Mughal-e-Azam

Anxious over not having a male heir to succeed him, Mughal Emperor Akbar undertakes a pilgrimage to a holy shrine. His prayers are answered when his wife, Empress Jodhaa Bai, gives birth to a son. Overjoyed by the news, which is delivered to him by a palace maid, Akbar gifts her his royal ring and vows to grant any single wish she desires in the future. The young prince, Salim, grows up pampered and self-indulgent. To instill discipline and courage, Akbar sends his son to the frontlines of war. Fourteen years later, Salim returns to the court of Agra as a distinguished military commander and an accomplished warrior. Upon his return, he deeply falls in love with a tawaif named Nadira, the daughter of the very maid who brought the news of his birth to Akbar years earlier. Recognizing her remarkable beauty and grace, Akbar renames her Anarkali (transl. Pomegranate Blossom). Bahar, a high-ranking court dancer, soon discovers their clandestine affair. Harbouring ill intentions to wed Salim to become the Empress, an envious Bahar exposes Salim's forbidden relationship with Anarkali to Akbar. Outraged by the prospect of a common court dancer entering the royal family, Akbar vehemently forbids the romance and orders Anarkali's imprisonment. When Akbar orders her to renounce her love for Salim, she steadfastly refuses out of her loyalty to Salim. Enraged by his father's cruelty, Salim raises a rebel army to revolt against his father and rescue Anarkali. The conflict ends in Salim's defeat. Akbar sentences Salim to death on charges of treason, but agrees to spare him from decree if Anarkali, who has escaped from the prison, surrenders herself to face death in Salim's place. Learning of the ultimatum, Anarkali surrenders herself to save the prince's life. Subsequently, Akbar condemns Anarkali to death by immurement. As her final request, she begs to spend a few hours with Salim as his symbolic wife. Akbar grants the request on the condition that she drugs Salim, ensuring he remains unconscious and unable to stop the execution. Just as the final bricks are being laid around Anarkali, her mother approaches Akbar with the royal ring and invokes his long-forgotten promise. Bound by his dedication to justice, Akbar decides to honour the vow by secretly arranging for Anarkali and her mother to escape through a hidden passage behind the wall into a permanent exile. However, he demands that they must live in complete obscurity, ensuring Salim spends the rest of his life believing his true love is dead.

Plot from Mughal-e-AzamCC BY-SA 4.0