''Mendirman Jaloliddin'' (, ,
Uzbek Cyrillic: ''Мендирман Жалолиддин'', ''Mendirman Zhaloliddin''; ,) is an Uzbek-Turkish television series produced by Mehmet Bozdağ in collaboration with the Uzbek Ministry of Culture and Sports. The series is based on the life of
Jalal al-Din Mangburni
Jalal al-Din Mangburni (), also known as Jalal al-Din Khwarazmshah (), was the last Khwarazmshah of the Anushtegin dynasty. The eldest son and successor of Ala ad-Din Muhammad II of the Khwarazmian Empire, Jalal al-Din was brought up at Gurganj ...
, the last ruler of the
Khwarazmian Empire
The Khwarazmian Empire (), or simply Khwarazm, was a culturally Persianate society, Persianate, Sunni Muslim empire of Turkic peoples, Turkic ''mamluk'' origin. Khwarazmians ruled large parts of present-day Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran ...
, and features Turkish actor Emre Kıvılcım portraying the titular character.
Plot
Season 1
Jalaluddin faces numerous challenges, including the looming threat of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire. At the same time, he must navigate internal conflicts within his own kingdom, including the power struggle between his father and his grandmother, Terken Khatun.
Amidst these challenges, Jalaluddin falls in love with Kutlu Bike, who has been kidnapped by Genghis Khan. However, he soon discovers that Kutlu Bike harbors secrets that she has been keeping hidden behind her beauty. Despite their love for each other, misunderstandings arise, and Jalaluddin becomes angry with Kutlu Bike when he learns the truth.
Meanwhile, Shirin, who also loves Jalaluddin, is pressured by her mother and Uzlagshah's mother, Mihricihan, to marry Uzlagshah. Shirin eventually agrees to the marriage, as Uzlagshah is set to become a Sultan, and she would become a Sultan's wife.
As the story unfolds, Turkan Hatun, Sultan Ala ad-Din's mother, runs away and brings an army to fight against her own son, but Jalaluddin stops the war with the help of a Sheikh. Jalaluddin then purchases a beautiful dress for Kutlu Bike before her wedding, but their relationship faces further challenges when he discovers her secrets.
Jalaluddin, with the support of his mentor, Temur Melik, rescues Kutlu Bike's kidnapped brother and reunites him with his sister. However, Jalaluddin's father names Uzlagshah as his heir, causing tension and disappointment for Jalaluddin and his mother, Aycicek. Uzlagshah, Jalaluddin, and his brother Akshah set off with their father and army to fight against the opposing forces.
Meanwhile, Turkan Hatun, who has reconciled with her daughters-in-law, falls ill after drinking sherbet poisoned with buttercup by one of her own servants. The season ends with the Khwarazms preparing for war against the Mongols, setting the stage for the next chapter of the story.
Season 2
The second season starts off with the impending war against the Mongols, which was shown in the last season
Cast
Episodes
Production
The television series includes both Turkish and Uzbek actors and it is produced by Turkish screenwriter
Mehmet Bozdağ, while being directed by
Metin Günay
Hakkı Metin Günay (born 26 January 1963) is a Turkish director. His most well-known works are ''Deli Yürek'' (1998), ''Ekmek Teknesi'' (2002) and '' Diriliş: Ertuğrul'' (2014). He graduated from the Yıldız Technical University and has d ...
. Nurgissa Almurat of
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
, Reza Himmeti of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
are also directors of the series.
A statement said, "About a thousand people will take part in the project. The series, which will be shot in Uzbekistan and Turkey, consists of 13 episodes, and each episode will be one hour long". ''Mendirman Jaloliddin'' is sometimes considered a "multi-part film" or just a "film" for its short amount of episodes and shorter amount of screentime. Uzbek and Turkish artists gathered at the studio for the first part of the production and answered the questions from the audience live after the first episode of the series was broadcast.
After a conference in
Tashkent
Tashkent (), also known as Toshkent, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uzbekistan, largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of more than 3 million people as of April 1, 2024. I ...
where it was first announced that a series with this name will be produced, an intensive collaboration between producers, directors, screenwriters, historians, consultants, artists, art directors, architects and costume designers began. Tough casting awaited many Turkish and Uzbek actors for the series who had to receive special training for battle scenes, horse riding and fencing. They also had to learn each other's languages.
The digital effects of ''Mendirman Celaleddin,'' which employs a team of about 500 people behind the scenes, included 200 people from
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
.
Based on the sketches of Turkish and Uzbek artists, more than 200 tailors worked on costumes for the series.
Set
The Bozdağ Film set was prepared to build an atmosphere of the 13th century. In Turkey, it was built on an area of 30 hectares and above the two-storey Khorezmshah palace building, 5.5 meters high, which filled an area of 3,500 square meters, 1,200 people worked. Uzbek media has said that the set looks exactly like how a real 13th-century palace would be like. The streets of
Konye-Urgench
Konye-Urgench (, ; , ), also known as Old Urgench or Urganj, was a city in north Turkmenistan, just south from its border with Uzbekistan. It is the site of the ancient town of Gurgānj, which contains the ruins of the capital of Khwarazm. Its in ...
, residential buildings, the central market were also built and praised. The desert battle scenes were filmed in
Aksaray
Aksaray () is a city in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the seat of Aksaray Province and Aksaray District. , 750 km from
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
. It was scheduled to premiere in January 2021 but instead was released in February.
Criticisms
When the show of the series began, different opinions about it began to be expressed on social networks, along with recognitions, criticisms were made. In particular, blogger Eldar Asanov compared the realities shown in the film on the basis of historical theories and listed several flaws in the series. It seems that the Turkish actor
Emre Kiviljim, who played the main character of the Mendirman Jaloliddin series, did not like most of the
Uzbek viewers, as well as some young artists. Talented actor
Alisher Uzokov commented on this in his intro. He emphasized that the main character was himself or
Ulugbek Kadyrov, Adiz Radjabov, Bobur Yuldashev and several Uzbek actors.
Release
In 2020, Mehmet Bozdağ announced that he had been working on the project since 2018, at the request of the Uzbekistan government. Saida Mirziyoyeva, the deputy chairperson of the board of trustees of the Public Foundation for Support and Development of National Mass Media in Uzbekistan, announced on Twitter that the historical series "Mendirman Jaloliddin" would start airing on Milliy TV channel on February 14, 2021. The series was eventually released on February 14, 2021. The second season of the series began airing in Uzbekistan on January 14, 2023, and is currently being broadcast on the Zoʻr TV channel.
Reception
The television series gained attention in Pakistan, and with the release of only the first episode, it quickly became popular.
Saida Mirziyoyeva
Saida Shavkatovna Mirziyoyeva (born 4 November 1984) is an Uzbek politician and the eldest daughter of incumbent President of Uzbekistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Since June 2025, she's the Head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekis ...
praised the series for its great script and acting, and recommended it as a captivating portrayal of the region's history. She said:
The series has a great script and excellent acting that captivate viewers from the first to the last episode. Moreover, it effectively portrays the history of our region in a colorful language of cinema, making it easily understandable for the general public. I highly recommend watching it!
References
External links
* {{IMDb title, 14045562
2021 Uzbekistani television series debuts
Television series set in the 13th century
Uzbekistani television series
Uzbek-language television shows
War drama television series