By:
Subhash
K.
Jha,
IndiaFM
Monday,
July
30,
2007
For
a
long
time
now
some
of
the
more
imaginative
tabloids
of
Mumbai
have
been
inexplicably
eager
to
see
a
delay
in
the
release
of
Ashutosh
Gowariker's
Jodhaa-Akbar.
Several
manufactured
'accidents'
from
the
sets
of
Jodhaa-Akbar
were
reported,
just
to
fuel
the
tantalizing
possibility
of
a
postponement
in
the
release
date
of
this
eagerly
awaited
film.
In
fact
when
contacted
after
the
report
of
his
most
recent
'accident',
Hrithik
categorically
said
he
had
never
suffered
any
accident
during
the
shooting
of
Jodhaa-Akbar.
But
then
the
naysayers
and
sensation-hungry
fiction
writers
can't
get
enough
of
the
quick-
fix
method
of
news-making.
Hence
last
week
there
was
again
a
report
that
the
release
of
Jodhaa-Akbar
has
been
postponed.
"Not
again!
Not
true
at
all!" laughs
Ashutosh
Gowariker
as
he
speeds
to
a
spectacular
conclusion
of
his
Mughal
epic.
"I've
been
reading
stories
of
Jodhaa-Akbar
being
postponed
every
couple
of
months.
These
rumours
are
not
true
at
all.
We
had
locked
in
on
October
12
as
the
release
date
since
it
coincides
with
Eid
when
audiences
swamp
to
the
theatres.
We've
to
be
stupid
or
careless
to
let
go
of
such
a
coveted
date."
So
where
does
Ashutosh
think
these
delay
rumours
are
coming
from?
"Beats
me!
Probably
because
I've
one
song
and
one
scene
left
to
shoot,
some
people
might
be
jumping
to
the
wrong
conclusions.
But
October
12
was,
and
is
the
release
date
for
Jodhaa-Akbar."
There
has
also
been
some
talk
of
Ashutosh
returning
to
his
first
love,
acting.
"First
love?" he
laughs.
"Direction
is
and
always
be
my
pehla
nashaa.
If
after
that
I
get
some
time
off
I
may,
mind
you
may,
consider
giving
acting
a
try.
And
that
too
only
if
a
friend
is
insistent."
However
right
now
it
seems
unlikely
that
Ashutosh
Gowariker
would
be
able
to
take
up
any
acting
assignments,
what
with
the
grueling
post-production
of
Jodhaa-Akbar
awaiting
his
full
attention.