The period film Jodha-Akbar has been much criticized for its historical incorrectness. Historians have correctly pointed out that there is little (if any) accuracy in the way the relationship between Akbar (real) and Jodha (maybe ficticious) has been portrayed. The fact is that Akbar had many wives and many love interests. Therefore, for historians and intellectuals alike there is not much to take away. To be fair, Ashutosh Gowariker has also been honest with the audience as he has claimed that his movie is 30% history and 70% imagination.
At this point, would you (the reader) laugh at me if I were to say that the movie has much more to offer to the politicians and the bureaucrats of US than to the average movie goers?
The movie claims that it was under the leadership of Akbar that for the first time Hindustan was viewed as a secular country. (Do not know the historical correctness of the same-would like to believe it) Also, Akbar’s stand on granting equal status to Hindus was a political stand, something that was necessitated by the fact that his predecessor had failed to rule Hindustan. A lesson in management perhaps that a true leader has to often take a populist decision and yet always do the right things and communicate the importance of his/her action. Perhaps the US needs to take a few lessons from this movie for it has been their mismanagement that has resulted in all the political and economic chaos in Iraq. The US has always tried to assert itself as the superpower that has won the cold war and believes that the rest of the world needs to fall in line with its definition of right/wrong. The US missions, whether it was Vietnam or Iraq, has always been the same as that of the Afghans and the Uzbeks that Akbar mentions in this movie; conquer, loot, and run! Akbar was magnanimous to let off the head of the state that was conquered irrespective of whether it was a political/humane decision. The US was barbaric to have hanged Saddam Hussain after they captured him and therefore has earned the wrath of the Islamic world.
History repeats itself! I wonder how the historians would depict US; like the Akbar’s Mughals or the Afghans and the Uzbeks?
P.S: I am not anti-US! My endeavor is to highlight the few political blunders that the US has made that has scarred the rest of the world. (Islamic and non-Islamic) The wounds inflicted may take ages to heal. The US needs to do a re-think and atone for its past misadventures in its best interest and in the best interest of World Peace.
This entry was posted on Thursday, February 21st, 2008 (I migrated from blog.co.in)
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