Let's
get
one
thing
straight:
You
haven't
watched
anything
so
opulent,
so
magnificent
like
this
in
a
long,
long
time
on
the
Hindi
screen.
It's
not
just
body
beautiful,
but
there's
soul
as
well.
It
requires
courage,
prowess,
patience,
aptitude,
knowledge,
passion
and
of
course,
loads
of
currency
to
attempt
a
movie
like
Jodhaa
Akbar.
But
more
than
anything
else,
it
requires
your
firm
belief
in
the
subject,
the
belief
to
attempt
a
historical
when
historicals
are
considered
an
absolute
no-no
in
the
industry,
the
belief
to
spend
almost
Rs.
40
crores
in
a
film
that
could
go
either
ways.
Only
when
you're
convinced
yourself
can
you
convince
millions
of
moviegoers.
And
convinced
you
are
after
watching
Jodhaa
Akbar,
a
film
of
epic
proportions.
Now
let's
clear
a
few
misconceptions
pertaining
to
the
film…
It's
blasphemous
to
compare
Mughal-e-azam
and
Jodhaa
Akbar.
While
Mughal-e-azam
was
primarily
about
the
legendary
romance
between
Salim
and
Anarkali,
a
subject
that
has
been
attempted
quite
a
few
times
on
the
Hindi
screen
before,
Jodhaa
Akbar
is
about
the
relationship
that
the
young
Akbar
shared
with
Jodhaa.
A
lot
has
been
said
and
written
about
its
length
[3.20
hours].
Does
the
viewer
of
today
have
the
patience
to
watch
a
really
lengthy
film
in
today's
times?
But
once
into
Jodhaa
Akbar,
the
sequence
of
events,
the
drama,
the
romance,
the
war…
every
aspect
keeps
you
mesmerized.
Oh
yes,
the
length
does
pinch
you
at
one
crucial
point
[second
hour,
which
is
relatively
shorter],
when
a
song
breaks
out.
Otherwise,
the
3
+
hours
are
very
well
spent.
When
you
watch
historicals
like
Mughal-e-azam
and
Razia
Sultan,
the
usage
of
chaste
Urdu
is
difficult
to
comprehend
at
times.
Not
here!
The
language
is
simplified
-
Akbar
speaks
in
Urdu,
Jodhaa
in
Hindi
-
and
it's
easy
to
decipher.
As
a
cinematic
experience,
it
would
be
wrong
to
compare
Jodhaa
Akbar
to
any
of
Ashutosh
Gowarikar's
previous
endeavors.
Why,
it
would
be
erroneous
to
compare
the
film
with
any
film
ever
made
before
in
this
genre.
This
one
stands
out
and
stands
out
the
tallest.
To
sum
up,
Jodhaa
Akbar
leaves
you
spellbound,
enthralled,
entranced
and
awestruck.
Ashutosh
Gowarikarmakes
the
legendary
characters
come
alive
on
screen.
Take
a
bow,
Ashu!
Set
in
the
sixteenth
century,
Jodhaa
Akbar
is
a
love
story
about
a
marriage
of
alliance
that
gave
birth
to
true
love
between
a
great
Mughal
emperor,
Akbar,
and
a
Rajput
princess,
Jodhaa.
Little
did
Akbar
[Hrithik
Roshan]
know
that
when
he
married
Jodhaa
[Aishwarya
Bachchan],
he
would
be
embarking
upon
a
new
journey
--
the
journey
of
true
love.
The
daughter
of
King
Bharmal
of
Amer
[Kulbhushan
Kharbanda],
Jodhaa
resented
being
reduced
to
a
mere
political
pawn
in
this
marriage
of
alliance,
and
Akbar's
biggest
challenge
now
did
not
merely
lie
in
winning
battles,
but
in
winning
the
love
of
this
defiant
princess.
One
of
the
prime
reasons
why
Jodhaa
Akbar
works
is
because
the
present-day
viewer
is
unaware
of
the
romance
between
Akbar
and
Jodhaa.
Sure,
we
all
know
of
Akbar
as
a
great
emperor,
but
the
love
story
makes
for
a
refreshing
subject.
And
the
execution
of
a
number
of
sequences
makes
Jodhaa
Akbar
extremely
special.
Some
instances:
-
The
war
sequence
at
the
very
outset.
You
realize
the
scale
and
magnitude
of
the
film
at
the
very
beginning.
-
Hrithik
taming
an
out-of-control
elephant.
It's
hair-raising.
-
The
two
pre-conditions
set
by
Jodhaa,
before
her
marriage
to
Akbar.
Very
interesting.
-
The
confrontation
between
Ila
Arun
and
Ash
at
the
kitchen,
when
Ash
decides
to
make
the
meal
herself.
-
The
immediate
sequence,
when
Ash
is
asked
to
taste
the
food
herself
by
Ila
before
she's
about
to
serve
the
food
to
the
Emperor
and
his
associates.
Once
done,
Hrithik
demanding
that
he
be
served
the
meal
from
the
same
platter
that
Jodhaa
had
used.
-
The
intermission
point,
which
sows
the
seeds
of
a
misunderstanding
between
Hrithik
and
Ash.
-
Post-interval,
Hrithik
returning
to
Amer
to
get
Ash
back
to
Agra
and
the
welcome
ceremony
by
his
mother-in-law
[Suhasini
Mulay].
-
The
sword
fight
the
very
next
morning,
between
Hrithik
and
Ash.
-
The
'Azeem-o-Shaan
Shahenshah'
track,
when
the
entire
kingdom
hails
Hrithik.
-
The
fight
in
the
climax
[reminds
you
of
the
fight
between
Brad
Pitt
and
Eric
Bana
in
TROY].
Amazing
moments
indeed…
|
Ashutosh
Gowarikarknows
that
historicals
have
to
be
simplified
while
narrating
on
celluloid
so
that
the
moviegoer
is
able
to
grasp
and
comprehend
the
plotline
and
the
sequence
of
events.
Thankfully,
Jodhaa
Akbar
is
not
in
the
least
difficult
to
decipher.
Gowariker's
handling
of
the
subject
deserves
the
highest
praise,
for
it's
not
everyday
that
you
come
across
a
film
like
Jodhaa
Akbar.
A.R.
Rahman's
music
is
not
the
type
that
you
take
to
instantly,
but
yes,
it
gels
beautifully
with
the
mood
of
the
film.
'Azeem-o-Shaan
Shahenshah'
and
'Jashn-e-Bahara'
are
the
best
tracks
in
terms
of
tune.
In
terms
of
choreography,
'Azeem-o-Shaan
Shahenshah'
is
awe-inspiring,
while
the
execution
of
'Khwaja
Mere
Khwaja'
is
outstanding.
Rahman's
background
score
is
simply
extra-ordinary.
There's
no
room
for
dullness
in
Haider
Ali
and
Gowariker's
screenplay.
The
writing
is
tight,
the
drama
keeps
you
hooked
and
the
romantic
track
is
wonderful.
The
film
also
talks
of
secularism,
an
issue
so
vital
in
today's
times.
K.P.
Saxena's
dialogues
are
amazing.
At
places,
soaked
in
acid.
The
writer
comes
up
with
several
gems,
yet
again.
Kiran
Deohans'
cinematography
matches
international
standards.
The
movement
of
camera
at
various
places,
especially
in
the
battlefield,
is
breath-taking.
Also,
the
D.O.P.
captures
the
grandeur
to
the
fullest.
The
production
design
[Nitin
Chandrakant
Desai]
is,
again,
awesome.
Recreating
the
bygone
era
requires
not
just
money,
but
also
the
vision
and
Desai
proves
his
supremacy
yet
again.
Be
it
the
war
sequences
or
the
sword
fights
or
general
action,
Ravi
Dewan's
contribution
to
the
film
is
incredible.
Especially
noteworthy
is
the
fight
between
Hrithik
and
Nikitin
Dheer
in
the
climax.
It's
simply
outstanding!
Editing
[Ballu
Saluja]
is
perfect,
although
the
romantic
song
between
Hrithik
and
Ash
can
be
shortened
in
the
second
hour.
The
costumes
[Neeta
Lulla]
as
also
the
jewelry
also
deserve
special
mention.
Jodhaa
Akbar
also
works
because
of
the
right
casting.
It's
difficult
to
imagine
anyone
else
in
the
role
of
Emperor
Akbar.
Hrithik
seems
born
to
play
this
role
and
he
enacts
it
with
such
precision,
such
flourish,
such
confidence
that
it
leaves
you
asking
for
more.
A
mind-boggling
performance
without
doubt!
Aishwarya
Bachchan
is
superb.
Oh
yes,
she
looks
ethereal
--
a
compliment
she
has
heard
a
trillion
times
before.
What's
new
in
that?
But
watch
her
emote
in
this
film.
You
realize
the
amazing
talent
that
has
hitherto
not
been
tapped
by
any
movie
maker.
A
flawless
performance
indeed!
Jodhaa
Akbar
has
a
host
of
characters,
but
the
ones
whom
you
carry
home,
besides
Hrithik
and
Ash,
are
Sonu
Sood
[excellent],
Nikitin
Dheer
[fantastic],
Ila
Arun
[electrifying;
her
finest
work
so
far],
Punam
S.
Sinha
[graceful],
Kulbhushan
Kharbanda
[perfect],
Raza
Murad
[effective]
and
Rajesh
Vivek
[good].
Amitabh
Bachchan's
rich
barritone
voice
adds
lustre
to
the
magnum
opus.
On
the
whole,
Jodhaa
Akbar
is,
without
a
shred
of
doubt,
a
brilliant
film
in
all
respects.
This
historical
has
all
it
takes
to
prove
the
first
blockbuster
of
2008.
Very
strongly
recommended!