Knock down Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar if Mughals were so horrible: Naseeruddin Shah

Unlike his peers, Bollywood veteran Naseeruddin Shah has always been transparent about his displeasure with growing intolerance in India. The actor, who has worked in several hit Indian films, is gearing up for a project of a lifetime; Shah is all set to essay Mughal Emperor Akbar in the upcoming web series, Taj - Divided by Blood.

While Shah had once shared that he doesn't feel safe as a Muslim in his country, he has now relayed his reservations about Mughals being vilified onscreen and by the ruling party in India. And this amuses Shah, instead of making him angry. From changes being sought in 40 villages with ‘Mughal-era’ names to renaming the historic Mughal Gardens at the Rashtrapati Bhavan as ‘Amrit Udyan’, there have been attempts to alter history.

In an interview with The Indian Express, the Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na actor commented, “It amuses me because it is so utterly ridiculous. I mean, people can’t tell the difference between Akbar and a murderous invader like Nader Shah or Babar’s great-grandfather Taimur. These were people who came here to loot, the Mughals didn’t come here to loot. They came here to make this their home and that’s what they did. Who can deny their contribution?”

The actor says anyone who blames the Mughals for the 'downfall' of India, doesn't really understand the history of the country. That being said, Shah believes there have been instances where history has been kind to the Muslim emperors.

“Sure they are not the only ones. In school, unfortunately, history dwelled mainly on the Mughals or the British. We knew about Lord Hardy, Lord Cornwallis and about the Mughal emperors, but we didn’t know about the Gupta dynasty, the Maurya dynasty, the Vijayanagara Empire, the history of the Ajanta caves, or about the northeast," he said, adding,"We didn’t read any of these things because history was written by the Englishmen or the Anglophiles and I think that’s really unfair. So what people are saying is to some extent true, that the Mughals have been glorified at the expense of our own indigenous traditions. Perhaps that’s true, (But) there is no need to villainise them either.”

Shah went on to comment that if the Mughal empire was so demonic, then why don’t those who oppose it “knock down” the monuments they have built. “If everything they did was horrible, then knock down the Taj Mahal, knock down the Red Fort, knock down Qutub Minar. Why do we consider the Red Fort sacred, it was built by a Mughal. We need not glorify them, but there is no need to vilify them either," the actor retorted. “Tipu Sultan is vilified! A man who gave his life to drive the English away. (And it’s now being said), ‘Do you want Tipu Sultan or the Ram Temple?’ I mean, what kind of logic is this? I don’t think there is room for debate, because they can’t ever see my point of view and I can’t ever see theirs,” he added.

Taj – Divided by Blood encapsulates the reign of King Akbar (Shah) who is on a quest to find a worthy successor to continue his legacy that consequently leads to a bloody battle between his sons for the throne. Unlike most rose-tinted romantic stories from the Mughal era, Taj – Divided by Blood promises to be full of drama, politics and tragedy. Jealousy, deceit and betrayal; love, lust, and romance would also be focal points of the story. As seen in the trailer, arts, poetry and architecture take centre stage while the bloody war of succession in the quest for power rage on.

Written by Simon Fantauzzo and directed by Ron Scalpello, Taj – Divided by Blood stars Shah as King Akbar, Hydari as Anarkali, Aashim Gulati as Prince Salim, Taha Shah Badussha as Prince Murad, Shubham Kumar Mehra as Prince Daniyal, Sandhya Mridul as Queen Jodha Bai, Zareena Wahab as Queen Salima, Queen Ruqaiya Begum as Padma Damodaran, Rahul Bose as Mirza Hakim and Dharmendra as Sheikh Salim Chishti.

Hydari, who plays Anarkali in the war-themed series, told Hindustan Times that she was afraid to essay the role. “When I was asked to play Anarkali I was afraid as much as I was excited. Anarkali is an iconic character, her beauty and grace were considered unparalleled and enchanting beyond one’s imagination. I was intimidated at first and especially because of how it’s been portrayed by the mesmerising Madhubala in Mughal-e-Azam,” she said.

Inspired by true events, Taj – Divided by Blood, a 10-part succession and family drama series, will stream on the OTT platform Zee5 from March 3, 2023.

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