Taj, officially known as Taj: Divided by Blood, is an Indian Hindi period drama web series based on the Mughal Empire. The series is produced by Contiloe Pictures for ZEE5. It stars Naseeruddin Shah, Dharmendra, Aditi Rao Hydari, Rahul Bose, Zarina Wahab, Sandhya Mridul, Aashim Gulati, and Taha Shah Badussha in important roles. The first season premiered on ZEE5 on 3 March 2023, while the second season, titled Taj: Reign of Revenge, premiered on 12 May 2023. The series has 2 seasons and 18 episodes in total.
The story is set in the Mughal period and mainly focuses on Emperor Akbar and the dangerous fight for succession among his sons. The series presents palace politics, ambition, betrayal, romance, revenge, and family conflict inside the royal court.
Taj Web Series Main Cast
1. Naseeruddin Shah as Akbar
Naseeruddin Shah plays Emperor Akbar, the powerful ruler of the Mughal Empire. His character is central to the story. Akbar is shown as a ruler who wants to decide the next emperor not only by birthright but also by merit. This decision creates tension among his sons and shakes the royal family.
2. Dharmendra as Sheikh Salim Chisti
Dharmendra plays Sheikh Salim Chisti, the respected Sufi saint whose blessings and prophecy are deeply connected with Akbar’s family. His role gives the story a spiritual and emotional layer.
3. Aashim Gulati as Salim / Jahangir
Aashim Gulati plays Prince Salim, who later becomes Jahangir. Salim is one of Akbar’s sons and one of the most important characters in the series. His love, rebellion, exile, and hunger for justice become major parts of the story.
4. Aditi Rao Hydari as Anarkali
Aditi Rao Hydari plays Anarkali, the beautiful and graceful woman whose love story with Salim becomes one of the emotional tracks of the series. Her character brings romance, tragedy, and palace tension into the plot.
5. Taha Shah Badussha as Murad
Taha Shah Badussha plays Prince Murad, another son of Akbar. Murad is ambitious, aggressive, and believes he deserves the throne. His rivalry with his brothers adds power struggle and conflict to the story.
6. Shubham Kumar Mehra as Daniyal Mirza
Shubham Kumar Mehra plays Daniyal Mirza, Akbar’s youngest son. Daniyal is another important part of the succession battle. His character shows how royal ambition can damage family bonds.
7. Rahul Bose as Mirza Muhammad Hakim
Rahul Bose plays Mirza Muhammad Hakim, Akbar’s half-brother. His character brings political danger and outside conflict into the Mughal world.
8. Zarina Wahab as Salima Sultan Begum
Zarina Wahab plays Salima Sultan Begum. Her character is one of the important women in Akbar’s royal household and adds maturity and emotional balance to the palace drama.
9. Sandhya Mridul as Jodha Bai
Sandhya Mridul plays Jodha Bai, Akbar’s queen and mother figure in the palace. Her role brings family emotion, motherhood, and royal responsibility into the series.
Taj Supporting Cast
The supporting cast of Taj helps build the grand world of the Mughal court. The series has many characters connected with royal families, ministers, queens, warriors, saints, and future rulers.
Some important supporting cast members are:
- Sauraseni Maitra as Mehrunnisa / Nur Jahan
- Mitansh Lulla as Khurram / Shah Jahan
- Jiansh Agarwal as Khusrau Mirza
- Suhani Juneja as Arjumand Banu Begum / Mumtaz Mahal
- Rajat Kaul as Abu’l-Hasan Asaf Khan
- Akshay Agarwal as Amar Singh I
- Rouhallah Quazim as Sher Afgan Khan
- Arman Khera as Mahabat Khan
- Anushka Luhar as Man Bai / Sha Begum
- Mir Sarwar as Bairam Khan
- Tanvi Negi as Jagat Gossain
- Janam Raj as Sahib Jamal
- Subodh Bhave as Birbal
- Pankaj Saraswat as Abu’l-Fazl ibn Mubarak
- Pawan Chopra as Ghiyas Beg
- Padma Damodaran as Ruqaiya Sultan Begum
- Shivani Tanksale as Bakht-un-Nissa Begum
- Aayam Mehta as Badayuni
- Deepraj Rana as Maharana Pratap
- Zachary Coffin as Father Monserrate
These characters make the story larger than a simple family drama. They bring royal politics, war, betrayal, diplomacy, romance, and future Mughal history into the series.
Taj Crew Details
- Created by: Abhimanyu Singh
- Story by: Christopher Butera and Anand Neelakantan
- Screenplay by: William Borthwick and Simon Fantauzzo
- Dialogues by: Ajay Singh
- Directed by: Ron Scalpello and Vibhu Puri
- Produced by: Abhimanyu Singh and Roopali Kadyan
- Music Composer: Ian Arber
- Cinematography: Simon Temple and Tejal Shetye
- Editors: Irfan Ishak, Ben King, Ruchi Barar
- Production Company: Contiloe Pictures
- Genre: Period drama, historical fiction
- Language: Hindi and Urdu
- Country: India
- Total Seasons: 2
- Total Episodes: 18
- Original Platform: ZEE5
The crew of Taj worked on creating a large historical world filled with palace politics, royal costumes, battlefield tension, emotional drama, and personal conflict. The series is not presented like a simple history lesson. It uses historical characters and dramatic imagination to show the beauty and brutality of the Mughal dynasty.
Taj OTT Platform
Taj is available on ZEE5. The first season, Taj: Divided by Blood, premiered on ZEE5 on 3 March 2023. The second season, Taj: Reign of Revenge, premiered on 12 May 2023. ZEE5 lists the show as a drama and period drama available in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu audio languages.
Viewers who want to watch the series can stream it on ZEE5, depending on their region and subscription access.
Taj Release Date
- Taj: Divided by Blood Season 1 was released on 3 March 2023.
- Taj: Reign of Revenge Season 2 was released on 12 May 2023.
The first season introduced Akbar, his sons, the succession question, and the emotional-political cracks inside the Mughal court. The second season continued the story after a time jump and focused more on Salim’s return, revenge, and his fight for power.
Taj Total Episodes
Taj has a total of 18 episodes across 2 seasons.
Season 1, titled Taj: Divided by Blood, has 10 episodes.
Season 2, titled Taj: Reign of Revenge, has 8 episodes.
The first season begins with Akbar’s decision to choose his successor based on merit instead of simply following the eldest-son rule. The second season moves the story forward after years of conflict and shows Salim’s journey from exile to revenge and finally toward the throne.
Taj Story
The story of Taj is set in the 16th-century Mughal Empire. At the centre of the series is Emperor Akbar, one of the most powerful rulers of the dynasty. Akbar has three sons: Salim, Murad, and Daniyal. Instead of automatically choosing the eldest or most expected heir, Akbar decides that the next ruler should be selected based on merit.
This decision creates a storm inside the royal family. Each prince has his own nature, weakness, and ambition. Salim is artistic, emotional, rebellious, and deeply connected with love. Murad is aggressive and hungry for power. Daniyal is younger but also drawn into the dangerous politics of succession.
The palace becomes a battlefield without open war. Queens, ministers, advisors, relatives, and enemies begin taking sides. Love, loyalty, blood relations, and ambition all come under pressure. In this world, even family members cannot fully trust each other.
One of the important emotional tracks of the series is the love story of Salim and Anarkali. Their relationship creates tension because it challenges royal discipline and political expectations. Their love becomes both beautiful and dangerous, affecting Salim’s relationship with Akbar and the court.
The series also shows the influence of important historical and royal figures like Jodha Bai, Salima Sultan Begum, Birbal, Abu’l-Fazl, Bairam Khan, and others. These characters help create the world of Mughal politics, strategy, faith, and betrayal.
In Taj: Reign of Revenge, the story moves ahead after a gap. Salim returns from exile with anger, pain, and a desire to claim his place. The second season becomes darker because Salim is no longer just a romantic prince. He becomes a man shaped by rejection, punishment, and revenge.
Mehrunnisa also becomes an important character in the second season. Her entry changes the emotional and political direction of Salim’s life. As Akbar’s health and power weaken, the question of succession becomes even more dangerous.
Taj is not only about kings and queens. It is about how power can divide families, how ambition can destroy relationships, and how the desire for the throne can turn blood relations into enemies.
Why Taj Became Popular
Taj became popular because it brought the Mughal dynasty to OTT in a dramatic and grand way. The show had a strong ensemble cast, and names like Naseeruddin Shah, Dharmendra, Aditi Rao Hydari, Rahul Bose, Zarina Wahab, Sandhya Mridul, and Aashim Gulati attracted attention from viewers.
Another reason for its popularity was the theme of royal succession. Stories about kings, heirs, betrayal, romance, and revenge usually create strong drama, and Taj uses all these elements. The show also became noticeable because Dharmendra appeared in a key role as Sheikh Salim Chisti.
The series appealed to viewers who enjoy period dramas with palace politics, emotional conflicts, and historical characters. Though the show takes dramatic liberty, its setting and characters give it a grand royal flavour.
Taj Important Details
- Full Name: Taj: Divided by Blood
- Second Season Title: Taj: Reign of Revenge
- OTT Platform: ZEE5
- Season 1 Release Date: 3 March 2023
- Season 2 Release Date: 12 May 2023
- Total Seasons: 2
- Total Episodes: 18
- Main Actor: Naseeruddin Shah
- Other Lead Cast: Dharmendra, Aashim Gulati, Aditi Rao Hydari, Taha Shah Badussha, Rahul Bose
- Creator: Abhimanyu Singh
- Directors: Ron Scalpello and Vibhu Puri
- Production Company: Contiloe Pictures
- Genre: Period drama, historical fiction
- Language: Hindi and Urdu
- Country: India
Final Words
Taj is a Hindi period drama web series that shows the Mughal Empire through the story of Akbar and the battle for succession among his sons. The series mixes history-inspired drama with palace politics, romance, betrayal, revenge, and royal ambition. With strong performances by Naseeruddin Shah, Dharmendra, Aashim Gulati, Aditi Rao Hydari, Taha Shah Badussha, Rahul Bose, Zarina Wahab, and Sandhya Mridul, Taj stands out as a grand historical drama made for viewers who enjoy royal stories and power struggles.
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