Taj: Divided by Blood Season 1
After a few decades of conquering Chittorgarh and witnessing the prophecy of saint Salim Chisti almost coming true, Akbar decides to change the rules of succession to the Mughal throne. Who among his sons will prove worthy of the crown?.
The life and times of one of India’s most prolific Mughal rulers – Emperor Abu’l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, is a source material so strong that it never fails to engage the audience. Despite many blockbuster films and shows already made on the subject, Abhimany Singh’s show ‘Taj: Divided by Blood’ is by far one of the most exhaustive pieces on it. Set during the era when Akbar ruled almost
the entire Indian subcontinent, the show mainly focuses on his relationship with his three sons – Salim (Aashim Gulati), Murad (Taaha Shah Badussha) and Daniyal (Shubham Kumar Mehra), who are in the race to be the heir apparent of the flourishing Mughal empire. Their differences, and individual personalities fuel the story with enough ammo to build a strong and engaging narrative.
Based on true events, the makers seem to have taken enough and more liberties in depicting a juicy tale of all that went on inside Akbar’s powerful and complex family. We’re not sure how much it is factually
correct. There are just so many characters, but almost each one of them has an interesting track. Unlike other shows, this one doesn’t leave the audience confused and disinterested in boring plotlines that
simply just add to the runtime. It may have something to do with the highly fictional take on a broad canvas of Emperor Akbar’s story that had a lot more action on the battlefield than we see here.
Naseeruddin Shah aces it as always and is extremely believable as a larger-than-life Mughal Emperor. The actor brings alive Akbar’s complex personality that is often tested in dire circumstances where
he makes crucial decisions about the lives of those who are much less powerful than him. It’s almost unbelievable to see a ruler, who is so barbaric, insensitive and unreasonable at times while being so humane, considerate and magnanimous at others. Shah pulls it off with aplomb despite a less-than-flattering get up that makes him look like Albert Einstein. Aashim Gulati brings a distinct charm to Salim’s character who is shown as a compulsive womaniser. Taha Shah Badussha looks the part of a temperamental and cruel Prince Murad, but some restraint and variation in the expressions department would have gone a long way. Shubham Kumar Mehra does quite well as the God-fearing and submissive
Daniyal while Aditi Rao Hydari looks resplendent as Anarkali. But she doesn’t have much scope to perform. We have seen better performances from talented actors like Sandhya Mridul and Zarina Wahab, who play Akbar’s wives Jodha and Salima respectively. Rahul Bose is good as
Akbar’s traitor brother Mirza Hakim.
Taj Divided by Blood S01E01 – Succession
Taj Divided by Blood S01E02 – The Battle of Kabul
Taj Divided by Blood S01E03 – A Message from God
Taj Divided by Blood S01E04 – May His Glory Be Glorified
Taj Divided by Blood S01E05 – Qubool Hai
Taj Divided by Blood S01E06 – Birth of A King
Taj Divided by Blood S01E07 – Sins of The Father
Taj Divided by Blood S01E08 – How They Sing
Taj Divided by Blood S01E09 – The Lies They Tell