Jodhaa Akbar

Ever since I watched Swades, I am a fan of Ashutosh Gowarikar. I went for Jodhaa Akbar with lots of expectations. I am glad that Gowarikar did not let me down. Hrithik Roshan gives an outstanding performance. He transforms between a warrior and a lover with effortless ease. It is a role tailor made for him. I don't think anyone else could have handled the role with such perfection. The way he ran over the wall and jumps on the elephant - a true treat for the eyes.
However, the movie comes with several flaws. Akbar is supposed to be a multi faceted personality - an artisan, lover of literature etc. The movie does not even briefly talk about these aspects of the king. I was surprised to learn through the movie that Akbar was an illiterate. Was this true?
The scene in which Akbar reveals that he does not know how to read or write was little out of context. When he struggles to understand Jodhaa's calligraphy, audience gets a different message. They think that Jodhaa wrote something wrong and Akbar was humble not to point out her mistake. They interpret it as a comic scene. Smugness on Hriithik's face was the main reason for this confusion. He could have gone for a different body language.
Close-up battle field scenes fill the screen with an impressive array horses, camels, elephants and infantry. But when the camera spans out we realize how small the infantry is. They cover a meager part of the field. What would this mean to audience who are attuned to watching movies like Lord of the Rings, Troy etc? This is where Bollywood fail miserably to other high budget, technically advanced language movies.
Akbar had fought and won several wars. There is not even a single war scene in the movie. The only way we know that he is a warrior is the practice sword fights he does on the terrace. Probably a few songs could have been replaced with authentic, fierce battle scenes. Why are we so obsessed with songs?
Even with all these....I don't have any complaints. I appreciate Gowarikar's attempt to produce quality cinema.