action on the CV's, that is why instead of remedying the situation, all the rumors point to a leap.

I had never seen a profit earning serial with great TRP's commit suicide before. Now I have.

Originally posted by: RadhikaS0

Ekta's Jalal seems to be having a split personality. He can't decide whether he loves Jodha or hates her. This has been the story since the beginning of the show. It's been one year since they have been married and he is still as confused as ever.

He feels strongly for her. He hardly feels for any other lady in his life. Of course he loves her, but when she hurts him, it pains 100 times more and he reacts proportionally. This is Jalal. Love him or leave him.

But can a leopard change its spots? Can Jalal truly love Jodha all the time and, more importantly, trust her enough not to misunderstand her intentions ever? That which seemed au naturel not so long ago now seems more and more doubtful.

Where has he misunderstood her intentions here? He tells Man Singh that he wonders what to blame more - her rehem dil or her zid. He has never doubted her character nor her intentions.

Why Khyber

Was Khyber introduced to balance the scales for Jalal-Atifa getting closer? So that if anyone questioned Jalal getting intimate with Atifa and neglecting his beloved wife, who was going to give him his cherished waris, he/she could be silenced by someone else questioning Jodha showing sympathy for Khyber and understanding his love, as it were?

The reverse could be questioned too. Was the atifa angle introduced to show at this time of Khaiber track so that anyone who could questions Jodha's episode with Khaiber could be pacified thinking 'if Jalal could romance Atifa, why should Jodha not 'help' Khaibar? Afterall the intentions are noble'

Was Khyber introduced to redeem Jalal's character after the war track, when we wept to see an ineffectual Jalal, who could so easily be trapped by his enemies and needed the resources of Man Singh and Jodha to save him and his harem? If this were so, why has Jalal never been shown to have the upper hand with Khyber, not physically, not emotionally? Khyber has probably walked off with a lot of audience sympathy and good will by dying like a love-lorn Romeo and, before that, by showing much more concern for Jodha than Jalal had ever done. Jalal could not defeat him either through brawn or through strategy (as we had speculated in the beginning that Jalal would come up with some clever ideas to worst Khyber).

Will concern alone be enough in life? Will Jodha have married Khaiber and lived happily ever after with him had she met him before her marriage to Jalal? Khaiber is a physically very strong man unaware of the ways of the world. If he wants something, he simply takes it...others may be killed or suffer losses in the process. He has the physical power to snatch anything he wants, so he can spend all his time being Jodha's puppy and caring for her and calling her name.

Do you expect Jalal to do the same? Do no work other than obey her and chant her name? He did that, for a brief period, when his love was realised. But that can't be the story forever. Even after the strongest and most passionate times of our lives, we do return to our routine and other interests. Don't we? Why do you expect Jalal to keep pampering Jodha and counting her hunars always for ever?

In fact, Jalal even lost to him on the emotional plane with Khyber, in spite of his inability to speak, reached out to Jodha and gained her sympathy and trust, solely through his attitude and behaviour. (Jalal could learn much from him in how to treat a woman like a lady and let his actions speak louder than words.)

Did Khaiber even know the delicacy of treatment of a lady? Did he even understand love? Jodha was the first human who showed him sympathy, who treated him like a human. He did all he could for her happiness. He thought that she was unhappy with Jalal and carried her off, the second time. When he saw her seek out to Jalal he was content that she was happy with him. He knew he had lost her and he did not want to live after losing the one person who cared for him. Had it been Maan Singh in Jodha's place who showed him that care, he would have done anything for Mansingh too. So the lady-treatment or the nuances involved is not the question here.

Why Atifa

We still do not know, and likely will not know any time soon, who she is and why she is here. Is she from Jalal's past? Is she some seductress with secret means of luring men? Is she on some mission to dethrone or kill Jalal?

If she is on some secret mission, why hasn't she made any attempt so far? She hasn't even been shown conspiring with anyone.

Is Jalal really attracted to her; is it infatuation, lust, love or all a drama?

For this, we will have to wait and see.

What exactly is going on in Jalal's mind?

What makes him think he can love Jodha or abandon her, as he pleases? Does she have no feelings or emotions?

Abandon???Really? Where has he abandoned her? The moment she went missing, he was off to find her and was worried sick. He risked his life to save her, and you call it abandoning?

Why is it alright for him to romance a married woman but not alright for his wife to sympathise with anyone apart from him? It's not just about Khyber; Jalal would have been equally displeased if it had been a woman - the Shehnaz track being a case in point.

We do not know yet that he is not romancing Atifa for some reason or not. But even if he is not, it was the system those days. We can debate on that at the end of the track.

Jalal has no problem with Jodha sympathising with Moti or even Zakira. But she chooses all strange people to sympathise with. Shehnaaz could have led to Rahim's death. Jalal didn't mind Shehnaaz till that incident for sure. Radhika or anyone else who supports Jodha's 'sympathy' for Shehnaaz - If your family was a large family with children, would any of you agree to have a nutter in it, who could pose a threat to the safety of children knowingly or unknowingly? Certainly you wont. Then why should Jalal? Simply because it is Jodha's wish to have her?

Why is it alright for him to neglect a pregnant wife for the sake of a new "find"? Esp when we saw how caring he was with the faking Ruq and his own sister?

Neither Ruqs nor bb went into the prison to meat a darinda. Neither of them flaunted rules to save a prisoner against the king's orders.

For once keep the Atifa track apart and deal only with the Khaiber issue and Champavati Princess issue. Was it okay for a Queen to meet a prisoner at the prisoner and tend to his wounds? Even the ever-adoring HB wasn't in its favour. Why didn't she ask the Moti or Zakira to do it? Would any of your husbands approve of it if you tend to the wounds of criminals personally (unless of course you are doctors). Secondly she challenged his decision in front of the entire awaam.

Thirdly, she wrote back to the Champavat princess without consulting him. If he was not available for immediate consultation shouldn't she written back that since the Emperor is not available, she will get back to her at the earliest after consulting him and asked the doll-wali to come back, say after a week. To write back challenging an alliance that the Emperor had made for political reasons without his opinion, was sheer insolence and you cannot deny it. Why shouldn't Jalal be angry at her for this? Doesn't he have the right to be angry with her if she keeps breaking protocol and rules? Why shouldn't he say that she is using his affection for her in this case? (This is assuming that he is not pretending and IS angry with Jodha)

Finally, Even in today's democracy and broad minded laws, you simply CANNOT free a prisoner out of 'sympathy' because he is good to you, because you think that he is right and walk free. It is legally a crime. Even sheltering a criminal and aiding him is. But Jodha has actually taken the law in her hands, gone against the explicit orders of the king and freed Khaiber. That she didn't expect to be kidnapped is another issue. But freeing Khaiber itself is wrong. Jalal can put up with all the rumours and gossips in the state as he knows and trusts his wife. But certainly he cannot overlook her freeing Khaiber that resulted in the death of soldiers and losses to his people.

Maan Singh tells Jalal that his Bapusa and Dadasa used to be rusht with Jodha. Doesn't Jalal have any right to be rusht with her? Remember the way Bharmal put Jodha down when she advocated Suryabhaan for Sukanya and the way Bharmal handled Shivaani when he got to know of her tryst with Kanghiman? As a father he has a right to be angry with his daughters, but not Jalal. He cannot be angry with a queen who broke the law, whose sympathy caused more devastation, who risks the whole flock to save one? Jalal has no right at all. Just because he is very soft to those whom he loves, such is the pattern expected in ALL his dealings ALL the time.

Is Jalal Following a Behavior Pattern With Jodha

His character seems to be modeled on the nature of a spouse abuser. Such people alternately abuse their wives or love them passionately. Each time, they make a mistake, they beg forgiveness , only to start the abuse cycle all over again.

Then would you Jodha follow a pattern of a law-breaker? Jalal DID NOT make any mistake. He apologised as it was his good nature to do so. In the Ruqs MC track, the proof was against her. What should a king do? If he killed that dacoit king, that was because he harmed his praja. What wrong did he do in the ben track? He did trust Jo and conducted a test in DEK. but the test was negated. He agreed to marry Ben as he didn't know her truth and MA planned it that way. In Sujamal track, Jodha was equally at fault for hiding things from him.

Is There Anything Epic About This Love Story

Is this what epic love stories are made of? Would Romeo-Juliet be still remembered if Romeo had time and again pushed Juliet to the end of her tether?

Romeo and Juliet are immortalised as they died young in love.

I cannot believe that a story that has endured over centuries could be so crass. Was Akbar really like this with the MUZ - if he had been like this, would she have been his shadow and even accompanied him to wars (even in the late stages of pregnancy) or stood by him against her son?

Here I agree with you completely. Neither would Akbar have been a such a dumb marshmallow nor would HK have been a feminist law-breaking specimen.

Even if this track is entirely fictionalised, if the story has to move ahead, then something has to be done about the oscillatory behavior of Jalal and fast. How long can we see him shout at Jodha, ogle at some commonplace woman, land in deep trouble, get saved by Jodha and then cry for forgiveness? Twice is too much already. 🤢

And the impudent behaviour of Jodha too. How long can we see her take law into hands, see with a narrow vision and do ONLY what SHE thinks is right, others may go to hell, only to be saved by some stroke of serendipity and launched into nek-dil bracket.

Originally posted by: Donjas

Wow, two fantastic posts in one thread, yours and Abhay. I am sorry to say, you are hindering my de-addiction efforts from Jodha Akbar. With such beautiful posts to ponder and comment upon, how can anyone think of leaving.

As for the depiction of Jodha and Akbar, like most I think it is a problem of Ability. These CV's simply don't have the creative horsepower to present events from Akbar's long and eventful life, things like Sati abolition, like Akbar's war with Rajputana states, like Todar Mal's rehaul of the revenue system, like Akbar's pilgrimage to the many saints of that era etc.

They are so many things one can show, instead the CV's take the easy way out, they introduce imaginary characters and ridiculous situations, which have absolutely nothing to do with history. When the depiction of a character needs a subtle approach, they go the sledgehammer way totally destroying the essence of the character.

Maybe, that is the problem. Maybe Ekta and the CV's have no understanding of history, of the sacredness of certain aspects of depiction.

Maybe a big leap is not a bad idea, these CV's will never do justice to Akbar and Jodha. Perhaps after the leap, these two will escape their attentions, and Salim will get the full treatment.