Originally posted by: RadhikaS0
Hi Folks,
Lovely views by everyone here 👏 Reading this thread and the one by Devki for Abhay (Link), I really feel happy about the good will Abhay has on IF and the amount of popularity his blog has garnered over the months...
I am feeling nostalgic about the beautiful memories of the show from its golden period, as described so lyrically by Abhay and so vividly by Charu, Surochita and others. Thanks everyone for taking me down memory lane and for letting me relive those bewitching moments again. 😊
(I will be candid and admit that the post I agree with most here is Donjas'. 😊 )
I didn't plan to say anything but am feeling a desire to share my views now, after reading the awesome thoughts by everyone here. Please bear with my rambling thoughts about a show that has been extremely close to my heart for a long time. 😳
This show was, to me, like a Karan Johar kind of fluffy romance, set against a historical background, rather than a true historical. Everything was / is picture postcard perfect. The cast, sets, costumes, jewelry, makeup, music, dialogs, and script have all been designed to highlight the eternal love story of the protagonists - Jodha and Akbar, in sometimes poetic, sometimes dramatic and sometimes some strangely twisted ways.
Rajat and Paridhi - Excellent actors, extremely good-looking people. They are fantastic as the Jodha and Akbar conjured by Ekta and have brought the reel characters alive in front of our eyes and made the love story seem so real and magical. They brought the show a HUGE fan following across many nations and helped the show rule the charts for a long time. Thank you, both of you, and I so wish you all the very best for your future projects. ⭐️
The only hitch is that, at some point, the show stopped being about the real Jodha and Akbar or even a strong reel Jodha and Akbar and became a platform to showcase the talent and good looks of the lead actors. Historical situations which are so strongly identified with Jodha - Akbar were left out in the cold and fictional situations were often created, sometimes enjoyable and sometimes weird, to show the depth and strength of Akbar-Jodha's love.
The show passed through many stages...
The first stage (ruthless Jalal stage) lasted until the marriage track. A young Akbar, guided by his Khan Baba and Badi Ammi, set out to establish Mughal dominion across Hindustan in the most ruthless manner possible. The Jalal we saw in this stage was chilling. But with a magnetic aura that hypnotically captured everyone.
The arrogance, the inflated ego, the ruthless desire to expand his empire at any cost, marked an emperor in the making. Unfortunately today it is so hard to associate this mellowed version of Jalal with that Jalal. Agreed he has a dil now. But he seems to have lost his intelligence, common sense, wit and even the gravitas of being the Shahenshah of Hindustan. Nowadays, he is like a regular "one of us" with whom even a Moti Bai can be on back-slapping, first-name terms. 😕
The second stage (the ghrina period) lasted upto the Ben track. This was, in my view, the best stage of the show till date. This was the phase that made me watch a TV show after years and made me join a discussion forum too! I started watching JA during the suicide track. And I was bowled over by Jalal at first sight and by Jodha slowly, like a heady wine.
The storyline during this phase was the familiar, even hackneyed plot where the heroine loathes the hero with all her heart and the hero apparently echoes her sentiments but only so that he can mask the unbridled passion he feels for her against his own wishes. Two highly temperamental and headstrong individuals from across enemy lines came together under strange circumstances and were forced to share the same roof. Truth be told, the chemistry between Jodha and Akbar then was intense and extremely passionate and even a fleeting touch or glance between them could set the screen on fire.
Ironically, now we have endless scenes of flirting and "romance" between them. But that spark is missing. 😕
That passion was riveting and it was extremely hard to hate the TE for being so mean to his wife, or to hate the Teekhi Ameri Mirchi for subbing Hindustan's Shahenshah at every opportunity.
They were both bold, intelligent with a sense of fair play and a penchant for humor that kept bobbing its head every once in a while. They complimented each other beautifully and matched each other at every step.
My favorite part from this stage was the Ratanpur Qila track when Jalal kept everyone guessing with his mind games and then, gifted the Qila to his sister-in-law in a magnificently generous gesture.
The next stage (the blind trust stage) was the post Vish pan stage that lasted until the infamous night when Jalal threw her out of his palace.
The Dhakka from the ghrina phase was forgotten by Jodha's attempt to save Jalal's life at the cost of her own. This was the first time tender moments blossomed between the two erstwhile arch foes. Jalal beseeching Allah at the gates of heaven to return Jodha to him for now the two were as one and had no separate wajood of their own. They either lived together or died together.
It was a pleasant surprise to see a soft Jodha, flushed with unrecognised love, trying hard to spend some "quality time" with an equally, much-in-love but scared to admit Jalal.
Then came the LONG separation track when the two finally realised that they could not live without each other. And yet, this was also the stage when Jodha exhibited her self-respect and the need for Jalal to recognise / value her identity. I can never forget the scene by the lake when Jodha questions Jalal about her place in his life, her identity. I can never forget the Jodha who stood alone in her resolve to return to her husband ONLY when she could be sure of his trust in her, which till then had kept swinging like a pendulum.
It was equally stirring to see Jalal turn against his own badi ammi, the woman he loved and trusted more than his own mother , when he realized her role in keeping him away from the love of his life. And oh! How he loved his Jodha - even after she removed the bullets from his rifle and left him defenceless against a tiger!
After almost a year came the SR. And that marked the end of the love story on hindsight. Love stories are interesting as long as the two lovers are separated by circumstances. Their mutual attraction and desire to come together stokes the passion in their relationship. Once they do come together, then what? Where do they go from there?
This was the stage the CVs started floundering badly. They had no idea how to present the love between a married couple after they had confessed their love and become one. And so we had to tolerate the likes of Atifa and Hyder and other weird subplots just so we could "understand" how eternal and strong was the bond between Jodha and Akbar that it could not be broken by any power on earth.
A major body blow struck the show at this stage. Mahamanga, perhaps the strongest character apart from Jodha and Akbar in the show, died. I confess I hated her with all my soul as long as she lived and heartily wished for her exposure and exit from the show. But there is nothing better than hindsight to reveal just how much of a strong pillar she was of the show. A most intelligent and cold-blooded negative character who forced the characters of Jodha and Akbar to rise above the ordinary too just to be able to match wits with her.
The CVs tried in vain to find a replacement for her. But till date, we do not have a strong negative character of the likes of Mahamanga in the show.
The Chittor track in which Akbar is shown repenting for what he did and the death of the twins track after which Akbar blamed Jodha for their children's death, marked the lowest points in the graph for the show.
To climb back from this abyss, the makers next came up with the leap and introduced the Salim Anarkali track. I mostly gave up on this show at this point. Not because I have issues with the Salim Anarkali romance or feared that this new romance would take away attention from the JA love story. But simply because, there was a steady decline in the quality of the show and some highly irresponsible things were shown such as Salim's step-mother getting him addicted to opium in his childhood and Salim being most disrespectful towards his parents.
But JA is JA. And the magic of the golden period still has me hooked to the show despite numerous breaks from it. 😳 And things like Akbar giving his beloved Jodha the right to issue farmans and making her the Malika-i-Hind and trusting her above all in all matters keep me transfixed! They make me forget that he is also the man who refuses to let her voice her views freely or does not even attempt to understand his wife and son.
The sight of Jodha supporting all her husband's decisions and standing by him through thick and thin and establishing herself as an enterprising woman across the seas is so fascinating, considering she couldn't stand him at one point!
Yes, watching JA has been one helluva roller coaster ride. There have been moments when I have cried with the characters and times I have stopped short of pulling my hair out in frustration at their antics. Things like Jodha acting like a possessed woman or dancing like Basanti in front of the enemy or running away with Hyder or losing her kids to other begums and Jalal grovelling at the feet of Jodha and acting lost and clueless in most tracks should never have been shown and things like the navratnas, din-i-ilahi, sul-i-kul, the several pilgrimages on foot to Ajmer Sharif, the haj business, were never shown.
The show is likely to end with Jodha leading an army to save and rescue (?) Akbar held captive by the British. While the thought of a fiery Jodha leading a battle warms my heart immensely, the thought of a weak Jalal who is yet again at the mercy of Jodha to save him, makes me sad.
Yet my addiction is such that I will watch the show till the end, no matter what, and remember it fondly for the rest of my life. Just why - I don't know. May be it is the idea behind the show of a love story between a powerful Emperor and an exceptionally talented Empress that compels me to keep watching.
Thanks to everyone in the cast and crew of JA for bringing 2 extraordinary people alive for us! They deserve a BIG round of applause for igniting a passion for history - Mughal and Rajput - among countless people worldwide!
The journey here on IF has been highly memorable and taught me a lot about how people think and express themselves. Thanks to ALL members here for sharing this journey for over 1.5 years. Good luck to everyone here and hope we meet again someplace else!! 😊
At last, she comes out of hibernation.------------------ ! I have been eagerly waiting to read your views, for the longest time and you have not disappointed me, with your farewell post.
So good to have you back Radhika, 🤗
I have sorely missed reading your soulful pragmatic thoughts on every episode, over the past couple of months. They were a treat to read. We have had some thought provoking, interesting discussions, on various issues, that personally were eye openers for me. I have learnt a lot, from my conversations with you.
I am so happy, to read your honest heartfelt opinions about the progress or should I say decline of the show, over the last few months. I expected to read nothing less than a straightforward non-flowery feedback about the storyline and you have said it all so beautifully. Each line echoes my thoughts. The lines in blue, ------ bang on, you have said it so well.
Taking a leap was the biggest blunder that EK committed and I'm sure she herself has repented her decision big time. To cover up this mistake, she made several other colossal ones with the plot, by portraying the matriarch Mariam Makani in the worst possible manner, rendering Jodha weak and helpless, Akbar (a mystic himself) and Jodha being possessed and behaving like puppets in the hands of witches and not leaving behind any chance to depict Jodha and Akbar unlike their true selves ---- the shrewd smart independent thinking Shehenshah and the fiery, smart, fearless princess that they really were. The character of the insecure Rukaiyya has steadily gone from bad to worse, over time she started resembling one of the vamps coming from the Balaji stable, who does not possess a single quality befitting nobility, or one of the chief consort of a Mughal ruler, whatsoever. The PH also tried to cover up all these mistakes by showcasing an overdose of romance between Jodha and Akbar.
It is a different thing altogether that I love seeing Rajat and Pari romance each other on screen, they are a treat to watch, however plot wise, I wish all that romance was shown when they were younger, prior to the leap. I also wish that the dialogues written were appropriate for royals to mouth them. As the plot progressed, the characters of the leads and the innate qualities that identified them, slowly diminished. I found this aspect, hard to accept.
Had the first two hundred episodes not been so perfect in terms of plot, screenplay, royal settings, dialogues, mannerisms, star-cast, protocol and general royal demeanor, maybe it would have been easy to accept the craziness, post the leap. EK spoilt us by showing us glory and then brought us down with a royal thud. Post the leap, the serial was nothing but a web of inconsistencies and blatant mutilation of several integral prime characters.
I choose to recollect certain scenes from episodes until the leap that have left an impression on my mind -----------------------
>>> Most of them were beautiful, especially the ones where we witnessed the battle of wills between Jalal and Jodha. There were several and I have enjoyed watching each one of them. These scenes acted as a catalyst in revealing all the good qualities of Jodha and Akbar, to each other, that both were hitherto unaware of and also aided in both mutually admiring, respecting and falling in love with one another.
>>> The scene where Jalal speaks to Jodha's soul and brings her back from the brink of death, is one that I can never forget. That is when they truly became soul mates.
>>> The scenes of the Badal/Kajri track are unforgettable. They brought our favorite couple closer and those scenes were an absolute delight to watch.
>>> The scene when a disgusted and shattered Jalal confronts his badi ammi, Wazir-e-alia, Mahamanga and questions her about her treachery, and swears to cut off all ties with her, is one of the best scenes in the entire serial. Both Ashwini and Rajat came up with outstanding performances.
>>> The scene when both Jalal and Jodha visit the prayer room simultaneously, unknown to each other, and then are surprised to see each over there, on the occasion of their first wedding anniversary, is one of my absolute favorites amongst their scenes together. Their interaction, nok-jhok, Jalal's teasing and Jodha's rebuttal are very very cute. Both have expressed their love for each other without saying much. I can watch that scene any number of times without feeling bored.
>>> The scene when Jodha comforts a heartbroken disillusioned Akbar soon after Adham's death, has been brilliantly executed. The husband/wife bond between them, was highlighted through their performances. Jodha's role as a true 'ardhangini' stood out in this scene.
>>> The scenes where Jodha, the mother, mourns the loss of her babies will be etched in our minds forever. Paridhi has come up with a stellar performance as a grieving mother.
>>> The scenes preceeding the union of Jalal and Jodha, and the ones following the aftermath of their shared intimacy are some of the most popular ones that several of us have repeatedly watched online.
I am extremely sad that this beautiful serial that had immense potential to run for at least a year, with a proper plot, screenplay, dialogues and direction, if not for the disastrous leap, is shutting shop.
I know for sure that both Paridhi and Rajat have very bright futures. Rajat is an actor par excellence whose performances I have been watching since he was a child artist. He has excelled in each and every serial that he has acted in. No one else besides him could have done justice to the different facets of Akbar's personality. Paridhi proved her mettle with her first lead role that made her famous world over. Not only her beauty, but her talent spoke volumes about her ability to bring, life into the character of Jodha. She has portrayed the fearless, proud, soft-hearted fiery Rajvanshi queen to perfection. Both Rajat and Paridhi are two sparkling diamonds. This supremely gorgeous couple were sheer brilliance together, in one frame.
Interacting with you Radhika and several other members here has been an enriching learning experience for me. Most of them good, some that made me think deeply and understand varied mindsets. Overall, it was a great platform to express myself and I have enjoyed interacting with each and everyone of my friends in the forum.
Abhay, irrespective of age, I just want to let you know that you are my guru, I have learnt more from your blog and posts than I ever have from history texts and general reading. I respect your hard work and dedication towards a subject like history that anyone seldom shows interest in. You kept the thirst alive in us, with your crisp 'to the point' daily synopsis and your detailed in-depth descriptions on various historical topics in the blog. What Rajat and Paridhi did on screen, to keep us glued to TV, you, Abhay, did for us online, by providing us interesting authentic historical information on a regular basis. You are as popular as the leads of the serial. Your reach to several readers online, across the world, is as strong as theirs on TV.
I will confidently say that without your write-ups, this forum would not be a lively, interesting, educative one. Thanks again. 😊
Edited by Charu.S - 10 years ago
Vanshaj
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
Udne Ki Aasha
367