I normally avoid historical dramas because normally they are tragic and I don’t have the heart to watch the end. Anyhow, I ended up renting Tipu Sultan and I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised.
Some of the performances are simply stunning. I believe the actor who played Haider Ali is Sikander Shaheen - what a performer. I would not be surprised if real rulers were not as magnificent as Sikander Shaheen’s Haider Ali. Shah Baigum was also very well played by an excellent veteran actress but I can’t recall her name. The treacherous Nizam was played by Subhani Bayoonis - enough said.
The traitor brothers Mirs Jaffer and Sadiq were done full justice as well. The namak-haram Pornia is played by Gulab Chandio at his “Amar Joti” best - need I say more.
Some of the action sequences are a bit fake and easy to recognize but to ask PTV to spend millions to recreate the real Mysore and the wars would be too much. The folks who played the farangis were also a bit over the top. I guess they ran out of money which is why they couldn’t hire better actors either way it doesn’t take too much away from the drama. I also would have appreciated it if the viewers were allowed to make some conclusions of their own. At times the drama was a bit too dumbed down but I suppose Khan Asif did well to capture all facets of the Sultan’s life even though he took a bit too filmy an approach in his writing.
Finally, the man himself - Tipu Sultan. Tipu Sultan is played by Tahir Kazmi and I believe he’s the son of Rahat Kazmi. And that’s all that can be said about him because it is quite obvious that he either got the part because of his remarkable resemblance with the Sultan or because of his familial associations. It just tears me up to see possibly the greatest Indian Islamic ruler alongside Aurangzeb Alamgir being played by an absolute amatuer who seeminly had lost all voluntary control of his limbs. Mr. Kazmi if you’re going to address a court and win them over with just your oratory skills at least keep your arms from waving all over the place because it undoes all the good work.
Uff, Tipu yeh kia zulm hai, pehlay farangi ab Tahir Kazmi.
If someone hasn’t seen the drama I would strongly urge you to see it just for Sikander Shaheen’s performance (I hope I have the right name). What a performance, he did full justice to one of the bravest Sultans of Hind - Haider Ali. Sadly, the drama went into a downward spiral post Haider Ali’s death. Tahir Kazmi simply hasn’t done enough to portray the great Wali of Mysore, Sultan Tipu Fateh Ali Khan.