Originally posted by: sashashyam
May I offer a slightly different take on this? It is true that Ruqaiya's simple dressing style is not in consonance with what one would traditionally expect of the Badshah Begum.But to my mind, this is deliberate on her part, and it works for her. She is totally confident of her allure and her hold on Jalal. She demonstrates this hold right from the point when, as I have described in my post of last night, she makes Jalal follow her with his eyes till she is in view on the terrace, and again when he makes a beeline for her apartment as soon as he reaches the palace.
By avoiding all ostentation, while still looking spare and elegant, she wants to show the rest that she does not need to do any sajna savarna, or look like a decorated Christmas tree to gain and retain the emperor's attention and his regard.
It is, to my mind, a deliberate, and successful put down of the rest.
Shyamala B. Cowsik