Mughal-E-Azam: Indian Film Analysis

Introduction

Mughal-E-Azam is an Indian film directed by Asif, which was made in 1960 and became a record-breaking box-office success in India. This work of cinematic art received high critical acclaim and earned many awards and nominations in many countries around the world. The plot of the picture unfolds within the family relationship of the imperial family of Akbar and Jolly¹. Their son Salim grows into a strong and courageous man as he matures and shows great promise. He has learned all the skills necessary for a true warrior and heir to a great father. After a while, the young man falls in love with the girl Anarkali, who is engaged in dancing and, by origin, does not match the level of the eminent family ². Realizing that his family would not approve of such an alliance, Salim decides to propose to the girl anyway. The dancer is ready to reciprocate, also aware that she will be beyond the grace of the Imperial family.

Discussion

In making the film, the director was inspired by the work of playwright Imtiaz Ali Tadj, who created a similar literary work in 1922. The historical context of the work is rather poorly presented, as the prototypes of the plot events are exclusively legends with no documentary evidence³. The true events are believed to date back to the 16th century, which is the period that the filmmaker was trying to recreate in his life of Armine.

It is important to note that there have been many attempts to film this legend. A silent picture was first released in 1928 and was later dubbed. It was this work that influenced the director’s desire to create a fuller, more colorful and technologically advanced version of the story. In the middle of the 20th century, the shooting and organization of the project, which faced many difficulties, was started⁴. Already at the stage of development of the script, there were many contradictions, but this was primarily a testament to the painstaking work done by the entire team. Since the original work of literature was written in Urdu, the scriptwriters had the important task of reproducing the flavor of this dialect⁵. They managed to do without any reservation, enriching the language of the characters with exotic expressive means.

The main characters of the film, as is typical for Indian pictures, are portrayed through a romantic perspective. Some of their features are hyperbolized in order to convey the archetype more accurately. Anarkali is portrayed as a strong, understanding, devoted woman, with her key trait determining the general perception on the part of the audience, being her sacrifice for love. It is this quality that makes the story particularly dramatic and makes critics refer to the film primarily as a beautiful work of love. The archetype of the warrior who steadfastly believes he is right is represented in the character of Akbar. He is a strong-willed man who is aware of the sub-genius of his power but does not abuse it, but there is a great deal of cruelty in his character⁶. The type of victim is represented in the character of Salim, who is forced to suffer because of his inability to build a family with the woman he loves. He is courageous and ready to go all the way in his intentions, but circumstances prove stronger.

Using visual elements, the film makes a vivid impression thanks to the lighting, camerawork, and mise-en-scene. The camera details all the subtleties of the characters’ emotions in close-up, which makes the picture quite dramatic. The lighting is arranged in such a configuration that the human figure is almost never in shadow. This illustrates the director’s approach to the representation of personality in the work. The mise-en-scene involves the arrangement of the characters in such a way that it is obvious to the viewer from this how the relationship between them is formed. This is especially evident in the moment with the struggle of the characters, where one can see from Salim’s positioning that he is about to be defeated.

In terms of music, the director remains consistent in his choice of lyrics and composer. For the entire film, the soundtrack was created by Naushad and Badayouni. Their collaborative work harmoniously complements the visual component of the film, showing the true drama of the situation. Often the music hinted that something catastrophic was going to happen in advance, with disturbing motifs and lyrics. The most vivid feeling was caused by the episode of the emergence of Salim’s love for the girl, which was accompanied by particularly expressive music. In visual aesthetics, the moment of the father-son struggle is outstanding, with each fighting for his ideals and having an equal chance to be the winner. Finally, an important trigger point in the film is the moment when the emperor rescues the girl from her imprisonment in the wall, but drives her out of the kingdom⁷. The acting is particularly strong in this episode, which represents the complexity of the decision being made.

The work of the cast, which showed their best side during the filming of the film, should be noted. Madhubala and many of her colleagues gave up lightweight sets and stunt work in order to make the emotions look more believable. For example, the actress refused to wear lightweight chains during filming in order to portray the depth of suffering.⁸ Overall, the entire film is a multidimensional quality work. In terms of sound, visuals, dramaturgy, costumes, and promotion, the director was able to achieve the maximum possible success for that context. This is evidenced by the numerous awards, as well as the fact that similar pictures released over the years have not been able to compete with this work.

Sholay Analysis

Sholay is the work of Ramesh Sippy, which is one of Bollywood’s most popular and commercially successful works. This work has garnered a large number of awards and accolades and is regarded worldwide as a classic example of a good Indian action film. The film was made in 1975 and has been at the box office for several years since then, which is an important indicator of success in the film industry⁹. The plot of the work is based on the story of policeman Thakur.

He once caught two criminals engaged in robbery, yet at a certain point, the inmates had to defend themselves together with the inspector against the attack. The characters and the circumstances in which they find themselves give the film a comic effect. This is influenced by the music and the overall aesthetic arrangement of the picture, which makes each element of the story interesting¹⁰. The adventures of the characters combine the ideals of kindness, unity in the face of a common enemy, worldly weaknesses, altruism, and many other important aspects.

The historical context of the film is limited by the fact that the stories of the criminals had real prototypes from the 1950s. The screenwriters offered their work to many directors, and it was Ramesh who was able to see the great potential for cinematography in the story¹¹. It is important to note that the original version of the script was changed, perhaps because of political considerations¹². An important role was played by the economic aspect of those realities when theft and crime, in general, were more prevalent¹³.The main character was supposed to have a military profession, but the director decided to soften his image and make him a policeman, as this would be easier for society to accept.

All the characters in the film can be divided into two groups, including the obvious evil and complex characters who want to stop the latter. The villain archetype includes the outlaw Gabbara, who has more than once left Indian villages defeated. From this character, with whom fighting is necessary and is the sacred duty of a policeman, the director has built the characters of the other characters. Thakur understands the necessity of catching this criminal not out of formal necessity but out of a sincere desire to make life easier for his fellow citizens. It is important to him, hence, he decides to cooperate with other criminals. The man is ready to trust them because he has managed to discern in them the necessary human qualities, including decency and compassion.

In filmmaking, the camera work, and in particular the technical component, must be mentioned first. For the first time this film was shot on 70mm film, which is reflected in the quality of the image. In terms of mise-en-scene, the work is a typical action film, representing primarily people on the move¹⁴. The lighting schemes are structured in such a way that, as in most Bollywood films, the focus is on the expressions of human emotion on the face.

The sound component is innovative because this film was recorded with stereo sound. Complex musical motifs are used in the work, hence, the technological representation was an important aid. The film features the motifs of an already existing song by Roussos, the singer’s pitch and outstanding vocal data made the soundtrack of this film popular¹⁵. The role of music in this film is to accompany the dynamics of the plot.

The most striking moments in terms of sentiment were evident in different parts of the film. In the plot, when the policeman sees that the thieves have not taken advantage of his vulnerability, there is a vivid sense of hope that the characters will form a strong tandem. In the middle of the film, when the characters’ cooperation undergoes many trials, there is a sense of what genuine mutual support means. Finally, the moment of Thakur’s fight with the outlaw is a triggering one, when the viewer clearly experiences a sense of triumph over evil and injustice.¹⁶ It is worth noting in the organization of the plot, there are two ways in which the central villain will be defeated. Gabbar can be defeated physically and die in the fight by accident, the director offers an alternative, more ethically correct, where the man is arrested and sent to trial.

Thus, this film is a prime example of a successful action film built on the principle of uniting unusual heroes in the face of evil. Presenting the story through the prism of absurdity and comicism made the work particularly memorable and approached the audience’s feelings through the simplicity and honesty of the characters. The non-ideality of the characters is one of the most important traits that allowed the film to become so popular and recognizable.

Asoka Analysis

Asoka is Sivan’s film, one of Bollywood’s most successful works on epic themes. The plot of the film is based on historical events taking place in India in the 3rd century B.C. The director tells the audience about the journey of becoming Emperor Asoka, filled with difficult trials and challenges¹⁷. The story is related to the active internecine struggles taking place in the state at the time. The future great emperor is forced to fight for the throne with his half-brother, protecting his blood relatives¹⁸. The last part of the plot is related to the man’s religious quest and his becoming the head of a new state in which, thanks to Ahsoka, Buddhism is established as the dominant religion. As a whole the picture is full of drama and pathos. It gives the audience a sense of the significance and importance of the events that took place in those times in modern India.

What is known about the context of the film is that the director was inspired by the ideas of representation of that period, after a long study of the subject in historical documents. Data on that era was collected over a period of two years, and only then did the filmmakers start shooting directly¹⁹. During the preparation, it turned out a lot of unobvious facts about that era, which were displayed in the film²⁰. For example, some of the male characters were depicted without shirts, as in the 3rd century, body painting was a significant part of the culture.

In terms of archetypes, in this work, the director portrays an obvious conquering hero in the person of Ahsoka. He is alien to weakness, hypocrisy, lack of willpower and other human vices. The women in this movie are presented as tender, sometimes defenseless, but wise people, capable of giving fateful advice. In the case of the protagonist, it was a love story that revealed in him the need to spread Buddhism²¹. As is common to many historical epics, the story features the archetype of absolute evil in the person of Ahsoka’s half-brother.

Among the elements of the film, the relative technological sparsity should be noted. The director eschewed expensive special effects, allowing the sets, camerawork and lighting to express all the necessary ideas. Because the film depicts long-distance movement, the author was careful to ensure that the flora changed significantly as Ahsoka moved south. The set designers changed not only the vegetation, but also the color of the soil.

The lighting plays the role of a predictor of events in the film, as each scheme creates an unambiguous readout of the episode’s tone. Thanks to the latter, the viewer can understand which event follows from the present one. The camerawork is of high quality, provided that there are almost no special effects, however, the plot combines simplicity and pathos of historical events²². A significant element in the construction of this film are the close-ups depicting the wanderings of the main character. This is a typical element for historical epics, but within the framework of the specific work, this technique is used to represent the main character. The author seeks to portray the scale of Ahsoka’s personality, through his wanderings across many kilometers of deserts, his desire to participate in large-scale battles, to conquer palaces. The great distances also testify to the power and grandeur of the state in which the events unfold. This further underscores the important role the hero played in Indian life.

Music in the film is quite a successful component, as many of the songs have become popular beyond the box office. The motifs created for the background contribute primarily to the awareness of the historical significance of the events taking place and the complexity of the decisions made by the protagonist. The sound section allows the audience to gain a deeper understanding of the inner state of the future emperor.

The main emotional points of the film are the moments of the protagonist’s transition to a new stage in life. The moment of confrontation with his half-brother evokes feelings of anger and injustice. The main character’s love affair on the journey captivates the audience and brings the character closer emotionally. The final moment of the film, showing the emperor’s achievement, evokes a sense of pathos and pride in the man’s success²³. The denouement in the story allows viewers to see how difficult the journey has been and how significant historical consequences the man’s actions have had. The protagonist sought to act out of conscience and justice and his determination and perseverance were rewarded with massive success.

Conclusion

Critics leave mostly positive evaluations of this film. Many experts note the depth of thought and the literacy of the plot. However, some do not agree with the way Ahsoka is portrayed, noting that his image seems overly idealized. Despite the ambiguity of the image of the main character, the film itself became quite successful, and a mini-series was produced some time later²⁴. Thus, this film is a historical epic built according to all the genre rules. The scrupulousness of the director’s work and the depth of research of the period allowed the work to look interesting and win against the competition. The authors correctly chose the most key moments from the emperor’s life, which allowed to make the story multidimensional and interesting for different segments of the audience.

References

Amrohi, Kamal, ed. 1960. Mughal-e-Azam. Directed by Karim Asif. Sterling Investment Corporation, 2 hr., 37 min. Web. (Aman (screenwriter), Naushad (composer), R. D. Mathur (cinematographer), Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, Durga Khote (starring), playback singers are unknown.)

Albinski, Henry S. 1958. “The Place of the Emperor Asoka in Ancient Indian Political Thought.” Midwest Journal of Political Science 2 (1): 62. Web.

“Asoka.” 2019. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web.

Dalrymple, William. 2018. “Art Treasures of the Mughal Empire.” The Guardian. Web.

“Filming Locations for Asoka (Ashoka the Great) (2001), in India.” n.d. The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations. Web.

“Review on Asoka by MouthShut User.” n.d. Www.mouthshut.com. Web.

“Sholay: Interesting Facts about the Iconic Film.” n.d. The Times of India. Web.

“Sholay.” 2023. Wikipedia. Web.

Sippy, Ramesh, dir. 1975. Sholay. Sippy Films, 3hr., 24 min. Web.

(Salim–Javed (screenwriter), Burman (composer), Dwarka Divecha (cinematographer),

Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan (stars), Lata Mangeshkar (singer))

Sivan, Santosh, dir. 2001. Asoka. Dreamz Unlimited, 2hr., 56 min. Web.

(Saket Chaudhary (screenwriter), Anu Malik (composer), Santosh Sivan (cinematographer), Shah Rukh Khan, Ajith Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Hrishitaa Bhatt (stars), Sadhana Sargam (singer))

Tribune News. n.d. “‘Mughal E Azam’ at 60: One Man’s Quest for Perfection Created Celluloid History.” Tribuneindia News Service. Web.

Vishal Menon. n.d “Santosh Sivan on the Art of Cinematography.” Youtube. Web.

Warsi, Shakil. 2009. Mughal-e-Azam. New Dehli: Rupa.

“1950’S: Era of Wrong Turnings.” n.d. India Today. Web.

“1950s to 1970s: How India’s Economic DNA Got Hard-Coded.” n.d. Forbes India. Web.

“60 Years of Mughal-e-Azam: Why Millenials Should Watch the Iconic Film.” 2020. QnewsHub. Web.

Footnotes

1. Karim Asif. Mughal-e-Azam (Sterling Investment Corporation, 1960)
2. Shakil, Mughal-e-Azam (New Dehli: Rupa, 2009), 40.
3. Shakil, Mughal-e-Azam, 40.
4. Tribune News. “‘Mughal E Azam’ at 60: One Man’s Quest for Perfection Created Celluloid History.” (n.d.)
5. Dalrymple. “Art Treasures of the Mughal Empire.” (The Guardian, 2018).
6. “60 Years of Mughal-e-Azam: Why Millenials Should Watch the Iconic Film.” (2020)
7. “60 Years of Mughal-e-Azam: Why Millenials Should Watch the Iconic Film.” (2020)
8. “60 Years of Mughal-e-Azam: Why Millenials Should Watch the Iconic Film.” (2020)
9. Sippy, Ramesh, Sholay. (Sippy Films, 1975)
10. “Sholay: Interesting Facts about the Iconic Film.” (n.d.)
11. “Sholay.” (Wikipedia, 2023)
12. “1950’S: Era of Wrong Turnings.” (India Today, n.d.)
13. “1950s to 1970s: How India’s Economic DNA Got Hard-Coded.” (Forbes India, n.d.)
14. “Sholay: Interesting Facts about the Iconic Film.” (n.d.)
15. “Sholay: Interesting Facts about the Iconic Film.” (n.d.)
16. Sholay.” (Wikipedia, 2023)
17. Sivan, Santosh, Asoka. (Dreamz Unlimited, 2001)
18. “Asoka.” (Wikipedia, 2019)
19. “Asoka.” (Wikipedia, 2019)
20. Albinski. “The Place of the Emperor Asoka in Ancient Indian Political Thought.” (Midwest Journal of Political Science, 1958)
21. Vishal Menon. “Santosh Sivan on the Art of Cinematography.” (Youtube, n.d.)
22. “Filming Locations for Asoka (Ashoka the Great) (2001), in India.” (The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations, n.d.)
23. “Review on Asoka by MouthShut User.” (n.d)
24. “Asoka.” (Wikipedia, 2019)