The good news. After a dismal first weekend, Jodhaa Akbar seems to have rocked on its second weekend in big centres like Chennai, Mumbai and Bangalore. And industry experts feel that the film has salvaged its reputation after all. Which is good news for director Ashutosh Gowariker. What’s more, after watching the film, I feel he deserves all the crores coming his way. He has managed to create a visual testament of a bygone era. Even if you didn’t understand Hindi or Urdu, you would be able to make sense of the proceedings. The film is shot for the big screen. So if you haven’t watched it yet, go before it goes out of the cinema halls. And try to sit in the centre isle for maximum effect. And not far back to make the most of the larger-than-life canvas of Gowariker that stretches from one army camp to another.
The film is larger-than-life because he’s talking about a supreme Mughal emperor like Akbar who ruled his citizens’ hearts and minds with his shrewd mind, a strong will and a lovely soul. By having a Hindu wife like Jodhaa, he became religiously more tolerant, and created goodwill among his subjects, caste no bar. It’s this message of religious tolerance that appealed to me most. And the fact that Gowariker spared no rupees to make it as grand as it royally deserves, makes me support him through and through this magnum opus.
I have never seen any historical Hindi film made at this scale. Impressive would be an understatement. The story is good, too. It’s about a valiant king who had to push aside his arms and ammunition and fight his way to win the hearts of his Hindu wife and his Hindu subjects. It’s a historical cry for peace and love. And it’s loud and clear.
On two occasions, tears well up in your eyes – one is when Jalaluddin Mohammed finally wins the hearts of his people who celebrate with a song and bestow him with the title of ‘Akbar’. The other is when Jodhaa prays to her demi god Krishna in restoring the health of an ailing Akbar after an assassination attempt.
Talking of performances, it takes time for Hrithik to step into the armoury of the Shahenshah of Hindustan. But he does learn all the things that go into making him truly royal in the second half. Aishwarya Rai as the defiant princess glows particularly when she shows her disdain for the Shahenshah through her simmering eyes. But otherwise, her performance is just about average. A better actress would be Kajol or Madhuri Dixit. Similarly, Hrithik lacks the charisma of an emperor, particularly in the first half. Someone like Shah Rukh Khan who has charisma in oodles could have done a better job. If you liken the last fight between Hrithik and his adversary (some unknown but bulky actor) to Troy (between Brad Pitt and Eric Bana), SRK would have been a better bet. Why? Because the six-pack Khan may not have the body or height of a Hrithik Roshan, but what he possesses is this larger-than-life persona that translates supremely well on screen. And I am not alone here. Even a critically-acclaimed director like Shyam Benegal has said publicly that among today’s actors, only SRK has the charisma that is expected of a superstar. You might hate him or love him. But you can’t ignore King Khan. That’s screen presence. That’s superstardom.
I have just one small quibble with Jodhaa Akbar. The ‘Khwaja mere khwaja’ number that was meant to be a Sufi song, didn’t sound like one. Most Sufi songs immediately connect to your soul, this didn’t come even close to it. But the song that gave the film the grandeur it deserves is ‘Azeem o shaan shahenshah’. The range, the different dance sequences, the Hindu-Muslim solidarity… all came through brilliantly and took the film to a new cinematic high. The other song that you keep humming long after the film is over is “Kehne ko jashn-e-bahaara hai”. Lyrical and ballad-like, it travels straight into your heart and stays there…
Take a bow, Gowariker. You deserve our ‘buksheesh’ for a job well done! Never expected such a grand outing from you. Honest!
PS: The best part of the film is its 3.20 hour duration. You won’t feel like it’s too long because it’s a pleasure to be on this elegant journey!!!
(This review also appears on mouthshut.com)