Taj: Divided by Blood

Taj: Divided by Blood is an Indian period drama streaming television series produced by Contiloe Pictures for ZEE5.[1][2] The series stars Dharmendra, Naseeruddin Shah, Rahul Bose, Aditi Rao Hydari, Zarina Wahab, Sandhya Mridul, Aashim Gulati and Taaha Shah in primary roles.[3][4] It is produced by Abhimanyu Singh, Roopali Singh & William Borthwick. The first season premiered on ZEE5 on March 3, 2023. The second season, titled Taj: Reign of Revenge, is scheduled to premiere on May 12, 2023.[5]

Taj: Divided by Blood
Official Poster
GenreDrama
Historical fiction
Written byDialogues
Ajay Singh
Screenplay byWilliam Borthwick
Simon Fantauzzo
Story byChristopher Butera
Directed byRon Scalpello
Ajay Singh
Vibhu Puri
Prashant Singh
Starring
ComposersMusic
Ian Arber
Country of originIndia
Original languages
  • Hindi
  • Urdu
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes20
Production
ProducersAbhimanyu Singh
Roopali Singh
CinematographySimon Temple
Tejal Shetye
EditorsIrfan Ishak
Ben King
Ruchi Barar
Production companiesContiloe Pictures
Release
Original networkZEE5
Picture format4K resolution
Original release3 March 2023 (2023-03-03)

Premise

Season 1 - Taj: Divided by Blood

Set in the 16th century, the story follows Akbar and the war of succession amongst his 3 sons: Salim, Murad, and Daniyal. It is a twisted tale of the struggle for power filled with dangerous politics, poetic beauty, torrid romances, cold treachery, and bloodshed.[6] The show unravels multiple layers of each character in the Mughal dynasty. The series dramatizes the rise and fall of the various generations of the Mughal Empire, showcasing both the beauty as well as the brutality of the dynasty.[7]

Season 2 - Taj: Reign of Revenge

The season charters Salim’s journey from being the exiled enemy of the Mughal empire to seeking blood and revenge in an attempt to become the next Emperor. On this dark, dangerous, and destructive path, he is surrounded by enemies from all sides with few allies like his new love interest - Meherunniss.

Cast

Production

The show was first announced in 2018.[14][15]

Release

The first season premiered on ZEE5 on 3 March 2023.[16] The second season premiered on May 12, 2023.[17]

Episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally releasedNetwork
110March 3, 2023 (2023-03-03)ZEE5
24May 12, 2023 (2023-05-12)ZEE5

Promotion

The peek into the show was released by Dharmendra, when he shared that he is playing Sheikh Salim Chisti in this show.[18][19] The logo was unveiled at a ceremony in Mumbai on February 14.[20] Subsequently, the trailer was launched on February 17.[21] The second season was announced with a trailer on April 23, 2023.[22]

Reception

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express wrote "From the fifth episode on, you can see the series lose steam. The writing, which had kept us engaged till then, starts getting repetitive, which leads to the flaws which we had managed to ignore demanding our attention."[23] Syed Firdaus Ashraf of Rediff.com rated 1.5/5 stars and wrote "Naseeruddin Shah, who plays Akbar, looks thoroughly disinterested as if he is only playing the part for a hefty fee. Rahul Bose is a complete misfit playing the jihadi Mirza Muhammad Hakim South Mumbai style. Aditi Rao Hydari as Anarkali looks lost and is unconvincing in her love for Salim."[24]

Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated the series 2.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "Taj: Divided by Blood is crafted with diligence. Parts of the show are informed with enough drama and intrigue to perk things up. It, however, frequently feels a touch strained and repetitive. It is neither Mughal-e-Azam nor Game of Thrones."[25]

Shilajit Mitra for The Hindu wrote "We get a mammoth battle sequence in Kabul near the start. Though immensely staged, it bored me to bits with its obvious choreography (first the archers come on, then the infantry, then the cannonballs...). Far more memorable, then, is this exchange between Akbar and his ministers, after he announces his plans for ‘Din-I-Illahi’. They look crestfallen until one of them calls for a change in conventional thinking."[26]

Suchandra Bose for The Quint rated 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "One of the major pitfalls of the show is its incapacity to dig a little deeper into the characters – Salim is an opium lover with a heart of gold, Jodha (Sandhya Mridul) is a concerned mother, Akbar is a ruthless ruler – their characterization can be condensed in three to four adjectives."[27]

References
  1. ZEE5 announces a new original series Taj – Divided by Blood, retrieved 17 February 2023
  2. "ZEE5 announces a new original series, 'Taj – Divided by Blood'". Adgully. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  3. "Dharmendra, Naseeruddin Shah to star in new ZEE5 series 'Taj – Divided by Blood'". The Hindu. 14 February 2023. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  4. "Taj- Divided by Blood: Dharmendra as Chisti while Naseeruddin Shah turns King Akbar for new ZEE5 series". India TV. 15 February 2023. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  5. "Taj: Divided by Blood gets a season 2: Here's when Taj: Reign of Revenge will premiere on ZEE5". www.OTTPlay.com. Retrieved 1 May 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. "Taj: Divided by Blood" to Premiere on ZEE5 on March 3, 2023". rw Media. Retrieved 25 February 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. "Naseeruddin Shah, Dharmendra, Aditi Rao Hydari to star in ZEE5 series Taj – Divided by Blood". India TV. 15 February 2023. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  8. Service, Statesman News (18 February 2023). "Taj – Divided by Blood trailer out". The Statesman. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  9. Taj – Divided By Blood: Naseeruddin Shah All Set To Play Emperor Akbar In New Web Series!, 14 February 2023, retrieved 17 February 2023
  10. Sauraseni Maitra speaks about blending into two entertainment industries, retrieved 1 May 2023
  11. Anushka Luhar to star in ZEE5 digital series 'Taj – Divided by Blood', retrieved 17 February 2023
  12. "Taj: Divided by Blood Web Series (2023) | Release Date, Review, Cast, Trailer, Watch Online at Zee5". Gadgets 360. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  13. Subodh Bhave: मराठमोळा अभिनेता सुबोध भावे बनणार 'बिरबल'; मुघलांवर आधारित 'या' सीरिजमध्ये झळकणार! (in Marathi), retrieved 17 February 2023
  14. "Applause and Contiloe join forces for Taj – A Monument of Blood; a Series on Mughal Empire extravaganza". 13 July 2018. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021.
  15. "'Taj - A Monument of Blood': A series on rise and fall of Mughal empire". National Herald. 12 July 2018. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  16. "ZEE5 series 'Taj – Divided by Blood' to debut on March 3". The Print. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  17. "ZEE5 series 'Taj – Divided by Blood' to debut on March 3". The Economic Times. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  18. "TAJ- Divided by Blood: Man asks why Dharmendra is behaving like a struggling actor; His reply wins hearts". PinkVilla. 15 February 2023. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  19. "Dharmendra looks almost unrecognisable as Sheikh Salim Chisti from Taj-Royal Blood". Hindustan Times. 15 February 2023. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  20. "Taj-Divided By Blood Trailer Out! Naseeruddin Shah, Dharmendra, Aditi Rao Hydari's Period Drama Is Interesting And Intense". The Telegraph (India). Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  21. "Taj-Divided By Blood Trailer Out! Naseeruddin Shah, Dharmendra, Aditi Rao Hydari's Period Drama Is Interesting And Intense". Latestly. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  22. "Taj: Reign of Revenge Trailer - When And Where To Watch Season 2 Of Naseeruddin Shah, Aashim Gulati-Starrer". Jagran. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  23. Gupta, Shubhra (3 March 2023). "Taj Divided By Blood review: Naseeruddin Shah series ends up as Mughal-e-Azam lite". The Indian Express. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  24. Ashraf, Syed Firdaus (3 March 2023). "Taj: Divided By Blood: History In A Mess". Rediff.com. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  25. Chatterjee, Saibal (4 March 2023). "Taj: Divided By Blood Review - Neither Mughal-E-Azam Nor Game Of Thrones". NDTV. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  26. Mitra, Shilajit (3 March 2023). "Taj: Divided by Blood series review: Naseeruddin Shah lords over a weary epic". The Hindu. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  27. Bose, Suchandra (3 March 2023). "'Taj Divided By Blood' Review: Mughal 'Game of Thrones' Lacks Depth & Intrigue". The Quint. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
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