What Is the Story About?
ZEE5’s new original series ‘Taj: Divided By Blood’ is a historical drama that centres on the Mughal dynasty, but offers a different perspective on the goings-on within the Empire. The narrative recounts the chequered history of the Mughals in India — but from the perspective of the bloodletting and infighting that plagued the dynasty, when brother killed brother with the sole aim of ascending the throne. It also looks at the decadence and debauchery that was an intrinsic trait of the Mughals. Season 1 of the series centres on Akbar (Naseeruddin Shah), his three sons Salim (Aashim Gulati), Murad (Taha Shah Badusshah), Daniyal (Shubham Kumar Mehra), and the conspiracies and betrayals surrounding them.
Taj: Divided By Blood is written by William Borthwick and Simon Fantauzzo, and directed by Ron Scalpello. It is produced by Contiloe Pictures.
Performances?
Naseeruddin Shah is the best thing about ‘Taj: Divided By Blood’. He brings his expertise and talent to his role of Akbar, despite the underwhelmingly written character. Aashim Gulati impresses as Prince Salim. Taha Shah Badusshah and Shubham Kumar Mehra do the needful as Murad and Daniyal. Rahul Bose is caricaturish as Mirza Hakim.
Zarina Wahab, Sandhya Mridul and Padma Damodaran are quite effective as Akbar’s queens, Salima, Jodha Bai and Rukaiya. Aditi Rao Hydari looks luminous as Anarkali, but there’s hardly any emoting needed from her to portray the character.
Subodh Bhave as Birbal, Digambar Prasad as Maan Singh, and Pankaj Saraswat as Abul Fazl, lend good support. The much-touted return of Dharmendra proves to be a damp squib. Though the veteran star looks and sounds fabulous in the show, he appears for all of two minutes on screen, and then, poof, no more is seen of him in the rest of the show.
Analysis?
The makers of Taj: Divided By Blood clearly have a fondness for HBO’s mega hit series, ‘Game Of Thrones’. Coz the show has a distinct likeness to GoT in terms of treatment and feel, carved from the same mould of excessiveness – excessive blood, gore and violence; sex and lust-driven orgies; scheming and conspiracies; of passion, ambition and betrayals, and more. It is perhaps the first time that a show or movie has told the age-old and oft-told history of the Mughals, dipped in the Game Of Thrones template.
But alas, merely aping a tried, tested and successful template doesn’t make a successful show. Taj: Divided By Blood has none of the gripping intrigue of Game Of Thrones, nor the high quality production values, VFX, or performing talent. The visual effects in the show leave a lot to be desired, with several coming across as mediocre and amateurish.
The story too is all over the place, with barely any substance to any track. The viewer is left none the enlightened, impressed or stirred by the end of the tedious ten-episode long show. The only thing we do learn by the end of Taj: Divided By Blood is that the Mughals were a heartless, bloodthirsty, not to say, debauched clan, with nary a thought for their own flesh and blood.
The casting of Taj: Divided By Blood is quite impressive. And still, no character leaves a lasting impression on the viewer. In fact, one feels only revulsion and loathing for each of them. For a short while, you do feel a tinge of affection for Prince Salim. But immediately after, his treatment of his newly wedded wife leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and any affection you may have felt for the character dissipates into thin air. No character in the overlong series is worth investing your time and attention in. Even the Salim – Anarkali romantic track feels like a sham in the series, leaving one yearning for Dilip Kumar and Madhubala’s passionate take of it.
Another thing that rankles in the period drama is the feel, treatment and dialogues in the show – they all feel contemporary, or at the most, of the late nineteenth century. At no time in the storytelling does it feel that the story is set in the 1500s. Was “Saali kameeni” — an abuse that one character in the series throws at another — used as far back as 1585? We think not.
To sum it up, Taj: Divided By Blood is no Game Of Thrones, which it tries to ape, nor a Mughal-e-Azam. It is just a storm in a teacup, one which will pass without leaving behind a trail or trace.
Music and Other Departments?
Ian Arber’s music is loud, on the nose and nothing to write home about. It is just about passable. Simon Temple and Tejal Shetye’s cinematography too is not as grand as a show of this scale deserves. It’s quite average. The editing is fine.
Highlights?
None in particular
Drawbacks?
Messy screenplay
Poor VFX
Unimpressive characters
Tedious runtime
Did I Enjoy It?
Not much
Will You Recommend It?
No; Watch it if you must, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Taj Divided By Blood Series Review by Binged Bureau
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