Let's bid adieu to Jodha Akbar .. Remembering The Past .. - Page 4

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!! 😊

Originally posted by: surochitadutta

Firstly thank you so much for making this post Abhay I know how sick you are but still you made this thread.. Thank you once again..

This post has made me nostalgic.. Those golden Days of Jodha AKbar.. I wish we could have JA for a little longer... Your post is beautiful Abhay the pics, the dialogues and the lines from the Sufi song is the cherry on the top...

I have been attached to shows previously also but never did any other show touched my soul.. I hated India Forum previously but Jodha Akbar forced me to come And pen down my thoughts here.. This show has helped me to discover that side of my personality which I was myself unaware of before...so Thank you Ekta Kapoor and Balaji Telefilms for bringing Jodha Akbar's love alive onscreen...

The show not only touched our soul because of the beautiful and soulful love story of Mughal Emperor Jalal-Ud-Din Muhammad Akbar and His Hindu Wife Mariam Uz Zamani but also because of the way it was beautifully manifested on screen through perfect Scripting, Perfect Direction,perfect Cinematography and above all a perfect pair of lead did not just perform or acted what they were given but had lived the characters of Akbar and Jodha... Hats off to Rajat Tokas And Paridhi Sharma for this spectacular performance... PariJat will forever remain In our heat as Jodha Akbar...

Even though the show is going offair but still it will remain in the heart of the viewers till the end of time... Just like Akbar and Mariam Uz Zamani's love even Jodha Akbar show shall be remembered till Eternity...

There are so many things which I want to say par aaj kahene ke liye Shabd Kam par rahe hai..

I will always miss Jodha Akbar and also our days in IF where we used analyse every bit of this show... I will miss Ela's thread, Mansi Di's thread, your thread. Radhika's thread and Maddy's thread and all those beautiful comments on this thread... This show has given me so many memories and friends to cherish them... This show has given me some wonderful friends specially my AkDha /PariJat lover gang and my Crazy girl gang... The journey of Jodha AKbar would not have been same without them...

And of course you and your history threads and blog... I don't think I would have got attached to this show like this if I had not read your historical threads.. You introduced me to the lady called Mariam Uz Zamani and I will be ever greatful to you for that... But don't think I will stop irritating you with my questions... I will keep on bugging you lol

Before Ending the post I will like to write few lines that I have written...

Bankar Aye The Jo Ghar Main Maheman

Banchuke Hai Aaj Woh Sab Ke Liye Mohabbat Ki Pehchan

Bhari Thi Jinhone Khushiyon Se Humara Angan

Aaj Vida Le Rahe Hai Humse Churake Apna Daman...

Thi Har Din Holi, Aur Har Raat Diwali Si

Jab Gunjte The Unke Swar Ban Ke Qawali Si..

Milte The Unse Har Shyam Bhool Kar Hai Sab

Ab Kaise Kategi Shab , Maan Main Yeh Hulchul Hai Ajab..

Larte Jhagarte Bane Woh Humari Duniya

Aur Pyaar Karte Karte Di Hume Dheero Khushiyan...

The Hum Bhi Unke Har Sukh Dukh Ke Saathi

Jaise Ki Ho Saya Jo Har Mod Pe Saath Hai Nibhati..

Niswarth Prem Kaise Karte Hai Duniya Ko Unhone Hai Sikhaya,

Lekar Saath Kaise Chalna Hai Har Dharam Ko Jahan Ko Hai Yeh Bataya..

Phailate The Woh Har Jagha PARIJAT Ki Khusboo

Ate The Saath Jab Bhi Woh Hone Humse Rubaroo..

Na Jane Jude Kaise Unse Maan Ke Naaten

Ab Toh Bas Rahe Jayengi Tanha Yeh Chandni Raaten..

Aye The Jo Humse Milne Banke Jodha Akbar

Ja Rahe Hai Aaj Woh Leke Dill Ka Har Sabar...

Bichad Ne Ki Is Ghadi Main Har Ankh Hai Nam,

Par Majbooran Age Bhi Barna Hoga Bhool Kar Yeh Gham...

Kahete Hai Jane Wala Kabhi Laut Kar Nehi Ata,

Punar Milan Ki Aas Phir Bhi Maan Se Na Jane Kiyun Nehi Jata..

Rakhenge Tumhe Dill Main Banake Yaad Sada

Na Chodenge Tumhara Saath Kabhi Yeh Hai Humara Vada...

Originally posted by: RadhikaS0

@Charu, Preeti, Tarunika

Thanks for liking the post! 😊

It's been ages since I interacted on the forum and it feels good to be here, discussing the good, old days of JA again. 😊

Radhika , What a post you wrote it Dil see👏 👏,I am an'sing this post with songs;😊

Yaad Na Jaay, Bete Dino Ki

Jaake Na Aaye Jo Din, Dil Kyuun Bulaae

, Unhein Dil Kyon Bulaae Yaad Na Jaaye .

..

Yes, Rajat and Paridhi have been superlative as the leads. They have brought 2 magnificent, far ahead of their times historical characters to life, given them a face, and given wings to our obsession to know more and more about the eternal love story between Akbar and Jodha.

khuda bhi aasmaan se jab zameen par dekhta hoga
mere mehboob ko kisne banaya sochta hoga
khuda bhi aasmaan se
mussbir khud pareshaan hai ke yeh tasveer kiski hai
banogi jisski tum aisi haseen taqdeer kiski hai
kabhi woh jal raha hoga kabhi khush ho raha hoga
khuda bhi aasmaan se jab zameen par dekhta hoga
mere mehboob ko kisne banaya sochta hoga
khuda bhi aasmaan se
zamaane-bhar ki masti ko nigaahon mein sameta hai
kali se jism ko kitni bahaaron mein lapeta hai

I have loved all the scenes mentioned by Charu and Preeti. To date, the most defining moment of the show remains for me the time Jalal snatches Jodha back from the brink of death. The words he speaks then are the finest confession of love ever seen on Indian TV. I still remember we wondered so many times if Jodha had heard those words, if she had even an inkling of knowledge of the incredible love Jalal felt for her. Even the mazar scene where Jalal begged the Do Jahan ke Shahenshah for the life of his beloved was poignant and made me cry a lot with him. This was perhaps the first time we saw the heartless Jalal break down and cry so much for someone he truly loved and it was therefore that much more heart-rending. And when Jodha stirred to life, the way she held on to his hand while he turned to go, will remain the most beautiful intimate moment between the two, which showed their soul connect like nothing else. There was hesitancy and a half-awoken desire in Jalal's eyes - did she too feel for him the way he felt for her?

Dehleez pe mere dil ki jo rakhe hain tune kadam

Tere naam pe meri zindagi, likh di mere humdum

Haan seekha maine jeena jeena kaise jeena

Na seekha kabhi jeena jeena, kaise jeena

Na seekha jeena tere bina hum dum

Sacchi si hai yeh tareefein, dil se jo maine kari hain

Jo tu mila toh saji hai, duniya meri humdum

Ho Aasmaan

Aasmaan

Origin: Persian

Aasmaan is an Urdu word, it means "heaven/sky" in English, while in Hindi it's called as "aakash/gagan."

For eg: "Aasmaan ki chat pe, hai apni duniya" which means "On the roof of sky is our world."" class="glossaryLink " style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: dotted !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; text-decoration: none !important; background: transparent;">aasmaan mila zameen ko meri

Aadhe-aadhe poore hain hum

Tere naam pe meri zindagi, likh di mere humdum

Haan seekha maine jeena jeena kaise jeena

Haan seekha mainr jeena mere humdum

Na seekha kabhi jeena jeena kaise jeena

Na seekha jeena tere bina hum dum

The concept of the soul talks throughout the show was brilliant and brought forth the many nuances of their journey together in a poetic manner.

o mere sanam o mere sanam do jism magar ek jaan hain ham

ek dil ke do aramaan hain ham o mere sanam o mere sanam

mere apane, apana ye milan

sangam hai ye ganga jamuna ka

ek dil ke do aramaan hai.n ham

o mere sanam o mere sanam

The way Jalal showed Jodha how to pray at Ajmer Sharif and later, how to do the namaz in Agra, was beautiful, as was the way he would light the diya for her Kanha and do the Tulsi puja when Jodha could not. These scenes underlined the manner in which the two crossed over the bounds of their own faiths and embraced the other's as theirs too.

aye maalik tere bande hum

ayese ho humaare karam

nekee par chale, aaur badee se tale,

taankee hasate huye nikale dam

The first time the issue of Jodha's religion conversion came up and threatened Jalal's throne remains another favorite of mine. What can be a greater indication of love than the willingness of a king to abdicate his throne just so that his wife could practise her faith with freedom?

jab julmon kaa ho saamanaa,

tab too hee humei thaamanaa

wo buraee kare, hum bhalaaee bhare

, naheen badale kee ho kaamanaa

badh uthhe pyaar kaa har kadam

aaur mite bair kaa ye bharam

There are many such scenes, more in the first year than in the second, which show the deep love between Jalal and Jodha, without necessarily forcing them to sway dreamily in the rain. Like Charu said, Rajat and Paridhi are a beautiful, talented couple and it's a sheer joy to watch them romance each other on the screen. But, i feel pretty differently about romance, especially when i envisage the timeless romance of an Emperor and his Empress. I am extremely sorry everyone for

being a wet blanket here but i doubt if Akbar romanced his Jodha in the manner of a Romeo wooing his Juliet. To me, the things he did for her, the relationships he gave up for her, the trust and respect and freedom he gave her, the extraordinary support he gave her all through their life - those are the signs of true love for me.

Jalal standing up for Jodha in the false pregnancy track, letting Ruqaiyya break off her friendship with him, getting slapped by his mother... That was love.

Jodha sacrificing her life for the sake of protecting Jalal's ... that was love.

Jalal breaking off from his badi ammi because she had caused him to lose Jodha ... that was love.

(Charu, i agree that face-off between Jalal and Mahamanga remains one of the most powerful scenes to date.)

Jodha standing by his badi ammi till the end because she knew how much he really loved his badi ammi in his heart... that was love.

Jalal encouraging Jodha to stand in the elections for the leader of the harem post... that was love.

Jodha giving up that audha to save his life... that was love.

Jalal giving Jodha the right to issue farmans, making her Malika-i-Hind, in short, making her his equal in every way... that was love.

Jodha waging the Mirchi war to protect her husband... that was love.

Jalal giving a sword to Jodha and asking her to watch his back as he fought dacoits... that was the love of a warrior for another warrior.

... there were so many examples of love between the two that spoke volumes without seeming like the frivolous banter between 2 teens having their first crush.

I loved how Jalal and Jodha could just talk throughout the night like friends, their boat rides, their initial nok-jhonk, which is just not the same anymore, the way Jalal convinced Jodha of his love for her despite having numerous wives before the SR, the way Jodha confessed her insecurity at being unable to accept his having to please his other wives too, after an accidental boat ride together. The depth of their connect could be seen in the way Jodha embraced and consoled a broken Jalal after he burns down his throne. And the intensity of the connect could be seen in the way they grieved together and gave strength to each other after Hasan's death, like Preeti mentioned.

Like I said, I could go on and on...

meri mohabbat pak mohbbat or jaha ki khak mohabbat kahi tumhe pyar na ho jaye bach bach ke chalna huzur kahi tumhe pyar na ho jaye ho bach bach ke chalna huzur meri mohabbat pak mohbbat or jaha ki khak mohabbat kahi tumhe pyar na ho jaye bach bach ke chalna huzur purab paschim utar dakshin mere pyar ki seema mera pyar hai itna uncha jaise ram rahiman jaise ram rahiman meri mohabbat pak mohbbat or jaha ki khak mohabbat kahi tumhe pyar na ho jaye bach bach ke chalna huzur kahi tumhe pyar na ho jaye bach bach ke chalna huzur tujhko pakar swarg se sundar manjil maine pa li tere pyara me mar jane ki kasam hai maine kha li kasam hai maine kha li meri mohabbat pak mohbbat or jaha ki khak mohabbat kahi tumhe pyar na ho jaye bach bach ke chalna huzur bach bach ke chalna huzur, bach bach ke chalna huzur

The point is that after witnessing the beautiful soul journey of the two till the point of Hasan's death, it is a big let down for me to be satisfied with typical Bollywood romance between them now. It is not only a question of their age or rank. It is just that earlier the 2 expressed their love in magnificent gestures. The way Jodha gifted the love of his people to Jalal or he gifted her a mor pankh. How can i suddenly accept them fighting evil witches and hypnotising women and cave men and other weird situations and constantly trying to flirt with each other like a modern couple? The ethereal quality of their love story is being replaced with crass, commercial filmy love. And this breaks my heart.

[Idhar chalaa main udhar chalaa,(This, song is for our writers

Jaane kahaaN main kidhar chalaa ]2

arrey phisal gayaa.., ye tune kyaa kiyaa

[Idhar chali main udhar chali Jaane kahaaN main kidhar chali ]2 Arrey phisal gayee..,😆 😆

Rajat and Paridhi have given brilliant moments when they have been allowed to be a royal couple. True, their acting has been terrific in ALL tracks, but I am sorry, I want to see my Jodha and Akbar and their divine love and not Paridhi and Rajat. Paridhi as a possessed woman was looking very real - it was uncanny. But that portrayal was not what I wanted to see of my Jodha.

Rab ki qawali hai Ishq koi
Dil ki Diwali hai Ishq koi
Mehki si pyaali hai Ishq koi
Subah ki laali hai Ishq...
Girta sa jharna hai Ishq koi
Uthta sa kalma hai Ishq koi
Saanson mein lipta hai ishq koi
Aankhon mein dikhta hai Ishq

Mere dil ko tu jaan se juda kar de
Yun bas tu mujhko fanaa kar de
Mera haal tu, meri chaal tu
Bas kar aashiqana

Tere waaste mera Ishq Sufiyana
Mera Ishq Sufiyana
Mera Ishq Sufiyana (x2)

Rab ki qawali hai Ishq koi
Dil ki Diwali hai Ishq koi
Mehki si pyaali hai Ishq koi
Subah ki laali hai Ishq...

Sochu tujhe toh hai subah
Sochu tujhe toh shaam hai

Ho o manzilon pe ab toh meri ek hi tera naam hai
Tere aag me hi jalte, koyle se heera bante
Khwaabon mein aagey chalte hain tujhe batana

Saath-saath chalte-chalte haath chhoot jayenge
Aisi raahon mein milo naa
Baatein-baatein karte-karte raat kat jaayegi
Aisi raaton mein milo naa

Kya hum hain, kya Rab hai
Jahaan tu hai wahin sab hai
Tere lab mile mere lab khile
Ab door kya hai jaana

Tere waaste mera Ishq Sufiyana
Mera Ishq Sufiyana
Mera Ishq Sufiyana

Rajat was brilliant in the scene when Jalal threw out Jodha from the palace or when Jalal rejected her after Hussein's death. But those moments made me cringe for this was not my Jalal.

Like I said before, Rajat and Paridhi have never let us down in any track and if i just want to enjoy their acting, then it is an emotional journey, full of laughter and tears and empathy and pathos. But even these 2 wonderful actors cannot make me accept a dumb and weak Jalal who is foolish enough to be caught by Abul Mali and get flogged by him or a doormat Jodha who silently accepts all the insults and humiliations piled on her by Jalal and Ruqaiyya and even Hamida BEgum in that forgettable track.

Preeti, you are right. We have voiced our frustration once too often and it's time to be positive now. Actually, I am carrying only the beautiful moments with me and dumping all the negative moments. Like the fact that Mahamanga and Ruqaiyya never got exposed or punished for their deeds. Or Shareefuddin's lechery. Or the bizarre leap forward and then backward. While I may crib here, my mind has expunged all the negativity and retained the beautiful scenes - Jalal walking with Jodha's palanquin, taking out the payal from the fire, the tender moments from the Badal Kajri track, the way he fills her maang with sindur on the day of Holi when they are both in disguise, the precious manner in which Jodha the wife always has precedence over Jodha the queen. Ever since she realised her love for Jalal and confessed it in her farewell letter before leaving the palace, the only consistent thing about the show has been Jodha's unwavering loyalty and love for her husband under ALL circumstances. This is what I will always remember about the show. The constant bond, the soul connect, the fierce will to protect each other at any cost.

Last but not the least, I think, apart from Rajat and Paridhi, all the others have been fantastic in their chosen roles too. Ekta has been mostly good with the casting of all prominent characters. Mahamanga, Adham Khan (no one has been able to replace him as the villain with the royal touch), Hamida Begum and Salima Begum (consistently classy and regal and a hugely calming presence in the show), Shareefuddin (who always made my blood boil at the way he would look at Jodha), Moti (both old and new ones), Ruqaiyya (i personally liked the old Ruqs more but Lavina has done a commendable job too in getting hated so much), Hoshiyar, Atga, Jiji Anga, the young Rahim, Aram Bano, Salim-Anar-Man Bai, Raja Bharmal and his irritating Queen Mainavati, the old Bhagwan das, the young Man Singh, Abdul, Khan baba, Shaguni Bai (and her disheveled hair and magical shells) , Salim Chisti baba (and his prophecies - my personal favorite when he announces that Jodha would give birth to a son), the old Todarmal, ... the list is endless. But without these excellent actors, the show would be incomplete and missing something.

I am going to miss Jodha Akbar - because over 2 years, it made Jodha and Akbar part of our life, part of our thoughts, part of our being... They have become as close as 2 personal friends and it will be hard to imagine life without the company of these 2 friends...

na jaane kyon, hota hain yeh zindagi ke saath,

achanak yeh mann,

kissi ke jaane ke baad

kare phir uski yaad

choti-choti si baat...

Jaanevaale Ho Sake To Laut Ke Aanaa

Ye Ghaat Tuu Ye Baat Kahii.N Bhuul Na Jaanaa

Bachapan Ke Tere Miit Tere Sa.Ng Ke Sahaare

Dhuu.Ndhe.Nge Tujhe Galii-Galii Sab Ye Gam Ke Maare

Puuchhegii Har Nigaah Kal Teraa Thikaanaa

O Jaanevaale..

We who have lived these last 2 years with Jodha and Akbar will always remember every little thing about them...for as long as our memory serves us... that is the ultimate success of th

Originally posted by: akdhaalways

Such a beautiful poetic post😳You seem to be multitalented Abhayda.😊Siriusly this show gave us so many memories, some bitter, some painful, but mostly happy and endearing.I dont want to be sad that the show is ending, I want to be happy that it happened. Its been a total rollercoaster ride of two years with this show, and we found a very talented lead pair in rt pari, some real good supporting actors, and real good writers and friends in this forum. I will never forget your history posts, specially the one about the glory of faith painting and akbar n muz kids, radhikadi's detail analysis, mansidi's positive outlook, Aady's sense of humour, akdhaluvparijat's pics, hely's sweet akdha scenes posts. This show gave us a lot, and we should bid audieu grandly, and thank it for making us know more about two real admirable characters of our history, akbar the great and his beloved wali ni'mat mariam uz zamani 😛

Originally posted by: RadhikaS0

@Charu, Preeti, Tarunika

Thanks for liking the post! 😊

It's been ages since I interacted on the forum and it feels good to be here, discussing the good, old days of JA again. 😊

Yes, Rajat and Paridhi have been superlative as the leads. They have brought 2 magnificent, far ahead of their times historical characters to life, given them a face, and given wings to our obsession to know more and more about the eternal love story between Akbar and Jodha.

I have loved all the scenes mentioned by Charu and Preeti. To date, the most defining moment of the show remains for me the time Jalal snatches Jodha back from the brink of death. The words he speaks then are the finest confession of love ever seen on Indian TV. I still remember we wondered so many times if Jodha had heard those words, if she had even an inkling of knowledge of the incredible love Jalal felt for her. Even the mazar scene where Jalal begged the Do Jahan ke Shahenshah for the life of his beloved was poignant and made me cry a lot with him. This was perhaps the first time we saw the heartless Jalal break down and cry so much for someone he truly loved and it was therefore that much more heart-rending. And when Jodha stirred to life, the way she held on to his hand while he turned to go, will remain the most beautiful intimate moment between the two, which showed their soul connect like nothing else. There was hesitancy and a half-awoken desire in Jalal's eyes - did she too feel for him the way he felt for her?

The concept of the soul talks throughout the show was brilliant and brought forth the many nuances of their journey together in a poetic manner.

The way Jalal showed Jodha how to pray at Ajmer Sharif and later, how to do the namaz in Agra, was beautiful, as was the way he would light the diya for her Kanha and do the Tulsi puja when Jodha could not. These scenes underlined the manner in which the two crossed over the bounds of their own faiths and embraced the other's as theirs too.

The first time the issue of Jodha's religion conversion came up and threatened Jalal's throne remains another favorite of mine. What can be a greater indication of love than the willingness of a king to abdicate his throne just so that his wife could practise her faith with freedom?

There are many such scenes, more in the first year than in the second, which show the deep love between Jalal and Jodha, without necessarily forcing them to sway dreamily in the rain. Like Charu said, Rajat and Paridhi are a beautiful, talented couple and it's a sheer joy to watch them romance each other on the screen. But, i feel pretty differently about romance, especially when i envisage the timeless romance of an Emperor and his Empress. I am extremely sorry everyone for being a wet blanket here but i doubt if Akbar romanced his Jodha in the manner of a Romeo wooing his Juliet. To me, the things he did for her, the relationships he gave up for her, the trust and respect and freedom he gave her, the extraordinary support he gave her all through their life - those are the signs of true love for me.

Jalal standing up for Jodha in the false pregnancy track, letting Ruqaiyya break off her friendship with him, getting slapped by his mother... That was love.

Jodha sacrificing her life for the sake of protecting Jalal's ... that was love.

Jalal breaking off from his badi ammi because she had caused him to lose Jodha ... that was love.

(Charu, i agree that face-off between Jalal and Mahamanga remains one of the most powerful scenes to date.)

Jodha standing by his badi ammi till the end because she knew how much he really loved his badi ammi in his heart... that was love.

Jalal encouraging Jodha to stand in the elections for the leader of the harem post... that was love.

Jodha giving up that audha to save his life... that was love.

Jalal giving Jodha the right to issue farmans, making her Malika-i-Hind, in short, making her his equal in every way... that was love.

Jodha waging the Mirchi war to protect her husband... that was love.

Jalal giving a sword to Jodha and asking her to watch his back as he fought dacoits... that was the love of a warrior for another warrior.

... there were so many examples of love between the two that spoke volumes without seeming like the frivolous banter between 2 teens having their first crush.

I loved how Jalal and Jodha could just talk throughout the night like friends, their boat rides, their initial nok-jhonk, which is just not the same anymore, the way Jalal convinced Jodha of his love for her despite having numerous wives before the SR, the way Jodha confessed her insecurity at being unable to accept his having to please his other wives too, after an accidental boat ride together. The depth of their connect could be seen in the way Jodha embraced and consoled a broken Jalal after he burns down his throne. And the intensity of the connect could be seen in the way they grieved together and gave strength to each other after Hasan's death, like Preeti mentioned.

Like I said, I could go on and on...

The point is that after witnessing the beautiful soul journey of the two till the point of Hasan's death, it is a big let down for me to be satisfied with typical Bollywood romance between them now. It is not only a question of their age or rank. It is just that earlier the 2 expressed their love in magnificent gestures. The way Jodha gifted the love of his people to Jalal or he gifted her a mor pankh. How can i suddenly accept them fighting evil witches and hypnotising women and cave men and other weird situations and constantly trying to flirt with each other like a modern couple? The ethereal quality of their love story is being replaced with crass, commercial filmy love. And this breaks my heart.

Rajat and Paridhi have given brilliant moments when they have been allowed to be a royal couple. True, their acting has been terrific in ALL tracks, but I am sorry, I want to see my Jodha and Akbar and their divine love and not Paridhi and Rajat. Paridhi as a possessed woman was looking very real - it was uncanny. But that portrayal was not what I wanted to see of my Jodha.

Rajat was brilliant in the scene when Jalal threw out Jodha from the palace or when Jalal rejected her after Hussein's death. But those moments made me cringe for this was not my Jalal.

Like I said before, Rajat and Paridhi have never let us down in any track and if i just want to enjoy their acting, then it is an emotional journey, full of laughter and tears and empathy and pathos. But even these 2 wonderful actors cannot make me accept a dumb and weak Jalal who is foolish enough to be caught by Abul Mali and get flogged by him or a doormat Jodha who silently accepts all the insults and humiliations piled on her by Jalal and Ruqaiyya and even Hamida BEgum in that forgettable track.

Preeti, you are right. We have voiced our frustration once too often and it's time to be positive now. Actually, I am carrying only the beautiful moments with me and dumping all the negative moments. Like the fact that Mahamanga and Ruqaiyya never got exposed or punished for their deeds. Or Shareefuddin's lechery. Or the bizarre leap forward and then backward. While I may crib here, my mind has expunged all the negativity and retained the beautiful scenes - Jalal walking with Jodha's palanquin, taking out the payal from the fire, the tender moments from the Badal Kajri track, the way he fills her maang with sindur on the day of Holi when they are both in disguise, the precious manner in which Jodha the wife always has precedence over Jodha the queen. Ever since she realised her love for Jalal and confessed it in her farewell letter before leaving the palace, the only consistent thing about the show has been Jodha's unwavering loyalty and love for her husband under ALL circumstances. This is what I will always remember about the show. The constant bond, the soul connect, the fierce will to protect each other at any cost.

Last but not the least, I think, apart from Rajat and Paridhi, all the others have been fantastic in their chosen roles too. Ekta has been mostly good with the casting of all prominent characters. Mahamanga, Adham Khan (no one has been able to replace him as the villain with the royal touch), Hamida Begum and Salima Begum (consistently classy and regal and a hugely calming presence in the show), Shareefuddin (who always made my blood boil at the way he would look at Jodha), Moti (both old and new ones), Ruqaiyya (i personally liked the old Ruqs more but Lavina has done a commendable job too in getting hated so much), Hoshiyar, Atga, Jiji Anga, the young Rahim, Aram Bano, Salim-Anar-Man Bai, Raja Bharmal and his irritating Queen Mainavati, the old Bhagwan das, the young Man Singh, Abdul, Khan baba, Shaguni Bai (and her disheveled hair and magical shells) , Salim Chisti baba (and his prophecies - my personal favorite when he announces that Jodha would give birth to a son), the old Todarmal, ... the list is endless. But without these excellent actors, the show would be incomplete and missing something.

I am going to miss Jodha Akbar - because over 2 years, it made Jodha and Akbar part of our life, part of our thoughts, part of our being... They have become as close as 2 personal friends and it will be hard to imagine life without the company of these 2 friends...

na jaane kyon, hota hain yeh zindagi ke saath,

achanak yeh mann,

kissi ke jaane ke baad

kare phir uski yaad

choti-choti si baat...

We who have lived these last 2 years with Jodha and Akbar will always remember every little thing about them...for as long as our memory serves us... that is the ultimate success of this show.

Originally posted by: RadhikaS0

beautiful post, Abhay 👏

Updating post 😊

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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, thebest 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 theSalim 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!! 😊

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Link to post on page 5 😊

https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4432518&PID=125220209&#p125220209