Jodha Akbar

Movie 'defames Mughal empire'

Gulf news report Published: April 20, 2008, 00:34

Dubai: Prince Yakub Ziauddin Tucy, a sixth generation descendant of the last Mughal emperor of India, Bahadur Shah Zafar, and his family are upset by factual errors in the Bollywood movie Jodhaa Akbar. The prince, who is on a private visit to Dubai, has filed a petition with the Supreme Court of India that the name Harkha Bai should be used in the movie instead of Jodhaa, so that the emperor Akbar and the Mughal dynasty will not be defamed. The movie Jodhaa Akbar was produced and directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar. It tells the love story of Akbar and Jodhaa Bai. "Akbar's reign is looked upon as the golden period of India. The movie shows Jodhaa Bai as Akbar's wife, which is incorrect. "Jodha Bai was his daughter-in-law and wife of Prince Salem, who was known as emperor Jahangir. "We as descendants of the Mughal dynasty will not accept the distortion of historical facts." According to him, Akbar had four wives. He got married to all of them when he was between 14 and 20 years old. His first wife was Ruquiya Begum, while his fourth wife was Harkha Bai, the daughter of Raja Bhasmal Kachwaha of Amer. "Akbar did not marry Jodhaa Bai, the daughter of Mota Raja Udai Singh of Jodhpur. The truth is that Jodhaa Bai was born in 1572 and married to Akbar's son Jahangir. Animosity "The movie also depicts animosity between Mughals and the Rajputs, who are Hindus, which is also not true at all. "There was a rock solid friendship between the Mughals and the Rajputs during Akbar's reign. The director distorted history to make money. "We want future generations to learn a history of India that is based on facts, and not one that is twisted in the movies. "Even the Rajput Sabha has moved a petition in the court against factual errors in the movie. "If we do not raise our concerns it won't be long before we have a producer bringing out a Bollywood movie that is a love story about Mahatma Gandhi." Today there are 50 members of the Mughal dynasty who live in the south Indian state of Hyderabad. The family members have all been given the titles of prince and princess by the government of India. This is also mentioned in their travel documents. Tucy serves as the president of the Mughal Emperors Family Society and the managing director of the Mughal Educational Trust. He has been appointed as the Mutwalli, or caretaker, of Mughal emperor Mohiuddin Mohammad Aurangzeb Alamgir at Khuldabad, located in the district of Aurangabad. Tucy has also urged the government of India to confer a title of the First Freedom Fighter of India on Bahadur Shah Zafar, who was defeated in an 1857 mutiny by the British. Zafar was imprisoned in Yangon in Myanmar. His grave is also there and a tomb was erected. Its high time that our renowned Directors stopped using history to their advantage... Sumitha

hi,

If this message of yours is really true, then the movie turn out to be a great blunder. This will put the director into a lot of mental stress and agony. I really feel for the directors and actors who have worked for not doing the deep study of the history.

Has the director did not consult with the descendants of Mughal Empire? Very sad.

no the director has consulted the mughal emperors.. i saw in nDTv his interview..

Hi all,

I saw the movie Jodha Akbar ,since it was released worldwide.As a whole it's a good romantic movie and we all liked it. Good music by A.R Rehman , apt casting..these are some good points abt the movie. Its quite a long movie and slow paced, which is boring in some scenes..

The director has given more importance to choreography, jewellry designs, huge sets, visual graphics etc... Akbar is shown as a romantic hero, rather than an able and strong king. Jodha is shown as his only wife, and she is influencing his decisions.

I strongly feel that period movies has to stick to true facts. Otherwise the coming generations will get the wrong image of the mughal emperor Akbar. This should not be allowed.
The interview of the director, Ashutosh gawariker was shown in many channels, and he says he has taken the story from the historical books, had a history research team, had taken permission from the rajput family, which jodha belonged to.. etc.. etc.. But he also says that this film is 30 % history and 70 % his imagination.. not a 100 % historical movie.. What an idea!!!!

As a responsible citizen he should not have tried to distort history.

cheers,
sujithra

I have got the movie but havn't watched still. This week end watched Halla Bol. It is a nice one life of an actor who in the beginning is heartless becoz he wants himself to be more popular and when he comes back as a human what will happen to him.

Dear Vanaja
These directors hardly studies the history even in movie Ashoka it is all masala movie.............

Originally Posted by srinivasan_vanaja

hi,

If this message of yours is really true, then the movie turn out to be a great blunder. This will put the director into a lot of mental stress and agony. I really feel for the directors and actors who have worked for not doing the deep study of the history.

Has the director did not consult with the descendants of Mughal Empire? Very sad.

Madam,
As far as i know Gulf news reports only authentic matters..so then it is the authenticity of the movie director that has to be questioned....the hue and cry that the film has created in North India would not have been raised for nothing..
Sumitha

Originally Posted by sumitha

Madam,
As far as i know Gulf news reports only authentic matters..so then it is the authenticity of the movie director that has to be questioned....the hue and cry that the film has created in North India would not have been raised for nothing..
Sumitha

Dear Sumitha,

Well, the Director could have made a romantic movie with Hrithik and Ash in the lead instead of this historical one. All the talents are wasted.