We are soon going to see Naseeruddin Shah playing the role of King Akbar on ZEE5 original series “Taj: Divided by blood ” which aims to showcase the inner workings of the Mughal Empire.
Naseeruddin Shah’s views about the portrayal of history
In an interview with IndiaExpress Naseeruddin Shah states there is no objective history. The history showcased on Television or written in books will always have a subtle difference. History has always been a sensitive subject as people fear that it may be tampered with or will lose its originality in a world full of creation. This has almost led to protests and even violence.
In the interview when asked whether it was difficult to replicate the historical feeling in today’s world, Naseeruddin Shah stated that it is hard to make a replica without the “subtle changes” that the story deserves.
They must be challenging because you have to choose sides, I imagine. A history that is objective does not exist. You must read between the lines since history is written by the winners. Making historical fiction with the level of depth that it merits, in my opinion, is challenging. Making a large spectacle is simple when you have hundreds of elephants, horses, and other animals.
“But I think it’s harder to understand these folks as human beings. Yeah. And then you run the danger of offending people, but I don’t think Taj: Divided by Blood is going to offend anyone. It offers a distinctive, non-Indian perspective on this dynasty.
Naseeruddin Shah’s Anger on the False Portrayal of Akbar
Naseeruddin Shah claims that his opinion of Akbar’s character as an emperor and a person has evolved with time. The fact that so much misinformation about Akbar is being circulated offends him, especially in light of the fact that the emperor wanted to create his own religion.
“At first, I thought that any student who studied history in the 1950s or 1960s, immediately following independence and when British influence was still extremely strong, would have that perspective. Irish and English instructors were on staff. Akbar was consistently portrayed as a progressive, generous, kind-hearted, and open-minded emperor. His desire to find a new religion is the only kink in the works. That which we learned about in history texts is complete nonsense.
“Akbar never tried to found a new religion, according to reliable historians I consulted. This information was contained in our history textbooks under the name Din-e Elahi. Yet, Akbar never once uttered the phrase Din-e Elahi. Its name, Wahdat-e Elahi, is Arabic for “oneness of the creator.” Worshiping the creator is worshiping him regardless of who or how you adore him. You can worship anything you choose, including a stone, a crucifix, the Kaaba, the rising sun, and anything else you choose, but what you are worshiping is the same thing. This was his viewpoint. This is what I discovered.
He claims to have tracked out the myth’s origin and found that the historian Abul Fazal, “who didn’t like Akbar much,” is the one who coined the phrase Din-e Elahi. In his works, he referred to it as the “divine faith” in English.
The phrase “divine faith” (Din-e Elahi), which Akbar never stated, was then translated into Persian. That reminds him of the Hindi and the South remakes of South Indian Indian films. This important revelation he had made regarding Akbar required a discussion with the writers. Fortunately, his findings were taken into consideration.
He goes on to claim that after accepting the role of King Akbar in Taj: Divided by Blood, his understanding of Akbar and the Mughal Empire was expanded.
About the Show
William Borthwick is the showrunner of Taj with Simon Fantauzzo as the writer and Ronald Scalpello as the director. The series showcases the beauty and brutality of the Mughal dynasty, their passion for arts, poetry, and architecture, but at the same time their remarkably cold-blooded decisions regarding their own family, in the quest for power.
The ensemble cast of the show includes Aditi Rao Hydari as Anarkali, Aashim Gulati as Prince Salim, Taha Shah as Prince Murad, Shubham Kumar Mehra as Prince Daniyal, Sandhya Mridul as Queen Jodha Bai, Zareena Wahab as Queen Salima, Sauraseni Maitra as Mehr un Nisa, Rahul Bose as Mirza Hakim and Dharmendra as Sheikh Salim Chisti.
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