Jodhaa Akbar (Gowarikar, 2008)

[sandeep]

Jodhaa Akbar...
Ashutosh Gowariker
Hrithik Roshan
Aishwariya Bachchan

One to watch out for...

[kaytee]

Nice I like the poster.

[sulphurhead]

aishwarya bachchan! haha.. first time i heard it, and it sounds wierd

[shariqq]

It will suck.

[kaytee]

It will suck.

I dont know about that Shariqq, Gowariker's previous efforts like Lagaan and Swades were awesome. Especially Swades, that movie moved a nerve or two for me, though it was far fetched. Even Lagaan being 3.5 hours long was extremely entertaining, he managed to have an excellent mix of patriotism and India's religion - cricket.

[sandeep]

It wont be bad, it may not be a commercial success, but Gowariker has a knack for presenting his cast in a way they havent been seen before... the performance will be good for sure, dont know about the rest...

[kaytee]

Here are two character posters...

[shariqq]

Wow, the trailer is mighty impressive! It's even got Battle scenes ala LOTR (receding camera et al)!

Here's a shitty quality video from YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/YMFmrwEM3TM&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/YMFmrwEM3TM&rel=1</a>

[shariqq]

The official website has the trailer up. It's a flash video, with no Download options.

Production looks HUGE.

[sandeep]

What happens when you merge the opulence of Sanjay Leela Bhansali with the romantic magic of Yash Chopra? You get Ashutosh Gowarikers ‘Jodha Akbar’…

After watching ‘Mughal-E-Azam’, one has renewed respect for this film maker, as he has successfully created a historic epic with such dedication, that just attempting it in this day and age would be considered an act of immense courage…

From the beginning you are greeted by Amitabh Bachchan’s baritone voice as the narrator of the film… memories of ‘Lagaan’ start to emerge, but are stopped almost immediately, as he takes you through a brief recap of Mughal history, the young Jodha & Akbar, how they grow up to be strong personalities in the Rajput and Mughal dynasties and how fate, politics, circumstances bring them together.

What has been untouched by history, is the relationship these two shared, how it grew into love and how many tiny nuances made the bond that the two eventually shared. The film may appear to be about Kingdoms and political agendas, which it is on the side, but the main hero of the movie is the relationship between Jodha & Akbar.

It amazes me to see the chemistry between Aishwariya and Hrithik, who not only look and dress the part (special mention to Neeta Lulla for costume and jewelry), but enact the tension between the characters so effortlessly…

Be it the grand palaces, the war sequences or special effects, UTV has not compromised on quality. The film bears a rich look throughout, recreating that period with such sincerity, that it has to be applauded…

Many actors make this fine film work, as it has a story which is woven around many characters… Special mention to Ila Arun, Sonu Sood, Nikitin Dheer, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Punam S. Sinha.

The length has been an issue with many viewers, but though the film is 3 hours 20 minutes long, there is little you would like to see edited. If you sink into the tale as I did, it finishes leaving you content and proud of such a work of art.

Full points for direction, cinematography, set design, dialogue, story, musical score… there is not one department the movie lacks… finally, a complete movie after a long time…

This movie may not be for the masses, but it surely is not to be missed on the large screen, as its grandeur and simplicity will leave you spellbound…

4/5

[kaytee]

Not a very satisfying experience. Expected more from this one. More tomorrow.

[sandeep]

Awaiting your comments K.T.

[kaytee]

What do I say. My main gripe was the story of the movie.

Spending 50 crores on a movie, creating lavish and lust costumes and settings is not the only reason why a movie should be made. The movie is nothing more than a love story which could have existed at any era, it didnt require such a grand setting. I think he should have focused more on how Akbar conquered all of India and how Jodha helped him do that, i dont care about their freaking love story.

Yes some scenes are shot very well and Hrithik looks like a warrior but for what reason, just so that we can see one war scene.

A great opportunity gone waste.

[sandeep]

The official website has the trailer up. It's a flash video, with no Download options.

Production looks HUGE.

did you ever see it shariqq?

[shariqq]

Actually, no. I can't stand Aishwarya Rai anymore. It has to be exceptional for me to want to watch her...

For the records, I haven't seen any Gowariker movie yet (yes, some Bollywood fan I am!)