Mohenjo Daro Movie Review: Hrithik Roshan & Pooja Hegde Bring The Ancient City Back To Life

Mohenjo Daro, starring Hrithik Roshan and Pooja Hegde is a period drama based on the ancient Indian civilization, which the whole country feels proud about. The movie showcases the life and day-to-day activities of ancient times and also revolves around a story of a peasant (Hrithik) who falls in love with a Princess (Pooja).

The film has all the elements to entertain the audiences such as old world charm, never seen before spectacles and backdrops, a twist of love, romance and action. The film's action scenes will keep you at the edge of your seat. If ancient civilization excites you, then this film is a must watch under all terms.

Director: Ashutosh Gowarikar
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pooja Hegde

Plot:

Mohenjo Daro is set in 2016 BC and showcases ancient Indian civilization in all its glory. Hrithik, (Sarman) who plays the role of a simple farmer, lands himself in the town of Mohenjo Daro and is mesmerized by its beauty and grandeur.

Sarman comes to the city with a hidden agenda and works as a peasant. During a street mishap, he saves the life of Princess Chaani and ends up falling in love with her. Chaani is the chosen one to serve 'Sindhu Ma' who is a river Goddess, and the whole city is very devoted to her.

Trouble starts when Sarman abandons his hidden agenda and tries to woo Chaani, but falls afoul to the politician Maham (Kabir Bedi) who wants to rule Mohenjo Daro all by himself as a dictator. Maham's son Moonja does his best to make Sarman go off route and uses him as a pawn, so that his father can seize control of the whole city. To win over Chaani, Sarman has to defeat Maham & Moonja and save the city from destruction at the evil hands of the father-son duo.

Will Sarman save the town from the evil whims of Maham & Moonja? Or will he unleash his hidden agenda and destroy the city all by himself? Can he win over the love of his life Chaani? For that you will have to hit the theatres! We're sure you'll never be disappointed.

Performances:

Hrithik Roshan is back with a bang and has delivered a stellar performance in Mohenjo Daro. In fact, the movie stands tall only because of his presence. His acting skills are on full display and he has pulled off an excellent feat with this one. The dedication he has poured into the action scenes is immense and he has done justice to his role overall.

Coming to Pooja Hegde, the actress has thankfully managed to pull off both 'sweet and mean' avatars in the film. She can only mesmerize you by her sheer beauty but has not really given her best to resurrect the film. There's no doubt that Pooja Hegde is here to stay in Bollywood but her expressions are completely plain and bland. She could do much better but has not used her full potential in the character that she portrays.

Technicalities:

Ashutosh Gowariker has a lot of experience when it comes to period drama films but this one is a let down. The backdrop of the film is good no doubt, but it doesn't match the ancient city in any way. He has thrown aside the facts and only let a love story reign in the film. A few scenes look outright ridiculous, especially the crocodile fight which could make you laugh.

Such is the irony of the film that you'll feel Lagaan's backdrop looks much older than Mohenjo Daro's backdrop. Camera angles have focused on various parts of the city, but brushing it with a pinch of 'modern look' doesn't really sit well on the audiences' mind.

Mohenjo Daro barely stays afloat with its unimaginative writing and leaves you disappointed with its cartoon-like narration.

Verdict:

Don't go with the expectation to see history come alive on screen. A few parts of the movie are make believe and look quite modern. Keep aside the historical facts about the city and the film will not disappoint you. Mohenjo Daro is a one-time watch only because it has all the ingredients of love, action, romance and drama peppered into it in the name of an ancient civilization.