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By Taran
Adarsh, February 13, 2008 - 11:24 IST
 Let's get one thing straight: You haven't watched
anything so opulent, so magnificent like this in a
long, long time on the Hindi screen. It's not just
body beautiful, but there's soul as well.
It requires courage, prowess, patience, aptitude,
knowledge, passion and of course, loads of currency to
attempt a movie like JODHAA AKBAR. But more than
anything else, it requires your firm belief in the
subject, the belief to attempt a historical when
historicals are considered an absolute no-no in the
industry, the belief to spend almost Rs. 40 crores in
a film that could go either ways.
Only when you're convinced yourself can you convince
millions of moviegoers. And convinced you are after
watching JODHAA AKBAR, a film of epic proportions.
Now let's clear a few misconceptions pertaining to the
film…
It's blasphemous to compare MUGHAL-E-AZAM and JODHAA
AKBAR. While MUGHAL-E-AZAM was primarily about the
legendary romance between Salim and Anarkali, a
subject that has been attempted quite a few times on
the Hindi screen before, JODHAA AKBAR is about the
relationship that the young Akbar shared with Jodhaa.
A lot has been said and written about its length [3.20
hours]. Does the viewer of today have the patience to
watch a really lengthy film in today's times? But once
into JODHAA AKBAR, the sequence of events, the drama,
the romance, the war… every aspect keeps you
mesmerized. Oh yes, the length does pinch you at one
crucial point [second hour, which is relatively
shorter], when a song breaks out. Otherwise, the 3 +
hours are very well spent.
 When you watch historicals like MUGHAL-E-AZAM and
RAZIA SULTAN, the usage of chaste Urdu is difficult to
comprehend at times. Not here! The language is
simplified - Akbar speaks in Urdu, Jodhaa in Hindi -
and it's easy to decipher.
As a cinematic experience, it would be wrong to
compare JODHAA AKBAR to any of Ashutosh Gowariker's
previous endeavors. Why, it would be erroneous to
compare the film with any film ever made before in
this genre. This one stands out and stands out the
tallest.
To sum up, JODHAA AKBAR leaves you spellbound,
enthralled, entranced and awestruck. Ashutosh
Gowariker makes the legendary characters come alive on
screen. Take a bow, Ashu!
Set in the sixteenth century, JODHAA AKBAR is a love
story about a marriage of alliance that gave birth to
true love between a great Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a
Rajput princess, Jodhaa. Little did Akbar [Hrithik
Roshan] know that when he married Jodhaa [Aishwarya
Rai Bachchan], he would be embarking upon a new
journey -- the journey of true love.
The daughter of King Bharmal of Amer [Kulbhushan
Kharbanda], Jodhaa resented being reduced to a mere
political pawn in this marriage of alliance, and
Akbar's biggest challenge now did not merely lie in
winning battles, but in winning the love of this
defiant princess.
One of the prime reasons why JODHAA AKBAR works is
because the present-day viewer is unaware of the
romance between Akbar and Jodhaa. Sure, we all know of
Akbar as a great emperor, but the love story makes for
a refreshing subject. And the execution of a number of
sequences makes JODHAA AKBAR extremely special.
 Some instances:
* The war sequence at the very outset. You realize the
scale and magnitude of the film at the very beginning.
* Hrithik taming an out-of-control elephant. It's
hair-raising.
* The two pre-conditions set by Jodhaa, before her
marriage to Akbar. Very interesting.
* The confrontation between Ila Arun and Ash at the
kitchen, when Ash decides to make the meal herself.
* The immediate sequence, when Ash is asked to taste
the food herself by Ila before she's about to serve
the food to the Emperor and his associates. Once done,
Hrithik demanding that he be served the meal from the
same platter that Jodhaa had used.
* The intermission point, which sows the seeds of a
misunderstanding between Hrithik and Ash.
* Post-interval, Hrithik returning to Amer to get Ash
back to Agra and the welcome ceremony by his
mother-in-law [Suhasini Mulay].
* The sword fight the very next morning, between
Hrithik and Ash.
* The 'Azeem-o-Shaan Shahenshah' track, when the
entire kingdom hails Hrithik.
* The fight in the climax [reminds you of the fight
between Brad Pitt and Eric Bana in TROY].
Amazing moments indeed…
Ashutosh Gowariker knows that historicals have to be
simplified while narrating on celluloid so that the
moviegoer is able to grasp and comprehend the plotline
and the sequence of events. Thankfully, JODHAA AKBAR
is not in the least difficult to decipher. Gowariker's
handling of the subject deserves the highest praise,
for it's not everyday that you come across a film like
JODHAA AKBAR.
A.R. Rahman's music is not the type that you take to
instantly, but yes, it gels beautifully with the mood
of the film. 'Azeem-o-Shaan Shahenshah' and 'Jashn-e-Bahara'
are the best tracks in terms of tune. In terms of
choreography, 'Azeem-o-Shaan Shahenshah' is
awe-inspiring, while the execution of 'Khwaja Mere
Khwaja' is outstanding. Rahman's background score is
simply extra-ordinary.
There's no room for dullness in Haider Ali and
Gowariker's screenplay. The writing is tight, the
drama keeps you hooked and the romantic track is
wonderful. The film also talks of secularism, an issue
so vital in today's times. K.P. Saxena's dialogues are
amazing. At places, soaked in acid. The writer comes
up with several gems, yet again. Kiran Deohans'
cinematography matches international standards. The
movement of camera at various places, especially in
the battlefield, is breath-taking. Also, the D.O.P.
captures the grandeur to the fullest. The production
design [Nitin Chandrakant Desai] is, again, awesome.
Recreating the bygone era requires not just money, but
also the vision and Desai proves his supremacy yet
again.
 Be it the war sequences or the sword fights or general
action, Ravi Dewan's contribution to the film is
incredible. Especially noteworthy is the fight between
Hrithik and Nikitin Dheer in the climax. It's simply
outstanding! Editing [Ballu Saluja] is perfect,
although the romantic song between Hrithik and Ash can
be shortened in the second hour. The costumes [Neeta
Lulla] as also the jewelry also deserve special
mention.
JODHAA AKBAR also works because of the right casting.
It's difficult to imagine anyone else in the role of
Emperor Akbar. Hrithik seems born to play this role
and he enacts it with such precision, such flourish,
such confidence that it leaves you asking for more. A
mind-boggling performance without doubt!
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is superb. Oh yes, she looks
ethereal -- a compliment she has heard a trillion
times before. What's new in that? But watch her emote
in this film. You realize the amazing talent that has
hitherto not been tapped by any movie maker. A
flawless performance indeed!
 JODHAA AKBAR has a host of characters, but the ones
whom you carry home, besides Hrithik and Ash, are Sonu
Sood [excellent], Nikitin Dheer [fantastic], Ila Arun
[electrifying; her finest work so far], Punam S. Sinha
[graceful], Kulbhushan Kharbanda [perfect], Raza Murad
[effective] and Rajesh Vivek [good]. Amitabh
Bachchan's rich barritone voice adds lustre to the
magnum opus.
On the whole, JODHAA AKBAR is, without a shred of
doubt, a brilliant film in all respects. This
historical has all it takes to prove the first
blockbuster of 2008. Very strongly recommended!
Rating: * * * *
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