Friends, there's not much that got me all excited regarding the Monday episode of Jodha Akbar. Things are moving at a reasonable pace in the story, although it looks a few days yet before a meeting can take place between Jalal and Jodha. (As per the new promo, they are slated to meet on Wednesday, I think, when both are seen dipping themselves in the holy Yamuna, and the voiceover talks of their "deedar-e- yaar").
Meanwhile in the Monday and Tuesday episodes I guess we have to continue to see three types of scenes happening parallelly:
1. Jalal searching for Jodha but turning up no success as he tries everything he knows to get to her.
2. Jodha settling down at the ashram where she thinks she has to begin an independent life.
3. At the Agra palace, the people who are friendly to Jodha-Jalal, or inimical to them, reveal their own ways of interpreting the good or bad that has happened to the Jodha-Jalal relationship.
I guess this will be the trend of the episodes till the Yamuna meeting of Jodha and Jalal. Meanwhile on Monday, there were two very interesting things that happened.
One, the ashram where Jodha went seems to belong to Todarmal. So there's an interesting opportunity for a twist in the tale. Who knows ... could Todarmal be instrumental in making Jodha and Jalal reconcile? If so, will he then accompany them back to the Agra Palace? And could that be the nail that finally nails Adham when someone like Todarmal starts scrutinising the accounts with the practised eye of a financial controller? If Todarmal does travel with Jalal and Jodha to Agra, I think we can start expecting Adham to get thoroughly scrutinised on the financial front, for Atga as financial controller may not be a patch on Todarmal. If Todarmal helps pinpoint the exact magnitude of fraud that Adham has been perpetrating, maybe Atga will then accost Adham leading to Atga's murder and eventually Adham's demise too?
Two, there was a girl saadhvi at the ashram yesterday who snatched and ran away with the Kanha murthy when Jodha was praying to it. The girl looks very young and playful and seems more like the age of Shivani than a really grown up person. I think we may have seen the first glimpse of Shehnaaz. But since she's a whole lot more childish than I expected, I don't know how to react to the stories we were all weaving about her character. Some posts were saying last week that Shehnaaz may fall eventually for Jalal and cause competition to Jodha. Some other posts were saying Shehnaaz may induce Jodha to the path of a saadhvi through renunciation of life's pleasures, thus making Jalal very concerned about the direction in which Jodha is going. Added to all this, the original article on Shehnaaz in Tellybuzz said there would be some mystery about her and her role is a long-running one and not just a cameo. So how do we figure out this girl? I'll reserve my opinion till we see more of her. But my first take yesterday was that she was too young to be a Jalal-seducer, and also too young to be a Jodha-renunciation inducer! Let's wait and see ... I suspect she too will go with Todarmal, Jodha and Jalal to Agra and become part of that Agra circus soon?
For the rest of the story, here's a quick gist of what happened:
Jalal took leave of Bharamal and Mainavati when the soldiers of Bharmal turned up no success in their seek of Jodha. Jalal spent a minute or two really asking for forgiveness from Jodha's parents, promising them to be more careful in future in his relationship with Jodha. The parents despite their own angst were magnanimous enough to bless Jalal's efforts and speed him on his way, saying if Jodha should turn up at Amer they will send him word.
Meanwhile at Mathura, Jodha was seen entering the area of an ashram. She gets to know that it's an ashram belonging to Todarmal, and feels more safe and relaxed in having reached here. Although she offers her kangans as payment for her upkeep at the ashram, the people there refuse to take money and give her food, water and shelter with a large heart. Jodha gives her name as Lakshmi and starts living there in relative peace and comfort - although thoughts of Jalal still assail her. When she prays to Kanha there, she cannot help but pray that though her physical proximity to Jalal is not there, he lives in her heart all the time and so God must take care of him, protect and guide him, give him all happiness and not let him pine for her. At the ashram, Jodha seems to come across this young saadhvi girl who runs off playfully with her Kanha murthy, and I suspect this must be the Shehnaaz we are all so eager to see in action.
Back at Agra, Bakshi Bano catches Sharif red-handed cherishing dreams of Jodha, and this time she actually cross-questions him for this "mental affair". He actually then turns a bit violent with her and hurts her arm as he tries to make her submissive with intimidation. Step by step Bakshi seems to be gathering the courage to put up a stiff fight with Sharif, so we'll have to see what she does next with her new-found anti-Sharif and anti-Jodha voice.
Elsewhere in the palace Salima is in distress wondering where Jodha is and whether Jalal would succeed in bringing her back to Agra safe. Ruq, who comes there, argues to Salima that Jodha has enough jewelry on her to survive and Jalal is competent to bring back Jodha if he finds her... but Salima says her worry is not Jalal's competence but Jodha's readiness to come back with him, for Jodha may not forgive him so easily. In answer to this Ruq stumps Salima (and me!) by saying "If Jodha doesn't come back with Jalal, he will just dump her there and return without her - for he has no heart!" I keep wondering if Ruq will ever grow up enough to realise that Jalal not only has a heart, but it is now given! How much longer can she be the ostrich with its head in the sand?
Meanwhile Jalal is weary with roaming the landscape in search of Jodha. He can barely sit on his horse. He reaches one village where it looks like two men have heard of someone like Jodha, but it turns out to be some other woman, so a dispirited Jalal plods on. Eventually he seems almost to reach another village (probably skirting the ashram where Jodha is) where he wearily plonks down on a stone slab, unable to go further from fatigue. Word also comes to him from Amer that Jodha has not turned up there. So all in all, he looks beaten and broken, when he prays to God to reach him to Jodha. In answer, it is as if he hears the muezzin call from a dargah or mosque nearby. The precap seems to show him praying at this dargah, even as Jodha continues praying to her Kanha.
For today's detailed analysis, I wanted to pick up three scenes where I found the dialogues and emotional depth of the characters very interesting ...
Jalal takes leave of Bharmal and Mainavati and secures their trust despite their grief!
Jalal is in the courtyard of the Amer Palace flanked by Bharmal, Mainavati and Jodha's brothers. "Raja Saab," he says to Bharmal, "Jodha has not returned yet to Amer and I am very worried about her. I can't wait any more so let me make a move straightaway to find her." Bharmal tries to give Jalal more time. He suggests "Jamai Sa, maybe Jodha will reach here by nightfall or early tomorrow?" But Jalal replies "This is your large heartedness Raja Saab, that you are giving me hope despite my being your daughter's gunegaar. I know inside you even you are eaten up with worry about your daughter."
Jalal then goes towards Mainavati to have a word with her. "Maharani Sa, in Agra I have already hurt my mother's feelings and here I am hurting your too. You are like my own mother to me so I promise you I will find your daughter come what may. I also promise that in future I will not give her any kind of "takleef". I am actually terribly ashamed that today you are in such distress all because of me. That why I beg your forgiveness".
Mainavati stops him short. "Shahenshah you are asking "maafi" for a fault that is also partly mine." But Jalal refuses to accept this. "No Rani Sahiba, I am the gunegaar of your daughter. I have a lot of remorse about this but I make a promise to you that without finding Jodha I will not return to Agra. And this is not a promise by the Shahenshah of the Mughal Sultanate but the word of your "daamaad" and your son. I trust my God that he will keep Jodha safe, and I trust His mercy that he will not let anything happen to her. But even with God on my side, unless I find Jodha I will have no peace, I will not be able to go on. Without Jodha Begum I am ..."
Jalal is unable to finish that heart-revealing sentence - for the sipahis say his entourage is ready to move. "Raja Saab, I must take leave" says Jalal, but Bharmal says "You are not familiar with the roads here. Let me go with you or send one of my boys with you." But Jalal refuses the help saying "I am responsible for this situation and the responsibility of finding Jodha is also mine. Just help me please by sending word to me if Jodha should come here. Khuda Hafiz!" and with that Jalal departs from Amer.
My comments on this scene:
I chose this scene to detail because I loved the dialogues and dynamics between Jalal and the Ameri family, notably Jodha's parents. Not only does Jalal insist on finding Jodha himself but his parting words to Bharmal and Mainavati seems to be tinged with three special kinds of sentiments:
a. He constantly refers to himself not just as their "daamaad" but as their "son". This is a new Jalal, for I have never before seen him refer to himself as their son. Not even during his previous Amer trip for Sukanya's wedding did he do that! It was wonderful to see that he has accepted the Bharmals at an even deeper level into his heart now, and for that his new love for Jodha is the reason - her parents too have attained a special status for him.
b. He begs forgiveness from Bharmal and Mainavati, saying to them everything he is dying to say to Jodha herself. To Jalal, Bharmal and Mainavati seem like surrogates for Jodha. He keeps saying he is Jodha's gunegaar. He keeps re-iterating that he will never let this kind of marital chasm happen ever again. He keeps saying it is all his fault. He also sees Bharmal and Mainavati as his own surrogates. In his pain he also gets a sense of what their pain must be like. I think this scene has set the start of what Sangeetha (Lizzy2012) wrote to me a long time ago - that the Ameri-fication of Jalal will soon start parallel to the Agra-ificatication of Jodha!
c. In her own way Jodha has taught a lesson to Jalal and to her parents - that if need be she can be independent of all of them. This is a hard lesson not just for her husband but also for her parents. Notice how all three of them - Jalal, Bharmal and Mainavati - keep re-emphasizing that Jodha can take care of herself quite competently if necessary - and she must be safe somewhere for she is a girl of great common sense and a brave Rajvanshi to boot. Sometimes it happens that when someone you love is so independent, you begin to wonder if they really need you at all to survive. That sort of feeling must have hit Jalal (who probably wants Jodha to be dependent on him as an expression of her love) and the same feeling must also have hit the Bharmal parents (who would like to think that their daughter will naturally come to them if Jalal does not do right by her). By proving her adequacy even in isolation from all three of them, Jodha has shown Jalal that "dependence" is not "love" and she has shown her parents that she will not automatically lean on them if her married life is out of order. Neither Jalal nor her parents can take her "dependence" for granted! Jalal and her parents will eventually be proud of her for showing this self-belief, even if at this moment her independence irks them a lot!
Salima and Ruq exchange mismatched opinions on the state of Jalal's search for Jodha!
At the Agra palace, Salima is praying in her own mind to Allah. "God, please keep your eye on Jodha Begum. Wherever she is please keep her safe". Salima's face is deeply pained and fearful for Jodha. Ruq arrives there and sits down as she asks "What's the problem Salima Begum? You look distressed? What ails you? Is everything OK? Tell me what is troubling you?"
"How can things be okay in such a circumstance, Ruqaiya Begum" says Salima. "Days are passing by with no word of Jodha Begum. I am getting all kinds of disturbing thoughts and Ammi Jaan too is in deep dismay. I cannot understand what we can do ..."
"Salima Begum" says Ruq, "don't trouble yourself so much on this issue." But Salima interjects "Till now the Shahenshah has not returned nor has he sent any paigam. This means he still has not even met with Jodha Begum. God knows in what condition she may be and where she may be."
There is a look of barely disguised glee on Ruq's face. "I think she must be perfectly all right. And maybe she is at Amer. And even if she's not at Amer, she is a Rajvanshi. Surely she must be having some jewelry with her with which she must be surviving quite well? And what's more the Shahenshah has gone after her, hasn't he? He will bring her back for sure!"
Salima then expresses her real fears. She says "I have no fears on the competence of the Shahenshah. I know he will somehow reach where Jodha Begum is. But my fear is about Jodha Begum. After all that has happened, will she want to come with the Shahenshah? That is my doubt."
"Why won't she come back with him? If those are the King's orders she will have to obey them." Ruq says with sarcasm. But Salima demurs. "You don't know Jodha well enough. She must have hidden herself and her broken heart in such a place where no one can reach her. She is a person of great depth. After what has happened it will be tough for the Shahenshah to understand her. And in any case what has Agra given her other than troubles and distress and problems?"
"The same Agra has also given her the status of a Begum" Ruq breaks in sharply. "She will have to accept the Shahenshah's apologies and come back with him. I may not understand Jodha but I sure understand Jalal. If Jodha refuses to accept his "maafi" he will just leave her there and come back. His guroor is sharper than the edge of his sword."
"Often to get the love of those we care for, the guroor has to be broken, Ruqaiaya Begum" says the wise Salima. The heart has to be filled with mohabbat and not guroor. I trust the Shahenshah will understand this truth." And with that salima takes her leave.
But a sarcastic Ruq stays behind saying "Tch, tch, tch ... you wish, Salima Begum, you wish! You know that Jalal doesn't even have a "dil" and he will never have one either!" Ruq gives a derisive laugh!
My comments on this scene:
I loved this scene for the beautiful contrast we saw in Salima and Ruq - in the way they see not only Jodha but Jalal. Salima has her eyes wide open as she analyses the possible behaviours of Jodha and Jalal in this situation. In contrast Ruq has her eyes "wide shut".
First Salima expresses her fears for Jodha's safety. Where is she? What is her condition? How safe is she? What would she be doing all by herself without adequate protection? These are such sisterly feelings that we cannot but help feel everything Salima feels for Jodha, for this is the natural love that a sensitive soul will feel for anybody - especially someone that sensitive soul has bonded to. In contrast we have Ruq who says with disdain, "Jodha is a Rajvanshi and has enough jewelry with her to live off quite comfortably." How crass is that statement! Is personal safety about economic cushioning?
Then again, regarding Jodha, Salima feels that Jodha is a different kind of person from the run of the mill women, and that when she gets hurts she hurts deeply. She may meet up with Jalal, but there's no guarantee she will accept to come back with him ... in fact, he is going to find it tough to convince here to accept his "maafi".Ruq however dismisses that out of hand. "Jodha has no choice but to accept Jalal's maafi and obey his orders to return. And if she doesn't he will just dump here there and come back himself" she says. Leave alone her belief about Jodha, is that really her belief about Jalal? Or is it wishful thinking? The fact that Jalal may plead with a recalcitrant Jodha for maafi does not sit well with Ruq, for if Jalal becomes so "powerless" as it were, what then is the audha of Ruq herself?
And finally, again, when Salima says why should Jodha want to come back to Agra, when all that Agra has given her are troubles, and distress and problems, Ruq's answer is that the same Agra also gave Jodha her material audha. Jodha's need for "thankfulness for her materialistic audha" seems to be Ruq's one and only thought. It suits her to think that Jalal still does not have a "dil" and to bury her head in the sand about it, perhaps because his having a "dil" suggests his giving Jodha a different kind of audha ... the audha of a place in his heart!
Jodha prays to Kanha for Jalal - it's a beautiful , exemplary prayer for an estranged beloved!
Jodha is at the ashram sitting before her Kanha murthy and performing a simple puja ritual. (I must say Jodha is looking extremely pretty in this scene, without heavy make-up and jewellery - and with just a simple sari, wet, newly washed hair and a simple rough towel on her head and shoulders.)
She joins her hands in prayer and says "Thank you Kanha for bringing me safely to your refuge here. At this tough time, when everybody is so far away from me, you have not left me alone. You have given me a home in this ashram. Please always protect the people who live here, and also those I have left behind ... Ammi Jaan, Salima Begum and ..." Jodha voice chokes before she can take the name of her husband.
But then she gathers herself and adds "Please protect the Shahenshah, Kanha! I have taken myself out of his life, but I have not been able to take him out of my heart. Please protect him and keep him happy always. Let him not keep thinking of me and feeling sadness." At this point Jodha breaks down into racking sobs.
And then she continues with difficulty, "Please have mercy, Kanha. I was unable to win his "prem" and his "vishwas", but please help him meet with his true love in his life. May he live happily always. Let him be cheerful and healthy, with his fame spreading to all four corners. This is my only prayer to you."
And with that Jodha closes her eyes in deep heartfelt prayer ... as intercut shots show us a fatigued Jalal, almost at the edge of his patience, still not giving up on the search for his beloved.
My comments on this scene:
This was a very short scene, folks, but I wanted to include it in my list of beautiful scenes for the episode, simply because it gives us an insight into what Jodha's mind is like as she sits alone in this ashram, far away from everything she loves and far away from the people she loves. She remembers to include everyone in her prayers first ... Ammi Jaan, Salima, the people at the ashram where she has taken refuge ... but the one she wants to really pray for is the name that is not easily coming to her lips.
But once she surmounts that block in her that halts her at his name, she prays to God freely for him, and in fact she prays only for him. Her prayers include Jalal's well-being, his happiness, his fame, his protection, his cheerfulness, his health ... but the part that brought a lump into my throat was the part where she says "Let him not feel distress thinking of me" and then also when she says "I was unable to win his love and confidence, but please help him to find his true love".
Jodha breaks into racking sobs at this point, no doubt because it is difficult for someone in love with a man like Jalal to pray that he finds someone else whom he can love more than he has loved her. Folks, these are the kinds of scenes of love that I like watching because of the glimpses we get deep into the minds of the protagonists. Here Jodha's sincerity of prayer impressed me, as did her selflessness when she prayed for Jalal. She wanted him to have a full and happy life and not keep pining for her. She genuinely wished him well.
In a strange way, as with all lovers who have not yet come to that open confession stage, Jodha too seems to believe that her love is a bit one-sided. She thinks at this stage that she loves Jalal a lot whereas he doesn't love her equally or enough to overcome the hurdles of lack of "vishwas". That is one of her thoughts. But still her wishes are that he should love her as much as she loves him. There is dichotomy in Jodha wishes.
That is why she first offers the line "Let him not be distressed thinking of me" where she seems to want to believe he loves her to the point of irreparable hurt. Notice how this line then contradicts the next line "I could not win his love and vishwas but I hope he finds it in someone else."
Either she thinks he loves her equally or she doesn't. But here Jodha seems to be articulating both sides of her contradiction!
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Cricket
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