Book Review 66: Aurangzeb by Rajesh Talwar.




I have been reviewing books on my blog for quite some time now, and I have read and reviewed books belonging to various genres. But this book review is indeed very unique, as this is the first time I am reviewing a play. 

Aurangzeb: The Darkness in His Heart is a play by Rajesh Talwar. As is evident from the title, the play is about the sixth and the last great Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb. The play traces the journey of the sixth Mughal ruler's life - from how he ascended the throne to the final days of his life.

The play is divided into three parts - 'Aurangzeb, the Romantic'; 'Aurangzeb, the Monster' and 'Aurangzeb, the Fearful'. The first part narrates the tale of how the cold-hearted Aurangzeb fell in love with Hirabai, who was a slave girl. But, Hirabai dies within a year of their first meeting. This incident has a deep-seated impact on the life of Aurangzeb. He becomes more tyrannical, intolerant, and sceptical. The second part of the play traces his journey to ascend the throne. The play brilliantly portrays the character of Aurangzeb as a power-hungry, ambitious prince who dares to go as far as required in order to quench his thirst for power and seize the throne. He was cunning, cruel, ruthless and brutal. The third and final part describes how towards the end of a long and bloody reign, with an empire which is almost on the verge of falling apart, the great Mughal emperor is regretful of his past deeds. 

At times, such as now, when intolerance and mistreatment of communities are at its height, this play seems to be extremely relevant. This historical play has been very well narrated and has been written in easy and lucid language. All the characters have been portrayed really well. Extremism in any form leads to the downfall. History teaches us this fact times again. 

I loved reading this brilliant play. I absolutely recommend this amazing book to my fellow bibliophiles. 


About the author: Rajesh Talwar studied Negotiation at Harvard, Human Rights Law at Nottingham, and Law and Economics at Delhi University. He has worked for the United Nations on legal and justice-related issues. Prior to working for the UN, he practised law at Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia. He is author to more than a dozen books.



My rating: 5 of 5 stars.
First Published: June 2019
Pages: 150
Price: ₹70/-

You can buy this book from Amazon.


Thanks to the author, Rajesh Talwar, for providing me with a review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. 

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