Taj- Reign of Revenge (Episode 7 and 8) review: Naseeruddin Shah's show gets darker and denser

Cast: Dharmendra, Naseeruddin Shah, Aashim Gulati, Shubham Kumar Mehra, Sauraseni Maitra

Director: Ron Scalpello

Language: Hindi

Taj on Zee5 has moved on from Divided by Blood and entered into the territory of Reign of Revenge. The show is nearing an end of its barbaric narrative and the complexities of the characters’ relationships. Naseeruddin Shah performs with elan even after five decades and so do the actors with him who are way less experienced than he his.

With Aditi Rao Hydari eliminated from the show and the scene, it’s now up to Aashim Gulati, Shubham Kumar Mehra & Sauraseni Maitra to take the legacy forward and the actors are indeed earnest but also slightly out of depth in key scenes that require grit and gravitas. This series that’s now streaming on Zee5 has been credited with four writers and two cinematographers. So what happens is that the naïveté in the performances is often compensated by staggering camerawork.

The subject and sub text of this show cannot be so, given it’s based on Mughal history and the conflicts Akbar went through, and some dialogues by both Shah and Dharmendra hit hard, the kind of likes one wishes to recite to friends and family in real.

It’s nothing but a curse that whatever in this space has been attempted is compared directory to the world of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and SS Rajamouli. Taj cannot escape that monster. It does try its best to humanize nearly all its characters, especially that of Salim. He yearns for love more than pining for the throne. The first episode ended on an almost haunting note, the camera zoomed straight into the gleam in Anarkali’s (Hydari) eyes when she overhears the conversation between Salim and Jodha. Also commendable is how debutant Shubham Kumar’s vulnerability blends into the role he plays here. He’s fragile and frightened, and has his own sexual preferences. But these pieces of impressive performances and scenes don’t come together to make one coherent show.

But is it still over? Time to wait and watch.

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