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Day 347 of 365 of
my year long challengeWeek 50: Bollywood
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Epic in every sense of the word,
Mughal-E-Azam is a lavish and grand story of forbidden love.
Without a male heir to carry on his legacy, Emperor Akbar (Prithviraj Kapoor) undertakes a pilgrimage to pray for a son. When his prayers are answered, Akbar is rewarded with a son and thus, rewards the maid who brought the news. Privileged and spoiled, the Prince, Salim (Dilip Kumar), is sent to war in order to grow up. When he returns many years later, Salim falls in love with a dancer, Anarkali (Madhubala). With disapproval from his father and passion in his heart, Salim raises an army to rescue his now imprisoned love and change the course of his life.
Standing side by side with the great tragic love stories of history, it's nearly impossible not to like and even love
Mughal-E-Azam. Based very, very loosely on history,
Mughal-E-Azam takes the legend of an indulgent prince who led a rebellion against his father and spun it into this epic tale of love. It may be problematic in regards to accuracy and legitimising a power hungry rebellion but it makes for such a good story it almost doesn't matter. Indeed, most of this is beside the point and has little bearing upon the film.
What we want, and fortunately what we get, is a bittersweet love story we can sink our teeth into. Populated by characters that are larger than life too, this is an exotic world that fantasies are made of. Opulence is everywhere and yet, the lavish palace, costumes and battles never feel out of place. Nothing here is pushed too far and the detailed craftsmanship that has gone into constructing this world is of the highest quality. When the film heads outside and sets itself up for spectacular battle sequences, the grandeur remains the same as we are in awe of the scale of both the crowds on screen and the landscape surrounding them. Bright, colourful and detailed, there's so much for the eye to feast upon.
Matching this, the cast is well chosen, well performed and suitably big. Watching Kumar grow up and become the dashing, stoic hero is a sight to behold and his protestations of love, life and identity make him a hopeless and romantic idealist we all dream of being. We genuinely come to know and believe him with the praise roundly going to Kumar. Likewise, Kapoor exudes power and respect as the Emperor forced to live according to his duty. He's never the villain despite this and you feel for him as his story comes to bookend the film itself.
As detailed as this world is, what becomes most striking and most delightful to note is the dialogue. It always remains ordinary and easy to follow but it feels almost poetic. Still, it wastes no time and gets to the point in the most beautiful way possible.
Mughal-E-Azam is a film that understands the power of its words and wastes no breath.
For the beauty of its words, its world and its characters,
Mughal-E-Azam finds itself telling a bittersweet love story that ought to stand alongside the likes of Romeo and Juliet, Antony and Cleopatra, Gatsby and Daisy. this is an epic in every sense possible and you know what, history be damned, let love reign.
