Naseeruddin Shah opens up about the misconceptions on Mughal Emperor Akbar

Naseeruddin Shah recently shared his insights on the history and debunked numerous misconceptions about the Mughals, Akbar, and Din-e-Elahi in an interview.

Naseeruddin Shah has taken on the role of Mughal Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar in the upcoming web series, ‘Taj: Divided By Blood’. He is joined by veteran actor Dharmendra, who plays Shaikh Salim Chishti, and Aditi Rao Hydari and Sandhya Mridul, who portray the characters of Anarkali and Queen Jodhaa respectively.

In the interview, Naseeruddin Shah spoke about his understanding of history in the 50s and early 60s, when the British influence was still strong. He recalled how in history books, Akbar was portrayed as a benevolent, kind-hearted, broad-minded and progressive ruler, with the only blemish being his desire to start a new religion. However, upon further research, Shah found out that Akbar had never attempted to start a new religion or never used the phrase Din-e Elahi, and that his belief was Wahdat-e Elahi, which meant the oneness of the creator, which means no matter how one chooses to worship - be it a stone, a crucifix, the Kaaba, or the rising sun, they are ultimately worshipping the same thing.




Naseeruddin expressed his objections about the misinformation about Mughal emperor Akbar that was spread by Abul Fazal, the historian. He spoke with the writers of the series and was glad to find his concerns were taken into account.

‘Taj: Divided by Blood’ is all set to hit the screens on March 3 on the OTT platform Zee5 and will be available in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The web series follows Akbar, the Mughal emperor’s journey to find the successor of his empire. As the series progresses, viewers will witness the fall of the future generations of his dynasty.

FAQ

Q1- When did Naseeruddin Shah make his acting debut?
Naseeruddin Shah made his acting debut in the 1967 movie, Aman.

Q2- Who is the director of Taj: Divided By Blood?
Ron Scalpello