Jodhaa Akbar
R Krishnakumr
Hindi (U/A)
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Sonu Sood and Ila Arun
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Understatementis not what you dig for in an epic romance drama that’s set in a
periodidentified with pomp. Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar – despite
itsspectacular premise and ethereal-looking actors – has its neat share
ofhearty, everyday blips.
Emperor Akbar (Roshan) is stopped before his feast, to be told byPrincess
Jodhaa (Rai) that the food is low on salt. After his firstlook at the demure
princess, the Emperor strolls down the palacecorridor like a lost teenager, as
curtains swirl to A R Rahman’srapturous score. Jodhaa and Akbar cross swords in
a duel that woulddecide whether the Princess of Amer would return to her
shauhar’spalace that she had left after a fight.
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Gowariker’s detailing works fine in these little touches. What reallyfails
Jodhaa Akbar is its compliance to convention. And it’s not justthe classical
three-and-a-half-hours run. It’s about clunky writing,underwhelming battle
sequences (watch out for those cannon balls anddeadpan soldiers) and an
inefficacy in tapping into the minds of itsprotagonists, who are already out
there on the pages of history.
The story of the feisty Rajput Princess and her politically arrangedmarriage to
the Mughal Emperor, as traced in the screenplay (Gowarikerand Haider Ali) is
not quite a story that had to be told again. Notwith this grandstand splendour,
at least. The set-piece battles andsongs are shot like fancy pageants – the
rousing Azeem-o-ShaanShahenshan has giant drums and a crowd of minions
genuflecting to theall-conquering Emperor – but Gowariker gets it wonderfully
right withRahman’s terrific Khwaja mere khwaja.
Roshan, the stray affected bits notwithstanding, is in top form. Raiputs in a
fairly restrained turn as well. But it’s the fringe playerswho get a better
deal from the writing. Particularly engaging is MahamAnga, the Emperor’s
overbearing badi ammi (played with spunk by IlaArun) and Sujamal (Sood), the
failed, tragic prince.
Jodhaa Akbar is mounted on the epic romance staples. While the lovestory, by
itself, is engaging, it doesn’t come with perspective thatcould have made this
a worthier effort. Despite the all-out sincerityof its lead actors, their
presence primarily works as a smart toolhere. That’s precisely why the camera
closely freezes on a sweaty,topless Roshan, almost calling out for the gasps.
Deccan
