BOOYWOOD: Reel, Real Jodhabai

Historians are more or less unanimous that Jodhabai, the so-called Hindu queen of Akbar and Jehangir's mother, is nothing more than a yarn spun by scriptwriters of Bollywood. Director Ashuthosh Gowarikar is, therefore, only restating an historical fiction in his next film. But one sees no harm in tweaking history to make a flick so long as it is interesting and the movie-maker keeps the records straight. As did Ketan Mehta when he made The Rising. After all, one does not watch a movie to learn history. This, of course, is not to deny that the Kachhwaha Rajputs of Amber, who were ancestors of the later rulers of Jaipur, had given a daughter to the Mughals. She was the daughter of Bhagwandas, ruler of Amber, who was uncle and predecessor of Man Singh. Her name is lost in obscurity but she was married to prince Saleem and was the mother of Khusro. Was there a real Jodhabai? And if yes, what role did she play in the Mughul court? Noted historian James Tod provided the answers in his magnum opus Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, first published as Annals of Rajputana in 1832.

The author mentions that there indeed was a Jodhabai, daughter of Raj Singh. She was married to Jehangir. And yes, she called the shots in the Mughal court. To give just one instance, she used her influence with Jehangir to secure the throne of Amber for Jey Singh, the grandson of Jagat Singh. It was no small feat. For, it was achieved against the wishes, and much to the dismay of the all-powerful Noor Jehan. This Jodhabai must have been a remarkable woman. It is said that when Jehangir asked Jey Singh (who was later conferred with the title of Mirza), to make a salaam to the queen as a token of gratitude to her, he refused saying it was against the tradition of the Rajputs. This was no small effrontery to a Mughal queen. But Jodhabai not only made light of this by laughing but also bade the new prince of Amber well.

Perhaps it's time the film-makers of Bollywood gave up their obsession with the fictional Jodhabai and planned a film on the real one. It would make a far more interesting movie.