Season one of Taj, with the slogan Divided by Blood, is currently moving on to season two, with the tagline Reign of Revenge. With Aditi Rao Hydari out of the picture, it’s up to Aashim Gulati, Shubham Kumar Mehra, and Sauraseni Maitra to carry on the heritage, and the performers are sincere but also little out of their depth in important passages that demand grit and seriousness.
This series, which is presently available on Zee5, features four authors and two cinematographers. As a result, the naiveté of the performances is frequently compensated for by stunning camerawork.
Veteran actors Dharmendra and Naseeruddin Shah, as expected, enhance the show with their presence, aura, and performances. Dharmendra has about six decades of acting experience, whereas Shah has five. The pair can do no wrong with over a hundred years of combined expertise in the same frame. Tahalka, an Anil Sharma hit from 1992, is still a guilty pleasure.
This show’s theme and subtext cannot be so, given that it is based on Mughal history and the difficulties Akbar faced, and several conversations by both Shah and Dharmendra touch home, the type of things one desires to recite to friends and family in real life.
It’s a pity that anything attempted in this realm gets compared to the universe of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and SS Rajamouli. Taj will not be able to escape that beast. It makes an effort to humanise practically all of its characters, particularly Salim. He desires love more than he desires the kingdom.
The first episode finished on an almost frightening note, with the camera zooming straight into Anarkali’s (Hydari) eyes when she overhears Salim and Jodha’s talk. It’s also admirable how newbie Shubham Kumar integrates his vulnerability into the part he portrays here. He’s vulnerable and terrified, yet he has his own sexual tastes. However, these excellent performances and situations do not come together to produce a logical whole.
Taj: Reign of Revenge – Season 2 – Trailer
