Friends, I am back after a two day hiatus for Diwali. It looks like we are all on a speed train to Salim Anarkali!
In the last two days I have been aghast at the way the four month war was collapsed to one episode, the one year stay of Jodha and Jalal at Sikri was again reduced to two episodes, and the birth of Salim is over. And I am not even counting the real time of history. I am just counting from Ekta's "natakiya rupanthar" time, where she seems to have factored in approximately one and half years of time passing by from the twins death to the birth of Salim!
How I arrived at this one and a half years of "Ekta time" was that during the war we had a sipahi saying Salim Chishti was trying to reach Jalal for four months during the war but couldn't till the war was over. So we are to assume the war took four months. Add to that Hamida saying in the last but one episode that "Ek arse se Jalal aur Jodha ashram mein hain". So I roughly totted up a one year of ashram stay ... and rounded it all off as one and a half years approximately having elapsed from the start of the war to her delivery of Salim as per Ekta time.
Any way, even this "Ekta time of 18 months" was collapsed into three episodes so we are going at a clip of about 6 months per episode! Gee whiz!
Not only are we going at speed, but I am getting the increasing feeling that the episodes are no longer about Jodha and Jalal, they are all about Salim in his childhood - and we are getting greater and greater glimpses into his character in childhood, as a foundation for the sequel serial on Salim Anarkali being talked about now everywhere as a fait accompli.
The new promo also seems way ahead of its time in its release. Why did they have to show this promo of Jodha with Jalal and with a 5-year old Salim so fast, when the episodes are still dealing with Ruq asking for Salim as compensation for the loss of Husein and setting herself up for the downfall (which now seems a certainty, God bless the Zee Man!)? We are also due to see Jodha crowned as MUZ according to one spoiler picture. If we are to look at events logically, this week's Thursday and Friday may go in the drama of Ruq making a bid for the child, and maybe trying to get rid of Jodha to get the waaris to herself to become the MUZ. She may fail in the attempt to eliminate Jodha which may be her downfall. Next week we may have Jodha's MUZ investiture plus two small leaps showing Salim at 2 years and then again at 5 years to show him becoming the apple of his parents' eyes. But if the growth of Salim to 5 years is to happen thus only by next week, why did the already released promo show that stage two weeks in advance of the actual episodes?
It seemed to me when the promo was released that a strong attempt was being made by the Creatives to both garner TRPs (by showing Salim all of a sudden!) and also to throw glimpses of justification for Salim's character in their Salim Anarkali story. They had to explain why Salim became the slightly spoilt, headstrong boy at 15 years and wanted to go against his parents and marry Anarkali, and so the promo highlighted the fact that despite his mother Jodha's unease at the way he was growing up, his father Akbar gave him too much license to do what he wished and be what he wished - and he may thus later become somewhat of a "raees baap ka bigda hua beta", slightly out of control of his parents.
Yesterday further, on the birth of Salim, it was shown that Salim Chishti said to Jalal, "Don't worry about his future. He will be world famous. But because he is born of mohabbat and bred with mohabbat, he will be stronger in acting from his dil' and not use his dimaag" as much. This "dil" of his will be both - his greatest strength as well as his greatest weakness".
I don't know how many of you agree with my assessment of the storyline now, but it seems to me as if we are already out of the Jodha and Jalal story and into the Salim-Anarkali story.
Further to all this the key writer in the team of CVs seems to have tweeted that they will also be showing two more children of Jalal (one by Salima and one again by Jodha) as kids playing along with Salim. So then again, how much will be about Jodha and Jalal and how much will be about the band of kids all growing up around Salim and helping shape his character?
Speed of the story aside, a word about the MUZ title and Ruq's downgrade now ...
Accha, to be able to see the current episodes for their own value, instead of popping right into the future along with the CVs, here's my take on the Ruq factor shown yesterday. The episode precap yesterday seemed to be about the imminent downgrade of Ruq (I can't any more call it a downfall, because it looks like it is just going to be a downgrade!)
Jalal was initially shown as following Chishti's orders and staying away from the childbirth and doing reparation for his misdeeds at Chittorgarh, when news of his having become a father reaches him. Meanwhile to Salima and Hamida's happiness (who are with Jodha at the ashram of Chisti), it is great news that Jodha has given birth to a healthy baby boy.
Jalal is then shown taking a padayatra all the way from Chittor to Ajmer to offer prayers at the dargah and then returning to Sikri to see the first glimpse of his son and heir. He tells Chisti that he plans to name his son "Salim" - no doubt, in reverence of Sheikh Salim Chishti who gave them the peace and the place to have the safe delivery, and also the guidance to deliver the child after atoning for their sins of war. The other reason Jalal gave for the choice of name was that "the child was born of mohabbat and the prophecy of Chishti was that he would spend his life holding mohabbat as his highest personal value, and so the name Salim' was apt".
As they all then returned to Agra, the one-woman welcoming committee of Ruq was most unwelcoming! While the overjoyed praja shouted "Shahenshah zindabad! Shehzada Salim zindabad! Marium Uz Zamani zindabad!" Ruq's ears started hurting!
She was upstairs on the balconies looking down at the arrival of the family with their heir and their new MUZ-elect, but she couldn't bear watching - and so she went inside her own hojra to do what she's best at ... hurling things around and screeching her lungs out at Hoshiyaar and Resham.
"I want to be the MUZ! Jodha cannot be the MUZ! I have to get Salim to myself somehow. He has to become mine. I will make him mine!" she said with steam issuing from her ears. While she was thus ranting, the CVs, in their current "speed phase" made Jalal enter her room just as she was uttering all these sentences so that the whole confrontation scene of Jalal and Ruq could again be collapsed conveniently. Jalal was made to say "I was wanting to come and meet you here, and what do we have but this ranting?"
He then noticed that she did not even try to hide her feelings of ugly jealousy. She shouted at him "By the original farman you gave me, you said you would give me the second child of Jodha but Jodha herself then murdered that child Husein. So I have to now get Salim in compensation!" But this time Jalal was quick on the draw and bellowed back in fury "Well you cannot have Salim. You forget that by my subsequent farman you were to be an exemplary mother. You instead hired Zeenat, a murderess, as a dai maa and got both my children killed. You are therefore responsible for the deaths of Hasan and Husein and not Jodha. As for thinking that you will get Salim now, just put it out of your mind - coz its ain't happening! Salim is the child of Jodha and me alone, and he will always remain so!"
Having said this, Jalal then sees Ruq folded in half, sitting down dispirited, and the familiar pity in him for her surfaces. He tells her a bit more kindly "You know you cannot ever be the MUZ. But you can remain my friend. You can be happy if you limit your needs to just that!" (Does this mean that he knows she wants the child for the audha, is what I am wondering?)
In the precap however, we see that Ruq is not going to limit her needs to just being Jalal's friend. She pretends to be cuddling the baby but does some key self-talks that she will make this baby hers - and if he is going to be the Shehzada, then she is going to become Mahamanga the Second! Now this speech of hers seems to be giving sanket of a Plan A and a Plan B!
I suspect she means that she is first going to try and get the child all to herself by eliminating Jodha - so I feel a poisoning attempt on Jodha will be tried out. In case that fails Ruq's Plan B is perhaps to become the "second mother of Salim more powerful in his life than the first mother Jodha" in the same way that Mahamanga stole a march in Jalal's life over Hamida.
This doesn't augur well because I for one wanted Ruq completely sidelined in the story as punishment ... which will not happen if she turns into Maham the Second. And secondly, I think this is one more sanket that the CVs will show Salim as spoilt and misdirected at every turn by Ruq to go against his own mother Jodha!
I am now asking myself: Okay so Ruq's need to get the child to herself just to become MUZ may be "pardaphashed" if she oversteps her remit and is seen trying to poison or otherwise eliminate Jodha. But unless Jalal punishes her summarily and completely, she is planning to become the "bigda baccha ki powerful badi ammi" which is worse than her just wanting the MUZ audha.
How strongly Jalal will punish her seems to be the question? I fear that since Maham herself as a villain is dead, the new Salim Anarkali story plans to show Ruq as one of the spoiling influences on Salim as he grows up and she may be the one inciting him to go against his parents especially Jodha!
If you are planning to watch Salim Anarkali, that should worry you. If not, let Ruq go to hell! Whatever we expect, it's clear the pardaphash of Ruq may be a weak one in this Jodha Akbar story so that she can be the prime villain in the Salim Anarkali story.
All that happened in yesterday's episode:
At the Sikri ashram Chisti blesses Jalal to go to Chittor in a pashchaataap yatra. Meanwhile Hamida and Salima come to the Sikri ashram to see Jodha. Chisti takes them and introduces them to Shabnam. Hamida and Salima kiss Jodha and are overjoyed with her good news.
Meanwhile at Chittor, Jalal by chance goes to the house of the same baby boy that was crying in the battlefield (whose life he had spared). He tells the mother of the child that he has come to do prayaschit - but the angry mother shuts the door on his face. Jalal wonders how to get her maafi.
Meanwhile at the Sikri ashram Jodha is close to delivery. Hamida prays for her.
Jalal is waiting outside the boy's house for a chance to get maafi when a bullock cart nearly hits the child but Jalal saves him. His mother is pleased. Jalal says he too is going to have a child and needs her good dua. She blesses him and his child and Jalal is at peace.
At the ashram Jodha gives birth to a baby boy. All are very happy. Jodha gathers and caresses her child in great joy and tenderness.
Meanwhile in Chittor, Jalal is feeding the poor when a sipahi comes and tells him that he has become a father. He is so happy he asks all the poor for their duas. Then Jalal walks by foot the full distance between Chittor and Ajmer and offers prayers at the Ajmer dargah.
After that prayer at Ajmer, he returns to the Sikri ashram - Chisti is waiting for him and says "Come and meet your child". Jalal asks before that "How will his future be?" Chisti says "He will be world famous. But be hoshiyaar ... for he is a child born of love and will live by his dil'. His dil' will be his great strength and his great weakness".
Jalal rushes in to see his baby. Jodha is asleep and he marvels at the child. But Jodha soon awakes and is thrilled to see Jalal hold and kiss the baby. Jalal then sends an eye signal to Jodha that he wants to take the baby to Chisti and she nods. Jalal tells Chisti he will name his son "Salim" as he is born by mohabbat and will live for mohabbat. Chisti blesses them all.
They all then return to Agra when the happy praja shouts in welcome "Shahenshah, Shehzada Salim aur Marium Uz Zamani zindabad!" Ruq, looking from upstairs, hates this. She goes straight to her room in a fury and throws things around, and shouts "I want to be the MUZ. I want Salim for myself - for the loss of Husein by Jodha. I must have Salim at any cost!" Jalal hears this as he enters - and is furious!
Jalal shouts at Ruq "You have the temerity to demand Salim by your old farman? Too bad,you aren't getting him because by my farman it was you who hired Zeenat who murdered my sons and you are to blame for their deaths. Salim is mine and Jodha's alone and will never be yours ...you cannot be MUZ but you can remain my friend and reconcile to it. That's all you can be and do."
In the precap, Ruq is carrying Salim as Jodha and Jalal watch. She looks like she is petting him, but she privately does self-talks to him saying "I will make you mine. If you are to be Shehzada then I will make myself the next Mahamanga."
Today's episode may be important for it may give clues on what exactly Ruq plans to do to eliminate Jodha and make Salim all hers. I suspect the poisoning route may happen here ...
... and we have to see at what speed Jalal then deciphers it all and downgrades Ruq (if not sideline her).
One good thing that is coming out of the CVs need for speed to end the Jodha Akbar serial by end November (so my sources tell me) ... the speed of events is suddenly making Jalal look all perky and on the ball, isn't it?
Udne Ki Aasha
