Ekaant.....

I think that Aishwariya and Hrithik make a good pair 'onscreen'. So I was quite enthusiastic to see the movie Jhodha Akbar by the director Ashutosh Gwarikar. The opportunity came all of a sudden. As usual after the hectic class of Actuarial Maths I was feeling tired so after lunch was planning to take a nap. But Anil came up to my room and asked what I’m going to do in the afternoon. I had no idea so he gave me the proposal of going for a movie. I felt very excited because the cost of the ticket would be only 10/- (Satyam cinema has got a speciality which you won’t find anywhere in India. One can see the movie for only Rs. 10 which is available for the first three rows in the hall. So all the rickshawalas, thelawalas, factory workers and students stand in long queues for these tickets. So one should go at least before an hour to get the ticket otherwise would have to wait for the next show.) We went stood in the line but since it was a huge line we didn’t get so went to Spencer’s did window shopping and then returned to get the tickets for the 7:30 show. But the wait was worth it. I liked the really liked the movie. 'Jodhaa Akbar' is a sixteenth century epic romance with heavy doses of electrifying drama and wide canvas battle sequences. Possibly being the most ambitious and gutsy film to come out in the scenario of Indian cinema in recent years, 'Jodhaa Akbar' creates an unchartered cinema territory, breaking new ground in its filming and its mis-en-scene.

Ashutosh Gowariker takes on the mammoth task of making a prequel to 'Mughal-E-Azam', writing the possible love story between Emperor Akbar and Jodhabai, which starts as a marriage of alliance when King Bharmal of Amer gives his daughter’s hand in marriage to Emperor Akbar.

From the Battle of Panipat where the thirteen-year-old Jalaluddin was crowned to his conquests and his benevolent and just role that won him the title of ‘Akbar,’ meaning ‘The Great,’ the film traces the graph of the mighty emperor and his love for the defiant Rajput princess. While 'Mughal-E-Azam' was Salim’s love story, 'Jodhaa Akbar' is Akbar’s love story. No other comparisons can be made between these two films, and both are masterpieces in their own sense, as well as rich and wide in their staging. But 'Jodhaa Akbar' is a film for today, contemporary in its outlook, with the central love story flavoured with political conspiracies and palace intrigue, and a very important film that besides its dramatic entertainment makes us to realise the many shades of secularism and its importance.

Hrithik Roshan as Akbar is magnificent, giving a fantastic performance that has to be seen to be believed; his vocal intonations and commanding expressions, working on every facial muscle in delivering his lines, makes you almost believe he is a Mughal. When he proclaims ‘Yeh hamaara Mulk hai’ or when he says ‘Hamle ke liye tayyaar’ or when he admonishes his religious adviser Saadir Adasi in his court for interfering in matters of governance, you realize what a fine actor Hrithik is. But among all I liked 'Ekaant....' when he orders his subjects to go for his privacy with Malaika Hindustan. It amused us a lot. Gowariker may have taken his time to make this film, but the effort is all there on the screen. You see a mature Hrithik who not only delivers fine dialogue with great command, but Gowariker puts him through an elephant taming sequence, a sword duel with Jodhaa, battles, and a climactic combat with the main villain; making good use of the build and prowess of the star, the director makes this magnum opus as young and contemporary as possible and at the same time vividly detailed in time.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Jodhaa is so real and convincing as a Rajput princess that you feel she has never before looked so good in a role. Aided by the grand jewellery and costume finery, she shines as the princess who makes the greatest sacrifice for her people, consenting to a marriage of alliance with the Mughals. The grace of her swordplay coupled with some fine horse-riding makes you wonder what kind of preparation went behind this film. Kudos to Gowariker for making his stars every inch the character they are enacting, and more.