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    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

    Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

    Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

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      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

      Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

      Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

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      Why Mughal-e-Azam’s legacy remains evergreen in the age of shunning Nehru, Akbar and Urdu

      The film bears testimony to a belief in India’s pluralistic past, its syncretic culture and a future full of hope.

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      Today, when India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’slegacyis under attack, history is sought to be re-written and there are suggestions toremove Urduwords from school curricula, a study ofMughal-e-Azamis interesting.

      Anil Zankar writes inMughal-e-Azam: Legend as Epic: “I am guided by the view that every film primarily belongs to its time in the sense that it reflects dominant ideas of the time in many ways. It may react directly or indirectly, positively or negatively to the prevailing spirit of the time. Therefore, howMughal-e-Azamreflects or corresponds to the experience of the so called Nehruvian era of the post-Partition years is another consideration.”

      I had a long conversation with him and decided to examine the film’s legacy and relevance.

      ‘Akbar-e-Azam in the film was K Asif’s idea of Nehru’ Photo by Homai Vyarawalla

      The dialogue writers, Amanullah Khan, Ehsan Rizvi, Kamal Amrohi and Wajahat Mirza as well as director K Asif himself belonged to Uttar Pradesh and believed in the idea of India, choosing to stay on after the Partition in 1947.

      This movie was a testimony to their belief in India’s pluralistic past, its syncretic culture and a future full of hope.

      K Asif, based his film onAnarkali,a historical fiction play by Imtiaz Ali Taj. While the play’s protagonist was Anarkali, in the film it is Akbar.

      This hero was the soul of newly-independent India. In fact, in his paper “Mughal-e-Azam: Narrating the Nation in Mainstream Cinema”, Prof Moinuddin A Jinabade: Centre for Indian Languages, JNU says that Akbar-e-Azam in the film was K Asif’s idea of Nehru.

      In this court of Akbar, Anarkali — a slave girl — is given the honour of dancing on the festive occasion of Janmashtami, that marks the birth of Krishna.

      The dialogues written by Amanullah Khan, Ehsan Rizvi, Kamal Amrohi and Wajahat Mirza were iconic and went a long way in making the film legendary. Though it was given a Hindi certification, the dialogues were crafted to suit the mood and sensibility of the scenes:

      Empress Jodha Bai and her attendants spoke in Hindi; highly Persianised Urdu was used for court scenes and simple Urdu or Hindustani as the language of love and revolt. It was the India of the ’50s and ’60s. Many of the dialogues went on to become legends in themselves and introduced Urdu to the non-Urdu speaking world.

      The technique used in this film — of Hindustan being a narrator — was later adopted in the Doordarshan TV seriesMahabharat,where time was the narrator.

      InMughal-e-Azam, the opening sequence has Hindustan itself testifying to the love and devotion of Shahenshah Jalal-ud-din Mohammad Akbar, who embraced and adored the subcontinent.

      Others looted me, but Akbar loved me and taught people to love one another, says Hindustan in a slow, measured tone.

      Akbar is shown walking barefoot to pray at the dargah of Sheikh Salim Chisti in the village of Sikri near Agra. The narrator describes how a man used to magnificent palaces and grand carriages is walking on the burning sands and suddenly you realise why Hindustan loves him and, actually, so do you.

      Who wouldn’t love an emperor who, in reality, is just as human as any of us in his desire for a son and his humility in meeting a saint? The elephants may be accompanying him, but he is stumbling in the sand — the words actually make you want to go and lend him a helping hand. His prayers are answered and a son is born to him; the emperor names the child Salim after the saint.

      Prithviraj Kapoor as Akbar-e-Azam.

      Akbar the doting father is not afraid to send off a young Salim to the battlefield, to get him honed as a soldier who can serve India, instead of spending his time in the palace, in the company of wine and women. He can’t bear to see India’s future threatened by the young prince’s follies. The boy has to be separated from his mother’s silken “aanchal” (the corner of the saree, a proverbial shelter for the child) and sent to rough it out in the company of soldiers.

      Having won his battle honours, displayed in court with his bloodied armour or sword, Salim returns to the palace — receiving a soldier’s welcome from his father, and an ecstatic one from his mother.

      In this court of Akbar, Anarkali — a slave girl — is given the honour of dancing on the festive occasion of Janmashtami, that marks the birth of Krishna.

      The Mughal court celebrates Janmashtami, Nauroz and has baitbazi and qawwali competitions. Empress Jodha Bai is regularly shown worshipping at her temple within the palace quarters.

      Contrary to the film, Jodha Bai was not Akbar’s wife; he had a Rajput wife,Harka Bai, given the title of Mariam-uz-Zamani — who did have her own temple inside the palace as seen at Agra’s Fatehpur Sikri.

      In fact, Mariam-uz-Zamani’spalace itselfis built in Rajasthani and Gujarati architectural styles.

      However, as was the norm in the medieval era, Akbar is a benevolent despot, not afraid to sacrifice his son’s happiness for the greater good of his beloved India.

      The core of the film is the rebellion of his beloved Salim, who, instead of concentrating on consolidating his father’s empire, actually wants to spend his time with the slave girl Anarkali.

      hqdefault_030717074950.jpg
      The battle of wits between a heavily-chained Anarkali and an Akbar who is pacing up and down is a masterpiece. Photo: YouTube

      Both Anarkali and Salim challenge Akbar and are not afraid to question him. The battle of wits between a heavily-chained Anarkali and an Akbar who is pacing up and down is a masterpiece. But Akbar prevails and Anarkali is sentenced to death. In the play, the end is tragic as Anarkali is buried alive in a wall. The India that K Asif and his writers of his film were living in was full of hope for the morrow and thus here Akbar helps Anarkali to escape alive.

      It’s ironic that while the film and its songs are evergreen, attempts torewritethe the legacy of Akbar, Nehru and even Urdu are in place. In fact,Mughal-e-Azam, amusical playbased on the legend, by director Firoz Abbas Khan, is a spectacular success.

      After a blockbuster run in Mumbai, the musical is currently being staged at where else but Delhi’s Jawahar Lal Nehru Indoor Stadium, and even though the ticket prices go up to Rs 10,000, the show is running to packed houses.

      Khan plans to take the show all over India and abroad. It is getting rave reviews across the board showing Akbar is still relevant and still great.

      Perhaps, Akbar might just say“Takhliya”.

      [Leave me alone]

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      Rana Safvi

      Come, explore and fall in love the Beauties of Delhi (Dilli ki Ranaiya’n) and the World with me, Rana Safvi

      I have a masters in medieval history from the prestigious Centre for Advanced Studies, Dept. of History, AMU. A firm believer in our Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb, I am passionate about gaining and sharing knowledge and these days I am doing it via the social media platform.

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      © 2018 Rana Safvi - A blog Exploring Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb of India, website handcrafted by Abu Sufiyan.