Splendours of the Mughals

Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last emperor of the Mughal dynasty

From such inquisitiveness, Arijeet Gupta of Doordarshan, the national television of India, has made a documentary film recently. 'It's sad such a famous family should disappear so unnoticeably,' Arijeet said at the screening of the film The Living Mughals at the Ball Room of the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel on April 21. 'The Mughal dynasty couldn't have come to an end with just one king,' he said referring to the fall of Bahadur Shah Zafar and his death in Rangoon.

Produced by Doordarshan, The Living Mughals focuses on the 4th generation direct descendants of the last Mughal king Bahadur Shah Zafar and his first wife Begum Ashraf Mahal. An 80-year old woman named Begum Laila Umahani, the great-granddaughter of Zafar and Ashraf, at present is the only survivor of this 4th generation. She has two sons--Ziauddin Tucy and Masihuddin Tucy, their wives and children.

Laila and her sons reminisce on the past glory of the family. After Bahadur Shah Zafar had died in 1862 in Rangoon, his family came to Hyderabad via Nepal. Since then Hyderabad has remained their abode. The film shows the palace where Laila Umahani now lives with her entire family.

The film focuses on contemporary issues. It deals with the daily lives of the members of the family and how they have adapted to the process of change, which has transformed their lifestyle beyond recognition. Ziauddin Tucy, the elder son of Laila Umahani, says that once during the rule of Indira Gandhi they had asked the government to provide them with 'befitting jobs.' Unfortunately things didn't quite work out.

Masihuddin Tucy at present practises the Mughal cuisine, giving training to chefs on the famous dishes of the Great Mughals. While the younger brother carries out the Mughal gastronomical taste, the elder Ziauddin bears the same deep passion for poetry and chess. Zia and Masihuddin stimulate their genetic passion for warfare by playing chess. And most often Zia wins the battles!

As can be assumed, the film has been made from a sympathetic standpoint, which often seems to lack in justification and even effectiveness. The film presents, for example, a lot of reminiscence by the three principal figures--Laila, Zia and Masih. Comments and feelings of the younger members--maybe those of Laila's grandchildren--perhaps could be added too.

The film shows that whenever the Tucy brothers go to Delhi, they always visit the historic Red Fort and they do it by purchasing tickets like any other visitors. The saddening wonder as to why the descendants of once-upon-a-time owners of the Fort will also have to buy tickets to visit the place is very clear in the narrator's tone. Arijeet Gupta, however, explains one aspect of the fact, that nobody around the family is aware of their identity. The family is also is silent on their heritage; they fear few would believe that they are the descendants of the Great Mughals.

After the show, filmmaker Arijeet Gupta answered the questions from the audience. Bahadur Shah Zafar had four wives--Ashraf Mahal, Akhter Mahal, Taj Mahal and Zeenat Mahal. Regarding the descendants from three other wives, he said that he had traced the descendants of Zeenat Mahal. They are at present living in Kolkata in 'a very pitiable condition'. The family of Laila Umahani is very curious about their half-brothers and sisters, says Arijeet.

The Living Mughals is surely a tribute to a glory that was once omnipresent. Of which, now only the memory remains.