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Nur Jahan’s Daughter
The tale narrates the graph of Laadli’s life. She is a mere pawn, embroiled in the machinations of an ambitious mother. Her mother’s diktat is to woo either of the princes, Khusrau and Khurram. Unlike her mother, the crown held no lure for Laadli and her sole rebellion comes in form of a clandestine love affair with her music teacher Imraan, who suffers the temerity of loving an empress’ daughter and pays for this ‘sin’ with his life. She is married off, under the influence of opium-laced drink, to Shahriyar, a drug-addict, drunkard and a gay, whom the empress intended granting the throne. After his gruesome murder at brother Shah Jahan’s bidding, Laadli slipped into a life in oblivion. With unflinching devotion to her mother, she acted as a crutch that provided the empress the security to plod through the rough patches during the last years of her life. The writer conjures up the life of the de facto ruler of the Mughal Empire who reigned by proxy for 16 long years. The narrative highlights Nur’s vibrant energy, diplomatic excellence and artistic skills. The reader to the harems where myriad women, objects of royal men’s momentary fascination, languish locked in the four walls, living on the emperor’s charity. Tanushree, dives into their minds full of turmoil that sought release in frivolous activities, vicarious pleasures and endless plotting. Along with Laadli’s story are woven myriad tales of others’ lives: It narrates Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal’s historical romance; the story of Saleem, a perfidious prince who rose in defiance against his father, Akbar, and his numerous love affairs and dalliances. This saga of palace intrigues, endless friction for power and riches, decadence and fratricidal hostility is a spectacular literary creation. Laadli’s gripping story keeps the reader engrossed and indeed carries the stamp of Tanushree Podder’s talent |
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