Documentary on Akbar based on a real life incident - Jodha mentioned - Page 2

Originally posted by: jiya.k

Thanks for sharing this wonderful info abha...
woh kehte hai na sachayi kabhi chupti nahi hai kitni bhi parto mai chupa lo reh rehkar roshni ki kiran ki tarah jhoot ke andhero ko cheer kar bahar aa hi jati hai...chahe koi kitna bhi koshish kare Akbar n MUZ ka rishta or pyaar humesha tha humesha hai or humesha rahega or isi tarah kisi na kisi roop me kabhi kisi kisse me kabhi kisi kahaani me kabhi kisi tasvir me toh kabhi bejaan viran padi patharo ki nishaaniyo me apne vazood ka ahishaas karta rahega...

Originally posted by: Donjas

I don't know where you find such interesting pieces about the life of historical characters. Lord Tennyson's poem is a famous one and a few months back I posted the full length version of it. Let me say this, Abhay your contribution to this forum with entertaining and informative posts is priceless.

I foolishly doubted you once, I will never repeat that mistake again.

Since you brought up Kipling in your post. Here is his poem, Akbar's Bridge . Interesting to note how much this Indian king inspired western people, two great poems by premier poets, a musical composition by Vivaldi and a picture by Rembrandt. Which other Asian king can claim such honour?

Here is the poem-

Jelaludin Muhammed Akbar, Guardian of Mankind, Moved his standards out of Delhi to Jaunpore of lower Hind, Where a mosque was to be builded, and a lovelier ne'er was planned; And Munim Khan, his Viceroy, slid the drawings 'neath his hand. High as Hope upsheered her out-works to the promised Heavens above. Deep as Faith and dark as Judgment her unplumbed foundations dove. Wide as Mercy, white as moonlight, stretched her forecourts to the dawn; And Akbar gave commandment, "Let it rise as it is drawn." Then he wearied"the mood moving"of the men and things he ruled, And he walked beside the Goomti while the flaming sunset cooled, Simply, without mark or ensign"singly, without guard or guide, Till he heard an angry woman screeching by the river-side. 'Twas the Widow of the Potter, a virago feared and known, In haste to cross the ferry, but the ferry-man had gone. So she cursed him and his office, and hearing Akbar's tread, (She was very old and darkling) turned her wrath upon his head. But he answered"being Akbar""Suffer me to scull you o'er." Called her "Mother," stowed her bundles, worked the clumsy scow from shore, Till they grounded on a sand-bank, and the Widow loosed her mind; And the stars stole out and chuckled at the Guardian of Mankind. "Oh, most impotent of bunglers! Oh, my daughter's daughter's brood Waiting hungry on the threshold; for I cannot bring their food, Till a fool has learned his business at their virtuous grandam's cost, And a greater fool, our Viceroy, trifles while her name is lost! "Munim Khan, that Sire of Asses, sees me daily come and go As it suits a drunken boatman, or this ox who cannot row. Munim Khan, the Owl's Own Uncle"Munim Khan, the Capon's seed, Must build a mosque to Allah when a bridge is all we need! "Eighty years I eat oppression and extortion and delays" Snake and crocodile and fever, flood and drouth, beset my ways. But Munim Khan must tax us for his mosque whate'er befall; Allah knowing (May He hear me!) that a bridge would save us all!" While she stormed that other laboured and, when they touched the shore, Laughing brought her on his shoulder to her hovel's very door. But his mirth renewed her anger, for she thought he mocked the weak; So she scored him with her talons, drawing blood on either cheek... Jelaludin Muhammed Akbar, Guardian of Mankind, Spoke with Munim Khan his Viceroy, ere the midnight stars declined" Girt and sworded, robed and jewelled, but on either cheek appeared Four shameless scratches running from the turban to the beard. "Allah burn all Potter's Widows! Yet, since this same night was young, One has shown me by pure token, there was a wisdom on her tongue. Yes, I ferried her for hire. Yes," he pointed, "I was paid." And he told the tale rehearsing all the Widow did and said. And he ended, "Sire of Asses"Capon"Owl's Own Uncle"know I"most impotent of bunglers"I"this ox who cannot row" I"Jelaludin Muhammed Akbar, Guardian of Mankind" Bid thee build the hag her bridge and put our mosque from out thy mind." So 'twas built, and Allah blessed it; and, through earthquake, flood, and sword, Still the bridge his Viceroy builded throws her arch o'er Akbar's Ford!

Originally posted by: devkidmd

Why oh why couldn't they show this with all the NR they wanted???😭 Such a nice positive, feel good incident.

Devki

Originally posted by: Sandhya.A

There is so much of material which if blended with the NRs would have taken the show to another level.

- The pilgrimage by Akbar and MUZ to Ajmer.

- Their ventures into the awaam in disguise

- Some military planning, conquests atleast in voiceover

- Akbar and Tulsidas

- Some good Akbar Birbal witty stories - the one in which Birbal suggests Akbar's queen to take away the king as her most precious posession.

- Literature progress in Agra

- Rahim's poetry...his love for Krishna infused by Jo reflected in his poems

-Din-i-Ilahi

- Akbar's non-stop ride to stop forced Sati

- Above all a realistic relationship between Akbar and MUZ keeping in mind the century and royalty.

And our brilliant CVs could only think of the English traders senseless track as the final one.😡😭

I can still understand them not wanting to show Din-I-Ilahi considering the religious sensitivities in our country but the rest was ***banging my head on my desk***

Originally posted by: history_geek

A film based on Emperor Akbar's life and times inspired by Rudyard Kipling? Manohar Ashi, a short film and documentary maker, has done just that with Akbar's Bridge, an eponymous Kipling poem which glorifies the Emperor's winning, cosmopolitan ways. The film - which premiered before a select audience in Bhopal last fortnight-is based on an incident in 1566 * , when Akbar shelved a plan to construct a mosque on the banks of the Gomti at Jaunpur and instead, built a bridge across the river, earning secular gratitude.

* - The article wrongly mentioned the year as 1556. It should be 1566. I have corrected this year.

For good measure, Ashi also brings in a dash of other poems into play-Alfred Lord Tennyson's Akbar's Dream, and Rabindranath Tagore's Dindaan which is about a Hindu king who gives up a plan to build a magnificent temple and bows to his wife's wishes to give the money to victims of drought.

Good, secular credentials apart, the film, which Doordarshan said it will pick up for Rs 7 lakh, cost more than three times that-making the sale unlikely. But Ashi is still flying on the secular angle and romantic appeal for a pitch to another buyer.

And, on dancer and IAS officer Shovana Narayan's debut effort, playing the role of a potter whom Akbar meets incognito. The reason: she hears the emperor plans to build a grand mosque as an offering to Allah so that his wife, Jodha Bai, bears a child, and tells Akbar that his officials had been extorting money from the poor artisans and workers for building the mosque.

Kiplingesque: Akbar with wife

What the people really required, said the potter, was a bridge across the river. "She (Shovana) was fantastic," gushes Ashi. "She even spent time among potters near Bhopal to get the feel of the wheel." Among others, the film stars Sanjay Mehta as Akbar and Anuradha Tarafdar as Jodha Bai. From initial accounts, the film holds promise. But whether the 94-minute effort can hold on long enough to bridge the gap between a dream and a distribution disaster is still open.




http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/manohar-ashis-film-akbars-bridge-glorifies-emperors-winning-cosmopolitan-ways/1/281886.html

The film revolves around Akbar and Jodha Bai.

Interestingly 1566 was the same year when Akbar and Mariam-Uz-Zamani went on a barefoot pilgrimage to the Dargah of Sheikh Muin-ud-din Chisti in Ajmer. This point was mentioned in the old blog post about kids of Akbar and Mariam Uz Zamani.

Originally posted by: Sandhya.A

There is so much of material which if blended with the NRs would have taken the show to another level.

- The pilgrimage by Akbar and MUZ to Ajmer.

- Their ventures into the awaam in disguise

- Some military planning, conquests atleast in voiceover

- Akbar and Tulsidas

- Some good Akbar Birbal witty stories - the one in which Birbal suggests Akbar's queen to take away the king as her most precious posession.

- Literature progress in Agra

- Rahim's poetry...his love for Krishna infused by Jo reflected in his poems

-Din-i-Ilahi

- Akbar's non-stop ride to stop forced Sati

- Above all a realistic relationship between Akbar and MUZ keeping in mind the century and royalty.

And our brilliant CVs could only think of the English traders senseless track as the final one.😡😭

Originally posted by: Donjas

All the above suggestions would have made great tracks, everything was in place, a great cast, competent director and beautiful sets.

My cherished track would have been the following-

Visit of Akbar to Guru Amar Das at Goindwal. Partaking of langer while sitting on floor with the common people of Punjab. Later the gift of land to Bibi Bhani on which the Golden Temple was eventually built.

A missed opportunity, but think of it in this way, the Jodha Akbar serial left things undone, a remake in the future will be justified. So, something to look forward too.