Season 2 'Taj: Divided by Blood' starts with a leap of 15 years after the events of the first season. A few minutes long recap montage certainly doesn't do justice to the years of plotting, scheming and blood that was spilled in Season 1. One has to watch it in totality to understand and enjoy what happens next. And it's no spoiler when we say it has a lot to do with power-hungry royals baying for each other's blood and women unsuccessfully trying to wrestle control over the men and their actions. In the first three episodes on which this review is based, there is a lot more familial tension and backstabbing than any external threat to Badshah Akbar's Mughal Empire that is going through its most challenging phase.
Vibhu Puri who takes over the directorial reign from Ron Scalpelo lets the story flow seamlessly with all the hallmarks of the show firmly in place. But now since the gloves are off, it's a lot more cut and dry. The relationship between the royal siblings and even their offspring continues to be strained beyond repair. The pace of the screenplay remains quite swift but there's less action. It's hard not to miss the hot-headed Prince Murad (Taaha Shah Badussha), who was always raking up conflicts and spilling blood. Daniyal's (Shubham Kumar Mehra) coming into his own makes up for it somewhat and the show continues to be unpredictably savage.
This season too opens with veteran superstar Dharmendra as Sheikh Salim Chisti predicting dark times and doom for Emperor Akbar. His make-up and costumes completely transform him into the character and his strong and iconic voice leaves the desired impact of his words. This time though we feel dialogues are a lot better overall. They are much in sync with the royal times depicted in the show. Aashim Gulati is impressive as Salim, the wronged heir apparent. Naseeruddin Shah's natural restraint and skill in playing a complex and iconic character like that of Emperor Akbar is put to such good use here. He is perhaps the best choice for the job. Women are once again relegated to either being abused by men or scheming (often in vain) to make their place in the pages of history. Once again, the makers take a stab at enough cinematic liberties to thicken the plot with gory twists and turns.
The legend of Emperor Akbar and the Mughal Empire is soaked in blood and on screen it has always made for a riveting tale of complex human relations and ambition. In its second season, 'Taj: Divided by Blood' continues to deliver on every count that was expected from it after a thrilling and engaging first season.
Note: This review is based on the first three episodes and will be updated after the rest of the episodes are watched.
In-depth Analysis
overall critic's rating is not an average of the sub scores below.
Direction:
4.5/5
Dialogues:
3.5/5
Screenplay:
3.5/5
Action:
3.0/5
Visual appeal:
5/5.