Jodha Akbar : Why Akbar Is Ekta Kapoor's Protagonist and not a Mughal Emperor
Dec 5, 2014 By Editor in Entertainment Tags: Entertainment, History, Jodha Akbar, TV
We love Rajat Tokas as Akbar in Zee TV's Jodha Akbar, don't we? His stern voice, caring nature, love for all, brilliant dialogue delivery, and his eye for justice often make us fall in love with him. But was the real Mughal Emperor like the TV Akbar? Of course not. Here are the reasons why Rajat Tokas as Akbar is more like any other Ekta Kapoor's male protagonist than the 16th century Emperor:
The TV Akbar is entangled completely in Women Politics
In Ekta Kapoor's dictionary, there are only two men, one who is stubborn, arrogant and don't give a damn to anybody like Gomzi of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Abhay of Kussum, Pratham of Kutumb, and the other is a typical bechara who is surrounded by women (close relatives - wife, mother or sister) and falls prey to their politics completely. Then whether it is Akbar of Jodha Akbar or Abhi of Kumkum Bhagya, the protagonist problems are the same - one is troubled by the politucs of his wife (Ruqaiya) and the other by his sister Aaliya because both the vamps want of get rid of the female protagonist, Jodha and Pragya respectively.
He is Too Emotional unlike any 16th Century King, Forget the Mughal Great Akbar himself
Rajas are strong hearted, they might have emotions but they can't be so emotional that their Queen would come and direct them, guide them and literally yell at them saying, "Shehenshah what you have done is wrong!" There can be exceptions but Akbar wasn't one of them. Mughal Emperor Akbar has a history of being kindhearted when compared to other Mughal Emperors. He is even stated as the most liberal Mughal ruler since he gave equal importance to all religion. However, this doesn't mean he would, by any chance allow her Hindu Queen, the mother of his crown prince, to sit on his head time and again. No, this can happen only in a Ekta Kapoor serial where women are the kings who literally rule the serial, and the male protagonists are merely pawn, who are needed only to fall prey in the Politics of Women.
He is Always Clueless unlike the Alert Emperors in History
Call it a way to drag and stretch the serial, but it is one of the many patented plots of any Balaji Telefilms where the main lead is clueless of what's going on. In the process, he gives punishment to his favorite people, but never get even a slight idea of his real enemy, the master planner. Even the historical Mughal great Akbar is not sparred. While showing daily soaps, it might be easy and convenient to show the leading male as dumb, ignorant, and even clueless, showing Akbar the great in the same light is only irritating.
He is as Good as Modern day Hero without Any Royal Vice
No, our TV Akbar is so good that he neither eats afim (opium) nor tries hookah, nor enjoys the mujra once in a while. Besides, I wonder why the TV Akbar isn't shown hunting the wild beasts. Even travellogue written by foreigners mentions his strength over the wild animals and his unique style of hunting. But no, our TV Akbar is so engrossed in harem politics that I think, only 3 or 4 times, we got to hear him say, "Lets go for shikaar". The funny part is, there is hardly any war. War is imaginary here. Period!
This Akbar Mourns and Repents when he kills!
Any king is proud of his killings, especially when he achieves something incredible which he was craving for long. For the real Akbar, the siege of Chittor fort was a matter of pride and glory as he could now threat the Ranas of Mewar and complete Rajputana. However, Akbar in Jodha Akbar was seen repenting his actions. Ouch!
He is One Woman Man
He has three main wives but he loves only Jodha Begum, his Hindu wife. Forget about spending nights with concubines and women courtiers, he doesn't even sleep with his other wives. No, he can't even think of doing this. The reason? Well he loves Jodha and only Jodha. After all, she is the reason of his transformation from a cruel man to a kind hearted person.
He Punishes his son if he hurts the subordinates and workers
Really? Will a 16th Century Mughal Emperor would have ever punished his crown prince for hurting his mother's helper? It would have not even mattered to the King actually. But here, the Emperor punishes Salim for hurting Moti Bai. Yes, looks like a modern day father who will not make you enter the house unless you say sorry to the neighboring aunty for throwing a ball on her purposely.
And the list goes on... Yet, we love our TV Akbar, Rajat Tokas because of his unique charm and persona. We tend to ignore the historical aspect and enjoy him as any other Ekta Kapoor's leading hero!
By: Deepti Verma
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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