MUMBAI: Applause Entertainment has partnered with Contiloe Pictures to produce Taj – A Monument of Blood, a period drama series on the rise and fall of one of the most iconic dynasties of all time – the Mughal Empire.  

The series will be told over five seasons of 12 episodes each. Using the birth and death of Shahjahan as bookends, the series delves deep into the Mongol origins, bloodlines mixing with Persian and Rajput royalty, the court and palace intrigues, the repeated and horrific purging of aspirants to the throne, the regional kings and satraps who paid tribute to Mughal suzerainty and amidst all this, the arrival of the British and Portuguese. It is an incredible tale, a vicarious mix of blood, betrayal, power, beauty, deceit and heartbreak. 

Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair said, “I am a big fan of revisionist narratives of history. Our history books have been written by victors and often paint very two-dimensional pictures about past empires. When Abhimanyu and I first discussed this idea, we immediately moved away from a typical historical to a darker and edgier version of the Mughal Empire, a version in which symbolically the Taj is more a monument of blood than a monument of love”.

The Mughal Empire (1521 – 1857) ruled India for just over three centuries and it was the greatest empire in the world at the time. The empire reached its zenith during the reign of its four greatest emperors – Akbar, Jehangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb – with geographic boundaries that extended from Bengal in the East to modern-day Afghanistan in the North-West and from Kashmir in the North to modern-day Andhra in the South. The story of the Mughals is fascinating. The pomp and pageantry, the extravagance and excess are all well documented; what remains is untold reality behind the glittering façade – the dark side of Camelot if you will – and it is this story that will be told.

Contiloe CEO Abhimanyu Singh said, “Sameer Nair’s industry experience and deep-seated understanding of the content space has always shown through in every endeavour he has undertaken. We are thrilled to have associated with Applause Entertainment for this show. It will take viewers on a historic journey showing them an unseen perspective of this illustrious dynasty which lead to their rise as the greatest empire in medieval times and the quest for power, within it, that finally lead to its downfall.”

Writing is currently underway and the first of five seasons will start filming soon.