Taj: Divided By Blood Could Not Impress The Audience!

Aditi Rao Hydari as Anarkali is reticent but manages to pull off a tough role in limited screen time.

Taj: Divided by Blood is the story of the reign of Emperor Akbar (an exalted Naseeruddin Shah) when he announced that his successor would be chosen on the basis of merit and not a hierarchy. Now here is an Emperor who is, at least in part, clearly opposed to nepotism. This announcement means that his three sons, Princes Salim (Aashim Gulati), Murad (Taha Shah), and Daniyal (Shubham Kumar Mehra), begin to wonder how they can rise to the throne with the help of ambitious courtiers. However, Salim is more interested in
wine and concubines, and Anarkali (Aditi Rao Hydari) particularly caught his eye. The Emperor must now contend with this internal struggle while also dealing with the threats of his half-brother Mirza Hakim (Rahul Bose) and Rajput king Maharana Pratap (Deep Raj Rana).

The show focuses more on court politics and schemes than large-scale battles, which are also present but largely remain in the background. This Game of Thrones-like approach sets the show apart from previous Indian retellings of historical fiction.

Also, Read- Tom Hiddleston Is Set To Return For The Night Manager Season 2

Taj’s USP is its performers and meticulous research. Any history buff could see how the show pulls together many historically accurate details and of course, weaves them into the narrative with some creative liberties. And then you have actors of the caliber of Naseeruddin Shah leading from the front. Akbar is more menacing and colder than in previous depictions of the monarch. But where the show fails is with the three princes. With stereotypical characters and broken dialogue, the young actors fail to deliver.

Aditi Rao Hydari as Anarkali is reticent but manages to pull off a tough role in limited screen time. Her interactions with Akbar are great, but the lack of chemistry between Salim and Anarkali hurts her. We never see why they fall in love and how this is supposed to be the romance that shakes the foundations of an empire. The two highlights in terms of acting for me were the actors who played the Rajput kings.

Taj Divided By Blood swears by a promising premise and great actors simply because the story lacks depth and the characters feel one-dimensional, almost fake. Why did such approaches work internationally in the Kingdom of Heaven and Game of Thrones? Because they combined the story with a modern approach to dramatic storytelling in such a way that the result seemed modern, but the setting was still medieval. Taj doesn’t think that balance is quite right. He always looks and feels out of place, almost out of time. Then the dialogue, which should be the strength of a show like this, does him a great disservice with hammy lines and amateurish delivery.

Also, Read- Vishal Bhardwaj’s New Series Based On Agatha Christie Novel