Posted:
My dear Abhaya,
What pleasure it is when a truly discerning reader likes one's writing so much! Thank you!
I agree with you that this Jodha is a very poorly written character, not just inconsistent, but unfair and unimaginative. Her behaviour in most of this track is like that of a peevish and uncaring girl, but worse, that of one who cannot even be grateful for the good done to her and hers by Jalal. Nor does she have any idea of how the things she says must sound to the other side; if the same things had been said to her, she would have been hurt beyond words and furious at the same time.
But then, as you yourself have noted, I never use the 'badly written" excuse when a character, here Jodha, is behaving abominably, for once one does that, one cannot praise the character for the positive things they do either.So I skewer Jodha when I think she deserves it, and Jalal likewise - as when he was like a rampaging bull during the dature ka ark track - but in all this, he is far more sinned against than sinning, and that shows in my analyses.
I am perfectly sure that the real Hira Kunwari must not have been anything like this Jodha. Nor the real Akbar like this marshmallow of a Jalal. The only saving grace is how very good Rajat is most of the time. He needs a female lead who can match him nuance for nuance. I understand that Mugdha, who starred opposite his young Prithviraj, was like than. Well, if wishes were horses!
The same expression would do for the regret that the CVs did not think of using my lines for Jodha, nor the Jalal-Hawai-Jodha scene that I had suggested. It need not even have been Jodha going to Jalal to soften the impact of her words of a little earlier. She could have gone to check up on Hawai on her own, and run into Jalal there, giving Hawai the ark. Oh, well!
Retirement... Yes, I can see that you are so run off your feet right now that it looks very tempting, though it must be very far off! I never looked forward to it, and in my last diplomatic posting as the Indian High Commissioner (Ambassador) to Canada, on top of the regular embassy work, I had to travel so much across that huge country meeting contacts and making speeches, that I had no time to breathe. I was concerned as to how I would cope when all that activity was suddenly stopped. But the fact was that I fitted into my new life seamlessly. Of course I never anticipated being pitchforked into doing what I am doing now, spending 3 hours plus a day on analysing the re-run of a pseudo-historical!😉
Take care, Abhaya,
Shyamala
What pleasure it is when a truly discerning reader likes one's writing so much! Thank you!
I agree with you that this Jodha is a very poorly written character, not just inconsistent, but unfair and unimaginative. Her behaviour in most of this track is like that of a peevish and uncaring girl, but worse, that of one who cannot even be grateful for the good done to her and hers by Jalal. Nor does she have any idea of how the things she says must sound to the other side; if the same things had been said to her, she would have been hurt beyond words and furious at the same time.
But then, as you yourself have noted, I never use the 'badly written" excuse when a character, here Jodha, is behaving abominably, for once one does that, one cannot praise the character for the positive things they do either.So I skewer Jodha when I think she deserves it, and Jalal likewise - as when he was like a rampaging bull during the dature ka ark track - but in all this, he is far more sinned against than sinning, and that shows in my analyses.
I am perfectly sure that the real Hira Kunwari must not have been anything like this Jodha. Nor the real Akbar like this marshmallow of a Jalal. The only saving grace is how very good Rajat is most of the time. He needs a female lead who can match him nuance for nuance. I understand that Mugdha, who starred opposite his young Prithviraj, was like than. Well, if wishes were horses!
The same expression would do for the regret that the CVs did not think of using my lines for Jodha, nor the Jalal-Hawai-Jodha scene that I had suggested. It need not even have been Jodha going to Jalal to soften the impact of her words of a little earlier. She could have gone to check up on Hawai on her own, and run into Jalal there, giving Hawai the ark. Oh, well!
Retirement... Yes, I can see that you are so run off your feet right now that it looks very tempting, though it must be very far off! I never looked forward to it, and in my last diplomatic posting as the Indian High Commissioner (Ambassador) to Canada, on top of the regular embassy work, I had to travel so much across that huge country meeting contacts and making speeches, that I had no time to breathe. I was concerned as to how I would cope when all that activity was suddenly stopped. But the fact was that I fitted into my new life seamlessly. Of course I never anticipated being pitchforked into doing what I am doing now, spending 3 hours plus a day on analysing the re-run of a pseudo-historical!😉
Take care, Abhaya,
Shyamala
Originally posted by: fanjarajat
Brilliant! Thanks to yet another wonderful analysis. It gives me great pleasure to read your musings on the episodes. Never thought I would be hooked on to the episode review. Speaks volumes of your ability to hold the readers.
Rajat has done an outstanding job in the early episodes, and the one where Jodha asks him to leave is my least favorite of the Sukanya wedding episodes, but to Pari's defense 'Jalal' had better lines and a more consistent character. And Rajat Tokas did justice wherever possible. Jodha's character seems so inconsistent that you never know what to expect. One minute she cares for him , is sorry for having him nearly killed, grateful to him for giving the fort..next ready to whiplash him with uncouth behavior and caustic tongue. They have not reached the 'Who's afraid of Virginia wolf' stage in their marriage to be so caustic to each other. Have to watch it again. It had me scared of marriage.The matha tekna and fort giving should have changed her 'Nazariya'. Granted she was ready to be his yet another conquest but a gradual politeness would have been so much fun to watch.The scene where she asks him to leave is more the writer's fault becuase they could not imagine any better. It would have been so much better if they had used your lines in showing care and concern but not necessarily love or attraction.The Hawai scene would have been a treat to watch. A slow dance of mutual respect, friendship veiled attraction and finally a love you cannot hide would have been so much fun to watch. Kashhh behtar writers hote.But i do remember the matrix ur using to analyze the characters. And I also remember getting bored with Jalal too in the later stages when all he did was Begum Jap and the extra sweet Jodha.Looking forward to your analysis on Jodha Begum's sudden foray into playing politics and Jalal's read on her b4 giving the fort.Took an extra day off to recover from Thanksgiving Holiday festivities. Back to work tomorrow. Oh! Retirement where r you?
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