Sorry Mandy for tresspassing this thread. Just this once.
Sandhya, sarcasm is a way of ridiculing something absurd.
And absurd it is. Potraying Akbar as a fool of the first order.
There is nothing remotely absurd in the contributions of Maansingh and the entire Ameri family to Akbar and the Mughal Sultanate. Maan singh, Bhagwantdas and Jodha's other brothers have fought many successful wars for Akbar putting their lives on the line for him. Raja Bharmal was put in charge of the Agra fort, if I am not mistaken at least 2 times when Akbar was out on wars. That this family was part of Akbar's innermost circle is not a figment of my imagination but a documented fact. To make sarcastic comments about their contributions not only demeans what they have done but it is downright disrespectful.
Of course not the originals. But the serial portrays Akbar as a weakling who rose to power ONLY because of the Ameris. The Ameris were extremely loyal and their contributions cannot be understated. But attributing everything that Akbar achieved to Jodha and her family is high exaggeration.
Why do you feel Akbar has turned into a buddhuram? Does taking other people's advice, considering their recommendations and then coming to a decision make someone dumb?
Taking advice is intelligence. But not having an iota of thinking oneself is undoubtedly dumb. Was following Nigaar Aapa into a mehfoos jagah intelligence? Couldn't Akbar handle a mere Tasneem issue and declare his law as being effective from the day of declaration onward and not applicable to past weddings and get it done away with? Was hiding behind the lattice and looking out to watch one begum address the awaam on the expert advice of another not dumb Devki?
The former was done so that Jodha could head the mirchi war and the latter so that she could 'save' Ruqaiya's marriage.
In the first 80 episodes he was an emperor barely out of his teens with a pretty much black and white outlook. Making hotshot cowboy decisons is very easy when one has a narrow viewpoint.
The decision to marry jodha was no mere hotshot cowboy decision nor merely his desire to attain her. Had he wanted that he would have claimed her right royally after Shariffuddin defeats Amer. Jalal explains to the councellors the reasons for his decisions, the larger political picture.
Scaring the living daylight out of the rat king and then handing over the Ratanpur Qila was also no black and white narrow outlook either. That was political play at its best. After having introduced Jalaluddin Mohammed in such a fashion that synchronised with the mastermind that Akbar was claimed to be, you cannot deny that he was dumbed down to glorify Jodha, the Ekta heroine.
Of course it does seem extremely debonair and sexy but things do change when one evolves into a person with broader understnding. Running an empire as vast and diverse as the mughal sultanate was surely not an easy task. No matter how gifted and smart the ruler is he needs a good bunch of counselors. If Jodha was one of them what is the problem. A spouse is one of the very few people one can depend on not to stab you in the back( ruks is the exception).
Akbar knew to choose the counsel too. it is to his credit that he chose the right persons around him. His credit that he wisely chose his Navratnas.
Had jodha ( of the serial) given good advices it would have been appreciable. But she has only been preachy and a feminist. The Shehnaaz Todarmal track is the best proof. And of course the Khyber one too. Did she gracefully bring to notice the problem of religion tax. No she only did hadthaal standing in line with her piggy bank. It is her(serial) methods that make her worthy of all the sarcasm.
I honestly cannot remember where Jodha has taken a major decision for Jalal. Yes, she has advised him, brought certain things to light but is that unusual for a wife to do that? They could tone her preachy tone down a little bit for sure.
That is one thing I liked about Jodha, inspite being one in thousands she managed to form that intimate one on one relationship with her husband. For him she was one among many but for her he was the one and only. She could have easily been lost in the remote recesses of the harem but did not and this credit solely belongs to her whether reel or real.
This credit i would give the real one only. On screen Jalal was lattoo over her and kept hovering around her 24*7. So there was no chace of her getting lost in the harem.
They have shown Akbar's achievements which may have had the influence of Jodha(I strongly believe that she did have a major influence on the ones that were shown from my reading). Do I wish they had shown a lot of other reforms and wars? Absolutely! But I try to remember that this is called Jodha-Akbar and that is the reason I watch it.
Again. This is Jodha Akbar na. Not Jodha-the brave Ameri princess na. Where WAS Akbar in the last 200 episodes except to sing her hosanas? That is the complaint Devki. We are all here to watch Jodha Akbar. Not 'the life and achievements of Jodha.' I couldn't find anyone akin to Akbar in the second half of the entire show. It was only Ekta's heroine all set to butcher Akbar's image.
I do agree that the romance they are showing in the recent episodes is beyond ridiculous. It definitely seems that Akbar the great has no other work but prance in and out of jodha's bedroom.
I still have hopes for the English track.
The English track is all set to be the worst with the Shahenshah of Hindustan being held captive by a mere bunch of British traders and the Mallika-E-Hind doing a Sholay Basanti dance number.
For me the biggest let down in this show was:
Khaiber track: Meh traipsing the forest with half naked ape man was NR of the highest order and totally not needed
That was against the dignity of MEH. But the numerous tracks that cheapen the dignity of Akbar are okay. Are they?
Rukaiyya:the importance given to her in this serial from start to finish is also one of the biggest NRs IMO especially vis a vis Salima. She should have been caught afeeming Salim when he was 9 when Salima saw her do something and should have been relegated to some remote corner never to be seen again. That I still have to bear her smirks is a big big let down for me.
it is not giving importance. It is cheapening her too. You see, it is common knowledge that Akbar had 3 chief queens. One is behen-zoned and the other villified only to leave jodha as the undisputed one and only.
Salim-Anar: the less said the better.
There is a lot more I wanted to write but I am using my cell and do not have access to a computer here in beautiful Lonavala. And of course I don't want you falling asleep reading this either if you haven't already!
I'm wide awake. My responses will tell you that.😆
Devki
Fan Fictions
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
20