Jodha - Akbar or Mariam Zamani - Akbar?

Ashutosh Gowariker’s mega film of the year Jodha-Akbar is a fortnight away from its formal release and historians and a section of Rajputs have already started debating on the portrayal of Maharani Jodha Bai as the Mughal Emperor’s Hindu wife.

THE DIALOGUES written by KP Saxena have something different to say about the forthcoming film. Unmindful of the raging controversy, Saxena says, “This film will depict romance between Akbar and Jodha Bai with a difference. It portrays a story beyond that of a lover and his beloved or just a sexual attraction. Here what is highlighted more is the respect for each other.” It shows the valour of the Mughal king and the strength he derives from Jodha. While Akbar every time calls his wife as Maharani and she responds with ‘Mahabali’ (Valiant).

“The film is all about the secularism of Mughal emperor for which he is known in the pages of history,” says KP as he is popularly called in the literary circles. Apart from his didactic approach, secularism is depicted through Shahenshah (emperor) Akbar’s concept of Deen-E- Elahi and the respect and freedom he gave to his Navratna (nine gems) like Birbal, Todarmal and Raja Man Singh (all Hindus) in his court.

In a recent interview to leading Hindi daily Hindustan Times, Saxena said, “The film would show how the Mughal king was opposed by his own men to marry Jodha Bai, a Rajput hindu and the daughter of King Bharmal of Aamer. He does not accept the marriage offer at the first instance, but it is discussed in the full house. Akbar, while announcing to marry Jodha Bai, gives logics and reasons as to why such a marriage would be beneficial in long run for everyone.”

“The film, in fact, will also focus on the real meaning to Islam, which seems to be lost and often misinterpreted in today’s society,” Saxena said, and complimented Ashutosh Gowariker for his three year sustained efforts to research the subject so deeply

“Don’t compare Jodha-Akbar with yesteryears’ Mughle-Azam,” said Saxena, adding,“K Asif’s blockbuster was basically about the love story between Salim - Anarkali and his revolt against his father for all the hurdles.”

“Efforts have been made to keep the dialogues simple but convey the very essence of Mughal Darbar’s Arabic and Persian language as well as the Urdu and Rajputani Hindi. Keeping all these things together, the language is simple and audience would appreciate it, he said.” “I am happy Ashutosh has kept the dialogues verbatim,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, public is longing for the release of the film on February 15 and though the Lagaan director has got the Jaipur lower court’s nod against alleged historical inaccuracies, an organisation of Rajputs is up in the arm saying that it would stall screening of the film in Rajasthan.

The film starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai has angered the Rajput Sabha for what the organisation says is distortion of history. The sabha has appealed to the Rajasthan High Court against the lower court’s order, and said that it would not allow the film to be released in the state without removing the inaccuracies.

Prof Shirin Moosvi, historian of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is on record saying that there is no mention of Jodha Bai in Akbarnama, nor in any Mughal documents of the period. “Akbar did marry a princess of the Kachhawa clan, the daughter of Bhar Mal, but her name was not Jodha Bai,” he said at a seminar in Mumbai.

Moosvi said that Akbar’s wife’s name was kept out of the records as was the custom at the time but she is referred to sometimes as Mariam Zamani. So, the mute question remains, where did the name Jodha Bai come from? A painting of Jehangir’s mother along with his grandmother showed her to be Indian but there was no name given.
Historian Lifaq Ali Khan has written a book on the issue and has a list of the Kachhawa clan wives of Akbar, some of whom are not named.

“She was Akbar’s wife, but the name Jodha Bai seems to have become popular after the film, Mughal-e-Azam,” was all that Akbar Khan, who has just made a historical film on the era, Taj Mahal, said on the issue. “Jodha Bai did exist but her real name was something else,” he said in an interview.

While historians continue to debate the issue, and the filmmakers are trying to blend myth and reality to serve as ingredients for popular appeal, as the public is eagerly waiting to see the film in a fortnight from now.

The film would also see the return of Shatrughan Sinha’s wife Poonam Sinha in the role of Hameeda Bano, mother of Akbar, while Amitabh Bachchan is the narrator (Sutradhar) of the film. The film is projected around Rs 40 crores.

Courtesy: Merinews.com