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Jodhaa Akbar Movie Review (45 Reviews)
You do not question some film maker’s efforts. You just walk in blindly into the multiplexes and allow yourself to be swept away by the stories that they weave. Simply because their earnestness and honesty sweeps your loyalty into their fold so strongly that you also close your eyes hard to your most loved critic’s sneer at their output.
Ashutosh Gowariker certainly falls into that category in my book of loyalty to personalities who make a contribution in various fields.
Post mind blowing Lagaan and the most underrated patriotic movie of India, Swades you just don’t question his credentials. He has done enough work to last him his due accolades for a lifetime. The ominous warnings from regular friendly critics of a history gone awry or channels talking of obscure organizations making tiny noises over the distorted history …Since they were not there too , how does their version become more valid one wonders…But Ashutosh takes care of these idiosyncrasies by denouncing any references to depiction of real history ..If there is one... He only talks of a point of view. And this is his
The film reiterates what our history books have always told us. That Akbar was a good administrator and a good Indian secular King. But what the books did not tell us was about the travails of his love tryst with an Indian Rajput Princess JOdha. Who cares if it was not as he depicts since no one wants to forget Aishwarya Rai looking better than ever before and acting out the role of her life. She does not go into the Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam raptures and soulful acting. Instead she wonderfully underplays her act matching step for step with Hritik Roshan who looks a Greek God and tongue twists his Urdu so beautifully.
The film is about the Indian Mughal ruler’s efforts to win over his bride while parallel stories play out the efforts of the king to expand his empire justly. He is enraptured as we are, with the ethereal quality of the Rajput princess who also matches her beauty with some swashbuckling sword swishes. (The last legion learning seems to have come in pretty handy here). She comes to him as is well known as part of a historical strategic alliance with a Hindu King. But the princess turns out to be more than a “Look ma what I got from the battlefield “memoir. His mother is amused but his god mother is not. And she forms the foil for an otherwise happy setting for the Hindu princess who gets her temple and space in the mughal emperor’s giant nod to secularism.
There are moments which enrapture and make you earnestly wish that these were true and that it is not an outstanding creative of Ashutosh’s mind. The movie moves on over 200 minutes but keeps you occupied.
It is not in the league of the candy floss romantic churn outs in recent times. It attempts to make history entertaining and watch worthy. My kid watched goggle eyed and I have no issues if he dreams up Hritik in his text books which elaborate on the mughal empire of the 16th and 17th century.
There is actually no point in comparing the director’s previous efforts with each other since he works with a different purpose every time trying to set a new bar to the reach of Hindi cinema s story telling and for that he deserves a standing applause.
The characters are worked upon but not as delightfully done in previous efforts. There seems to be a strain on budgets since it is not difficult to miss the director’s restraint in going whole hog on the sufficient capable battle scenes or the tough elephant battle scenes.
It is indeed a difficult act to come up with realistic battle scenes with financiers and animal rights activists breathing down your neck.
You leave the hall softly cursing the loud mobile conversationalists or stupid dudes who think it is cool to talk loudly in cinema halls and spoil the proceedings for others and then you remember the lovely pair and the good effort and you are ready to forgive. And of course the couple of hummable songs by Rahman and one surely heavy duty quawali number which should be history for its lyrics and classical music.
I really want to get back to my 7 std history books and read up on Indian history and the mughal regime all over again. After all history turns entertaining thanks to Ashutosh
Other Movie Reviews by navindutt
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