Jodhaa Akbar is okay, but overlong
Raja Sen
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Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan in Jodhaa Akbar
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February 14, 2008 18:59 IST
In Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodhaa Akbar,there is a particularly outstanding song
sequence that must be praised.The titular couple's wedding banns have just
taken place, and a groupof singers sit cross-legged to offer the lord tribute.
Each of themsounding suspiciously like AR Rahman, the minstrels break into
thetouching Khwaja Mere Khwaja and take the track to an almost trance-like
happiness, the two backup singers even looking nearly identical.
Hrithik Roshan [Images],playing the Emperor of Hindustan, watches this with
first bemusementand then, curiousity. Wordlessly, he leaves his throne and
joins thedervishes as they whirl, gracefully entering into the trance
withfeckless fervour. It is a strong, well-performed scene, telling a taleand
insightfully revealing a character by a mere gesture, a showing ofmood.
If only... if only the entire film was made with such restraint.
Don't get me wrong, Jodhaa Akbaris not a bad film at all. It's just not great
and -- despite thedaunting three and a half hour length -- it could well have
been. Heck,Spartacus was longer and Mughal-E-Azamonly a trifle shorter, and
both 1960 releases hit immortality.Historicals, it can almost be said, deserve
an extra hour of runningtime.
That
doesn't mean, however, that we thus go overboard the tragic way
Ashutosh does. He is a fine director, no question, and while there is
no scene in this film that makes you cringe, there is much waste. This
film works when treated as a simple, compelling romance between an
unlikely wedded couple, but outside of it, Gowariker falls prey to all
the big-budget trappings.
'These
are my sets, see how they glisten,' the director seems to croon as he
shows off big rooms and elaborate costumes. Again, there is no
fundamental problem with this, provided the action within has some
substance, or at least style. But the royal intrigue is predictable,
the characters obvious and underwritten.
In
contrast to the well-handled moments between Jodhaa and Akbar, the rest
of the film seems contrived and weighed down -- both by a pressing need
to live up to scale as well as the director's undeniable soap-opera
sensibilities. (The latter is exhibited best in the close-ups and the
abruptly cacophonic background score.) Hence the romance works, but the
history, well, seems to be getting laboriously in the way.
I'm not even going to touch on fact and fiction.The best historicals have
little to do with the truth, and let's justgive a filmmaker benefit of doubt
and the license to have his owninterpretation of a period with varied
chronicles. But palace intrigueand dramatic conspiracy can be cinematic and
entertaining withouthaving to be simplistic and even banal. There is no air of
urgency, andno surprise as the antagonists -- from rivals to elephants
--obediently fall over, on cue.
Andthe falling is, unfortunately, sloppy. The director can handle romanceand
emotional conversations well, as we are well aware, and war is justnot his
forte. Soldiers charge at each other visibly trying to holdback, and while I'm
sure hundreds or thousands of extras are impossibleto control, the battle
sequences are amateurish to an embarrassingextreme. They might have worked if
shown in fits and spurts, swordsthrust strongly in rapidly edited montages set
to a peaking score, buthere we are shown long and tiresome battle sequences --
scenes where wesee extras twirling weapons and jabbing the air pointlessly. Tsk.
Still,the romance. The film has a good and solid heart, and the story, of
aconquering, defiant young king -- this one really was meant to beprinceling
for a while longer -- taking a bride for strategic reasonsand then falling
helplessly in love with her unbridled spirit, is awinner. The movie is a treat
in the inventive scenes where Jodhaa(Aishwarya Rai [Images] Bachchan) stands up
to Akbar, the Rajput princess in no way ready to yield without a fight.
Literally.
Theirchemistry is palpable, and the two undoubtedly pretty protagonists dowell
to keep the heat alive through their every on-screen interaction.Jodhaa makes
Akbar wait an exasperatingly long time, and Gowarikermakes this gradual
evolution of their relationship work, their lovebuilding only alongside their
increasing respect for one another.
Roshanproves to be a very good Akbar. There are times when his inflectionseems
too modern, but the actor gives the performance his all, slippinginto the skin
of the character and staying there. He has the right airof cocksure arrogance
and bearing, also managing to convey theEmperor's sharpness. Gowariker tosses
him a topless sword-practicescene graphic enough to be labeled gratuitous, and
not just does theactor take it in his stride impressively well, but even makes
itcharming in the way he smirks for his queen. Hrithik is an
increasinglyremarkable blend of tremendous screen presence and acting
conviction,and seems to be getting better with each film.
Aishwarya,pretty as ever, is not given much dialogue, a directing
masterstroke.The actress looks stunning -- and is photographed very well indeed
--and while her sentimental scenes and tear-filled speeches are
oftenflinch-worthy (inspiring sympathy for the Emperor persistently tryingto
woo her), she does rather well when she's feisty and combative. Herparries,
accompanied by near Seles-icgrunts, are practiced hard and look more real than
the king's, as ifshe'd gleefully cut through chainmail vests if she could. Her
eyes area mega asset here, and the director uses them perfectly, taking
themfrom subdued pain to injured pride, all the way to roaring
warrior-girlkiller eyes, flashing in glorious isolation while the rest of
herstartling face is covered.
Tonobody's surprise, Gowariker populates his film with a great supportingcast.
Nikitin Dheer, Pramod Moutho and Visshwa Badola deserve to besingled out, as
does the one and only Raza Murad -- if only for thatmagnificent voice. Sonu
Sood, as the queen's brother, is given apowerful role, but he plays it with
such old-school grandeur that italmost seems spoofy. Punam Sinha and Manava
Naik do very strongly,while Ila Arun hams it up bigtime.
Allin all, it's an okay film. There is a very nice love story somewhereunder
all the blockbustery bluster, and its characters work brilliantlytogether. The
rest of the film is naive and simplistic, but Gowariker'senough of a craftsman
to get his detailing right, his performancesrestrained and make sure even the
melodrama has panache. There is skillhere, but it is killed by a devastating
lack of economy.
To
paraphrase screenwriting guru Syd Field, a scene should be entered as
late as possible and exited as early. Gowariker does the complete
opposite, lingering on inexplicably as he eavesdrops on his characters
in attempts to brood to build mood.
While his intent is great, this movie -- coming after his last film, the
well-intentioned but drastically overlong Swades [Images]-- shows that perhaps
Gowariker -- a fine handler of actors andemotions -- isn't best suited toward
cinema as an art form. A killersix or 12 episode big-budget television
miniseries perhaps? Like a Tamas, maybe? I have a feeling he'd be super there.
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