This is a tribute to Contiloe Entertainment’s Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap… which has no connection to history whatsoever!
Everything that Begins comes to an End... But Memories Remain Forever...
A Serial, yes. Just a serial? No. It’s much more than that.
It celebrates the life of India’s first freedom fighter. The man who stood against the odds and became immortal in history. It made us fall in love with the young, emotional. Strong and determined Kunwar Pratap. It made our hearts go Na Na Na Na Na Chan Chan Chan Chan every time his eyes met Ajabde’s. It made us believe in eternal love. It made our eyes moist with Jauhar Phir se hai aya and our hearts proud at Veer tu Prachand du.
His wars became ours, his pains and happiness our truths. His undying love and forgiving nature towards his family, and the respect he showed his parents. The love he had for the country and his horse. Everything we loved.
Was it all love and no hate? Not really. Was it fully historical? Definitely not.
Then what was magical? Everything.
Jaivanta Bai’s aura, Shams Khan’s fear, Sohom’s sacrifice, Totamal's comic, Amar Singh’s smile, Shakti Singh’s anger, and Jagmal’s cowardice.
And most importantly, Ajabde Baisa’s heart and Rana Pratap’s soul.
Episode one started with Rakht Tu Ubhal Sa, and his smile and simplicity won our hearts. We loved watching him fight and say, “ Kunwar Pratap Singh Naam Hai humara.”We loved Sakha Veer.
-
She removed the petals from the way and walked out of the Palanquin. She sang like Ranima, smiled and won hearts.
“ Hui Suhagaan Re” brought tears to our eyes as did “ Hum e mil chuki hai aur humare samne khadi hai.” Pain ached our hearts at “ Humara vivah tei ho chukka hai Samant Putra k saath” and more at “ Aj se hum keval apko grina hi karenge. Prem mar chukka hai.”
I personally loved two war dialogues “ Jo humara hai hum kisiko dete nahi aur jo humara nahi hai hum kisiko dete nahi.” And “ chamatkar humare talwar mein nahi Mughal humare matribhumi ke liye humare agad prem mein hai, jo humare bhuajao mein humare rakht ke saath ubhalta hai”
It taught us to love. Praja has become our life. Their fights, their love, their unsaid understandings, their sacrifices. Everything. Phool Kanwar's one-sided love too proved worth a tear, especially when she left after Ajabde's Bidaai. She had lost her love and a friend as well.
A leap later, the nokjok returned with “ Bare shurveer bane firte hai, haat tak dhona nahi aata.” They had more responsibilities now, towards their people and each other. Jaivanta Bai’s teachings always inspired them both. Their pains, their happiness, we lived through them. Amar Singh’s smile made us miss the younger Kunwar Pratap. He really did have his smile and hair and her eyes. He proved to be a worthy heir.
The Bundi War, the Mewar Marwar War, the Mughal Wars, the Chittor Siege, and the Haldighati. The best thing about BKVPMRP was always the wars and the voice-overs.
“ Hum inn veero ko naman karte hai” Gave us goosebumps.
The Haldighati War followed the Antim Parav. As much as it is good to see Historicals ending in time, and Jagmal and Dheerbai’s end, it still leaves behind a void. I still miss Contiloe’s Veer Shivaji, and I will continue to miss that and Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap.
He lay ill, and his body gave in to the injuries he suffered, more mentally than physically. He held Amar and said the golden words, " Aap tabh tak akela nahi hai jab tak apki matribhumi apke saath hai." No one knew it better than he who had lost everything for his motherland.
Akbar paid his only tribute in pain to someone who could have been a friend if they were not both crown princes. And thus, Rana Amar Singh continued to live by his father's legacy.
It gave us Faisal Khan and Roshni Walia. Their IVs, selfies and on-set fun. Oh, my Ghost!
It gave us Vishal, Jannat, and Jineet.
It gave us Ssharad and Rachna, their IVs, Laddoos and Sutli Bombs.
It gave us loads of pics from the 200th and 500th episode celebrations. It got back Rajsree Thakur Vaidya and made her our favourite again. It made us hate Aashka’s character again.
Here, let's revisit some characters and memories. Sorry if I missed anyone here. And hoping this will be fun.
- The Royal Family:
Rana / Kunwar Pratap Singh: The serial started with his run, made us smile with his humbleness, fell in love with those brown eyes that stared at Ajabde, and admired the bravery with which he fought for his motherland. The perfect son, the perfect friend, the perfect prince, the perfect warrior, the perfect lover, the perfect husband, the perfect father and the perfect king. He was Bharat ka Veer Putra. He could do anything, you name it, and Kunwar Pratap could do it. Notice his frequency of taking Vachans throughout the show. And how many times the poor guy had to run behind his lady love, no wonder he liked Jallu more, or so we think! His road from love to marriage in the show seemed tougher than the Mewar wars at times. We were like Please, Ajabde, Please!
Rajkumari/Kunwarani/Maharani Ajabde Punwar: Coming to the one we begged. Her simple, gentle nature won hearts, her tears made us cry, her love made us blush, and her smile made us laugh. Her strong determination, her sacrifices, her fears, her support, her love. It made him who he was; she was the heart of his soul. Her smile was the magic in his life. Only if you stopped your Balidaani Atma from the Phool sacrifice, and you were a perfect one. Baijilal was my favourite, showing her strong side as well.
Rajkumari/Maharani Phool Kanwar Rathore: The third angle between PrAja was hated by all, but can we really ignore the fact that despite her childish mistakes and clash of egos, she too had a heart of gold, she too had a heartbreak. She showed how painful one-sided love was, and she was a reflection of the others like her in the various Mahals of Rajputana; their names were lost in time, but they remained tokens of political alliances. The only thing that made us have this unforgiving hatred towards the character, you really didn't need to insult Ajabde because Kunwar Pratap loved her. That was so not done. And next time, please don't write a letter, Phool. One ended in the flower vase, and another forced him to marry you.
Rana Udai Singh: The father who saw Mewar's future in his son. As much as we hate him for being partial, he was also confused. Having a wife like Jaivanta Bai, and another like Dheer Bai, is tough to handle, especially if, for added trouble, your sons are Sakhaveer, angry young man Shakti and useless Jagmal. Add to that a marriage by mistake, and your son loves your Samant's daughter, and you are screwed.
Maharani Jaivanta Bai Songara: Maharani goals are like this. Her aura, her elegance, her enigma, her intelligence, her sacrifice, her self-respect, her morals, her teachings.... the list is endless. We loved her, and we shed tears watching her go. Because she was PrAja's inspiration, she suddenly became the reason for misunderstandings. We were so glad to have her back. But only for a while. We always loved the Jaivanta Bai vs Dheer Bai showdowns!
Rani Sajja Bai Solankhini: I love love love her achars and imlis and her nature. Yes, she suffered a lot for her weak character, but then she stepped up for Kunwar Pratap and Ajabde. And we loved her more. Another sudden exit, I missed her leg pulling at Pratap's marriage. Her sidha baat " Kya apko Ajabde acchi lagti hai" was one of the best moments of the show.
Rani Dheerbai Bhattiyani: What to tell about her, Kunwar Pratap's beloved Chotima. Truth be told, I like this woman. She knew how to control her man and her enemies. The only thing she didn't know how to control was an alcoholic brat of a useless son. And I hated how she got happy when Ajabde died. But she indeed was intelligent, just on the wrong side of the game.
Kunwar Shakti Singh: The angry young Man of the house was the Karan to Pratap's Arjun. Their enemity and brotherhood, clash of thoughts and love for Mewar were indeed a major highlight. I loved how Royal and Princely he was, unlike the humble Pratap and how selflessly he helped his brother. My favourite was his mimicking the Afghans while escaping Chittor with Man Singh Songara.
Kunwar Jagmal Singh: The useless Jaggu was born in the show, and we wished he had died too, but didn't. He made us feel like slapping him, especially when he thought Amar was a threat to him. And that awesome moment he held on to the cushions of the throne like his baby when Chundawat Ji threw him away.
Bhanwar/ Kunwar/ Rana Amar Singh: He was his father's mind, his mother's soul. He strangely resembled them, too. It was funny. His smile, his bachpana. The tears. The best moment was when he decided he was ready to fight and mock defeat his father at the age of eight.
Others: Rajkumari Chand Singh, Rajkumari Maan Singh, Rani Veer Bai Jhalla, Rajmata Karnawati, Panna Dhai, Bhoj Raj, Meera Bai, Vikramaditya
- The disguises:
Sakhaveer: Kunwar Pratap couldn't give justice to Bundi. So? He won't? Nah! Sakhaveer would! Thus was born the people's hero and his horse, Sarang! The bow, the sword, the wrestlings. The best moment was fighting Bairam Khan and Udai Singh, and how he burnt down the Mughal Flag. That's like Kunwar Pratap... Oops! Sakhaveer.
Baijilal: She promised to be his soulmate and took vows for his motherland. How could she not help her own in Bijolia? Kunwarani Ajabde Baisa couldn't, so she was Baijilal. Her first prey, him. Their hearts said the truth their brains denied as Aswapalak Pratap helped Patta's Jija without a clue that she was Baijilal.
- The Bravehearts:
Chetak: The best friend, the loyal ride. The only one whose character was framed closest to History. Thank god he could just neigh. Aww, when he pulled Pratap up, fought the Afghans and saved Ajabde. Who needs a hero if you have Chetak?
Rawat Ram Das Chundawat: We all so wish he were the father, the king, the guide. He was so perfect and valiant. And most importantly, he loved Ajabde like a daughter.
Dai Kokoi: Although she was Dheer Bai's aide, we are glad she loved him and saved him more than once.
Rao Mamrakh Punwar: He pushed our Ajabde away from himself, and in a way, made Pratap feel sorry for that. But when Ajabde was insulted, the father in him was always by her side. Although when Pratap was injured, his slow reaction was a little unexpected.
Hansa Bai Punwar: I loved her most after Jaivanta Bai. The first one to realise her dreams could be a reality, even before they did, she stood by her daughter against all odds and supported her with all her heart.
Sohom: The first one to sacrifice for him, his childhood friend, his first wound, and the first reason to seek revenge. I loved how they played Courtroom.
Chakrapani Mishra-Saubhagyawati Mishra: They were the cupid's arrow between our ruthna manana wala Praja and their help when he left home post leap. Childhood friends, helping hands, and not-so-intelligent idea givers, would PrAja be this fun without them?
Guru Raghavendra Rathore: His Guru, his guide, who channelised his talents. I admired this man. The only time I hated him was when he went crying, talking of Ajabde, he told Pratap to marry Phool. Loved him in the last when he said " Saccha tyag kya hota hai..."
Rana Kheta Bhil: He was the first Bhil he befriended as a kid, and he was glad he did because not only did the Bhils help him, but this man's son was his chief aid in Haldighati. If not for the Bhils, then where would Pratap have lived and survived in the forests?
Maan Singh Jalla: They looked alike, and it became a boon and a curse. The man laid his life as Rana Pratap at Haldighati, an honour to him, and a pang of guilt to the real Pratap. He came for a short time, but you can't help but notice how uncannily similar they looked.
Patta Sisodia: Post-leap, he was the first character I loved and cried for when he died. We all read about the brave Patta, but his challenge for duels, his relationship as a brother with Baijilal, his love for his motherland and the storm inside him when his newlywed bride wanted Saka, was truly what made us love him. His sense of humour was always witty. I wished they had shown him more. My fav? He promised his sister that nothing would happen to Kunwar Pratap, and he kept that promise, like a true brother.
Hakim Khan: He proved Pratap had no hatred toward religion. He admired Pratap. Helped him. Dared to come to his aid against his kins. Became his Senapati and fought valiantly. Used his wits to help Amar Singh. His Best? The scene when he refused Pratap's aid, and Pratap was determined to befriend him.
Chandrasen Rathore: This man, from his entry, spelt trouble. First, he tries to prove he's better, then befriends him, then lands him in trouble, leaves his home, and finally, for his stupidity, Pratap has to kidnap Phool. I see him as the sole reason behind the unwanted marriage.
Others: Balwant Punwar, Bheem Das, Veni Das, Krishna, Khetu, Aparna, Tulsi Das, Rani Durgawati, Jiwa Bai, Jaimal Rathore, Kalla Rathore, Shalivaan Tanwar, Ram Singh Tanwar, Bhahmah Shah, Rana Punja Bhil, Krishna Das Chundawat
- The Enemies:
Shams Khan: The first kill, the first fight, the feared enemy. He was terror, in human form. Although I liked him, he was cunning, and the best one was when he refused to bow before Shams Khan. This man knew trouble was standing in the form of a 13-year-old in front of him.
Devi Das: The first of the party changers. The first time Pratap saw death before his eyes. The first time he realised that loved ones could also betray. A lesson learnt. This man was sold out.
Bairam Khan: The man was a valiant warrior. I liked that. Yes, he was doing all he could to establish Mughal superiority, and Sakhaveer served him right, as did Kunwar Pratap. But I still liked his fatherly care for Jalal. It's difficult to control such a child. Loved when he feared Pratap would kill the incompetent Jalal. Loved that he admired his enemy.
Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar: Pratap's first Love. He loved to hate him. And ended up befriending him. He wanted Mewar, He wanted Phool, He wanted everything. He was short-tempered and egoistic, but he really wished they were friends rather than enemies. Fear of being killed? Maybe. Favourite scene. When he cried at the burial, pouring out his heart, we saw the teenager and not the Emperor, and we loved him, admit it, we did!
Rao Surtan Singh: I wish all his enemies were this fun! Sugandh wali Rani and Aap batayenge ke Hum Bataye... he was hilarious, and how Sakhaveer tortured him. I liked his lady version more, though. Especially when he said " Haat Kaat diya! Sarr bhi katte hai, humne khud dekha hai apne aakhon see."
Gauhaar Jaan as Laal Bai: A lady killer this seductive, is not of use if the Prince is hovering over his lady love and is chivalrous. She came at the wrong time, but yes, thanks to her injury, she played cupid. I loved how he caught her, and that accidental slap from Phool, the first time I was saying Well done, Phool.
Rao Maldeo Rathore-Uma Devi Bhattiyani: Wars were not enough; these two had to force a marriage and insult Ajabde. I was very confused; this man liked Pratap or hated him. She ... proved an ideal elder sister to someone. No wonder!
Toranmal: We wish he had more like this one, who runs away after just a cold stare that said, " She is mine!" Thank u Totamal... oops Toranmal! You gave us so much fun!
Badshah Khan: The first time an enemy kidnapped her, I was like yay, well done. He made PrAja get back their spark, with his poison arrow and wrong timing. Shams Khan's son, and we love him!
Man Singh: One who sells his soul is no Rajput! The insults were pouring on him; he was trapped between Rajput morals and his duty. He wanted Pratap dead, yet admired him and feared him. This man was on the wrong side of things.
Raimal: A family of enemies, I must say. He was the Shakuni mama spoiling the useless mind. But he had no brains. I loved how he was killed. Just loved it!
Faizal: As much as I love the name, I hated the man. He took away my PrAja, he took away Ajabde, and dared to come for a fight at Haldighati, served him right!
Others, Enemy Families and Aids: Mehmood Shah, Parvat Das, Bahlol Khan, Bhagwan Das, Mahamanga, Mariam Makani, Rukaiya Begum, Salima Begum, Heer Kanwar, Rao Ram Singh Rathore, Peer Mohammad, Tansen, Vish Kanya
- Supporting cast:
Jalam Singh: He came Sarr Utha Ke with the Princesses and boy! Kunwar Pratap just unknowingly saved his lady love at the Mela. Jalam Singh hated him more because the princesses admired him. The best would definitely be Phool's trick that Pratap made him fall for. PrAja laughed, and so did we.
Leech man: Sorry, leech man, I forgot your name! But he was Ewww! And very stupid for a killer to trap Ahmed Kaka like that. He was the first Killer, so worth mentioning!
Changezi: I liked him! Electric Man! Only you became a wedding crasher. You were not invited to the groom; he just gave you a piece of his mind, I mean... strength.
Deaf Dadi: The wedding was cupid enough, but so was deaf Daadi. She did a brilliant job, and we got Pratap's hand entwined with Ajabde's over the mangalsutra.
Sher: He killed many innocents, so Pratap and the Bhils killed him. If not for Mr Tiger here, maybe he wouldn't have met the Bhils.
Snake: Mr Snake did bite Pratap and made him suffer, but he played cupid. We saw a strong Ajabde come out and be his shield. And most importantly, Pratap got his realisation.
Laxmi: She was the one who helped Praja fight. She was the one who witnessed their first meeting; she brought him back in time to save Bijolia and helped them fight and make up. She was their excuse for the meeting. " Hum Laxmi se milne ja rahe hai." Post leap, she was a lone heart's soothing balm as she talked of Chittor and Kunwar Pratap. Best moment? " Pakriye na" She didn't oblige and waited for the hero to come to his princess. Intelligent!
Sarang: The first friend. The helper of Sakhaveer. He helped Pratap make a hero's entrance and a narrow escape more than once.
Maala: All those who loved PrAja loved the Maala. It made them safe, tied them with each other's fate and made a quick exit after he knew everything. Best Maala moment, when he wanted to gift it to her, and she refused, scared and confused.
Letters: In the case of mistaken letters, wrong-timed letters, wrong-written letters, and letters of plotting, the list is endless. It made them meet at Midnight, it didn't reach Chittor, it ended up in a vase, it got Phool married, it made Dheerbai seek help and plan revenge, and it created a misunderstanding between PrAja. So much stuff letters could do, we had no idea until Jagmal sat on the throne. Letters stopped after that. Thank God.
BKVPMRP made us love and hate it, but always stuck to each episode, rewatched them on YouTube and discussed them all day. Most importantly, it gave me friends to treasure for life. Farewell Bharat Ka Veer Putra.
Continue to inspire generations with your ideologies, Maharana Pratap and Ajabde Baisa. Jai Mewar. Jai Eklingji.
