The Grand Style

For me,Mughal-e-Azam is a masterpiece because of the time period in which it was filmed. By stringing together art,music,photography and history,director K Asif was able to convey a magnificent sense of the era. The film had a strong nationalist,even Nehruvian,aspect to it: Akbar Prithviraj Kapoor has shades of Jawaharlal Nehrus mild and benevolent aura. There are also images that reflect the secular fabric of Indian society. For instance,in one scene,a trusted commander of Salim gets fatally wounded when he tries to protect Anarkali and she spreads her veil over his wound,something no Muslim woman is expected to do for a stranger.

I first saw the film on Doordarshan as a student. Ive watched it almost every year since. But it only began making sense to me after graduating from St Stephens College,Delhi,when I started to analyse the political aspect of cinema.

The other intriguing aspect of the film is the use of poetry in the dialogue,which is the highest form of writing in a film and gives it a timeless quality. There are people who have memorised all the dialogues of the film. It also displays great moments of power in a subtle manner. I recall a scene where Salim and Anarkali are in a garden and are disturbed by a commotion in the background. Salim simply pivots to the camera and commands the person to appear in his court. That power equation,that sense of command is visible throughout the film.

I dont think I can ever make a film like that. It has an endearing innocence,unlike the stark nature of my cinema.

As told by Anusha Rizvi