TAJ MAHAL

                          TAJ MAHAL

Taj Mahal is a 1958 Hindi Movie by Mushir Ahmad.Taj Mahal-The eternal symbol of

Love has become a universal idiom for the passion one has for one’s beloved.This reverential monument

is as lofty as the emotion of love.If ‘ ineffable love’ needs an equivalent what else can it be other than

this very miracle of Marble.Taj Mahal is the cynosure of India which made the entire world glance at her

and guess what? They couldn't help but call our Taj "The Wonder of the World!"The Incredible charm of

Taj Mahal is ubiquitous in the air.Therein one can feel the scent of love and the ecstasy it imparts.Shah

Jahan and his Beevi Mumtaz remain eternal beneath the gigantic domes of Taj.Taj Mahal is nothing less

than a beautiful piece of everlasting poetry, carved out of marble,proclaiming the greatness of eternal

love without even uttering a syllable.Every lover covets it and yearns to have a glimpse at the cupid and

his psyche buried within. Though it was built by Shah Jahan for his beloved Mumtaz,this splendid mausoleum

surpassed all barriers of language and culture,besides, it endured the test of time and still shimmers

with glory.

Though poetry requires embellishments and language is the prime requisite for a story this

formidable Poetic excellence deftly recounts the love saga of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz.There is none

who would look at Taj without wonder-filled eyes.This jewel of India remains as the best example for

Mughal Architectural Brilliance.Love conquers all but Taj Mahal conquered Love and made her reside in

it forever,so that if anyone has to witness True Love,the only option left is to spectate this incarnation of

Love in Marble. Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan as a memorial for his favourite wife Arjumand Banu

Begum.The construction of this awe-inspiring masterpiece was completed in 1648.Under the guidance

of Ustad Ahmad Lahouri ,Taj Mahal became the perfect amalgam of Indian,Islamic and Persian

Architecture.Shah Jahan's flair for Construction and his love for Mumtaz Begum were clearly reflected in

this immense Mausoleum.Shah Jahan outshone his father Salim in Love and his grandfather Akbar in

Architectural Perfection.

This Shrine which he carved for his love made all other lovers enshrine him in

their hearts.I marvel !How can a man love a woman so much so that he almost became insanely

desperate to canonize her and worship her!

When we say Taj Mahal is the Epitome of Indian Heritage,we should talk a bit about

Heritage Movies which are also called Historical Movies.This sort of movies depict a historical event or

the life of a historical figure to recount certain past events which had a lasting impact or which changed

the face of the nation in some way or the other.The themes of historical movies are mostly sombre

because they intend to acquaint people with some important events of a bygone era..

These movies are

mostly eulogical in nature-paying tribute to the heroes of their nations.They derive pride in recreating

the lives of their great men on Celluloid.The stalwarts of this genre include,The Master of Soviet

Montage-Sergei Eisenstein,D.W.Griffith,Carl Dreyer etc.Though this genre had its heyday after the

invention of CGI,our current movie hardly employed any graphics. Neither the Sultan nor his builders anticipated this glory which would be showered upon

them century after century.Had Shah Jahan thought of it he wouldn't have embarked upon such brutality as to mutilate and blind the architects who toiled to materialize his ethereal majesty.His

eternal love for Mumtaz ensued their never-ending woe.Can we say that the beautiful Taj shoulders the

burden of pushing these poor men into plaintive woe!Do the blemishes on Taj’s face signify the tears of

these craftsmen and their kinsmen?

This movie is as graceful as the splendid Taj.In the establishing shot of the film,the ambient light

illuminates the subject staring into the darkness.Later the fill light is intensified to reveal the tomb at which

the old man was staring.This might be a tribute to the grand maker of this magnificent mausoleum.The

captivating aspect of the cinematography is the extensive use of reflections.I am still unable to deduce how

the film maker managed to capture the entire Taj Mahal reflecting in the eye of the camera!

To produce

a dual effect the filmmaker mirrored, the entire scene of visitors loitering around Taj Mahal, in the

river.Silhouette lighting is another peculiar aspect employed by the director to give the film a unique

aura.Taj Mahal never fails to attract viewers so does this film.

 -Santhwana