HUMOUR
K.Asif Se Bhi Aage..
You might be wondering who was this Jodhabai who is creating so much commotion four hundred years after her time. Is Jodhabai a real person who walked on this earth hundreds of years ago, or she is just a figment of imagination like Anarkali?
Two blocbusters were made on the romance of Anarkali and Prince Salim. One was Filmistan’s “Anarkali” and the other was K. Asif’s “Mughal-E-Azam” in early and late Fifties respectively.
K. Asif called his film “Mughal-E-Azam,” but it was the same story of the romance of Anarkali and Salim. In both these films, Jodhabai was shown as the Patrani of Akbar and the mother of his only son Salim.
“Anarkali” was a super hit and “Mughal-E-Azam” created its own history as a super duper hit. At that time nobody talked about the depiction of Akbar and Jodhabai as husband and wife as travesty of history.
I’m quite intrigued on hearing so much noise about Ashutosh Gowariker’s “Jodha Akbar” being a travesty of history and an insult to Rajput pride. I did my own research.
My finding is.
Akbar had several wives, some of them Rajputs. Akbar’s first Rajput wife was the eldest daughter of Raja Bharmal of Ajmer and her maiden name was Hira Kunwar. Among Akbar’s wives, three were classified as ‘chief queens.’
Akbar’s first queen was Ruqaiyya begum, second was Salima Sultan, the widow of his most trusted general and mentor Bairam Khan. Hira was Akbar’s third chief queen. Even then she was 22 days older than Akbar. Salima, the widow of Bairam must have been much older. Napolean’s first wife was older than him. Shakespeare’s wife was also older than him. Marrying older women appears to be an aspect of great men’s character.
Hira Kunwari was also called Harkha Bai. According to Rajasthani custom, she was called Maan Kunwari after her marriage. It is said, she was converted to Islam and was given the title of Mariam-uz-Zamani