The scale and veteran cast suggest a film, but Taj – Divided by Blood is a 10-part ZEE5 web series.
The premise of the story is simple – a king is on the lookout for a worthy heir among his 3 sons. And that’s where the simplicity ends, with each of the princes having a unique subplot. Add to that heavyweights Naseeruddin Shah as King Akbar, Sandhya Mridul as Jodha Bai, Zarina Wahab as Salima begum, and Rahul Bose as Mirza Muhammad Hakim. Younger gen of actors – Aashim Gulati, Taaha Shah and Shubham Kumar Mehra – play the sons, and the stunning Aditi Rao Hydari plays Anarkali. But the character that we look forward to the most is of Sufi saint Shaikh Salim Chisti, played as a cameo by Dharmendra.
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King Akbar’s method of choosing his successor sparks a war among his sons, and what follows becomes a classic tale of politics and betrayal. Talking to us about the series, Nseeruddin Shah says, “This is the story of war, succession and power set against the backdrop of the Mughal empire. The show unveils the inner workings that played out in the hallowed chambers of King Akbar’s empire. Taj – Divided by Blood has taken an unexplored and unchartered take on it hence making it compelling for old and new viewers. A brilliant team from across the globe has brought this series to life and from whatever I have seen so far, I can tell that it is going to be one of the most riveting series of the year.”
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The cast of the series had a great time shooting, and here’s proof. A playful Aditi Rao Hydari with Dharmendra on Valentine’s Day.
Taj – Divided by Blood premieres on ZEE5 GLOBAL on 3rd March.