Jodhaa-Akbar - Movie Review

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai

Producer: Ashutosh Gowariker, Ronnie Screwvala

Director: Ashutosh Gowariker

Music Director: A. R. Rahman

Release Date: 12 October 2007

Jodhaa-Akbar is the sixteenth century epic that tells the story of Mughal Emperor Akbar The Great, played by Hrithik Roshan, and his Hindu wife, Jodhabai, played by Aishwarya Rai. Directed and produced by Ashutosh Gowarikar, who previously directed the Oscar-nominated Lagaan; Jodhaa-Akbar promises to be one of the most lavish films ever created on celluloid.

It writes the poetry of a marriage of alliances that inadvertently gives rise to true love between a great Mughal ruler and his Rajput wife. For Emperor Akbar, political prowess had no limits. After conquering the Hindu Kush, he further imposed authority that stretched from present-day Afghanistan to the Bay of Bengal, and from the Himalayas to the Godavari River. But one of his smartest moves was gaining the support and loyalty of the Rajputs, one of India's most confrontational groups. In attempt to fortify his relations with the Rajputs, Akbar decides to marry the defiant Rajput princess Jodhabai, who at the time was but a mere pawn in the political mindset of Akbar. However, it was this very bond that soon lit the flame of a candle made not of wax, but of true love.

Akbar's greatest obstacle now was not simply to win battles, but to woo Jodhaa and gain her love - a possession buried beneath the rubbles of hate and chauvinism.

A film that has been in the making for quite some time, Jodhaa-Akbar is a piece of work in which Ashutosh Gowarikar has invested a lot of time, dedication, and research. The film is also said to have a phenomenal soundtrack, which has been composed by Gowarikar-loyal A R Rahman and written by Javed Akhtar.

Some interesting points behind the making of Jodhaa-Akbar:

- A band of Rajput youths have threatened to sue Gowarikar, demanding that he prove that Akbar and Jodhabai were in fact married.

- Gowarikar had hired a research team of scholars and historians from New Delhi, Lucknow, Jaipur and Agra to help him keep his script as historically accurate and precise as possible.

- Jodhaa-Akbar is scheduled to release simultaneously in 26 different countries.

- Over 80 elephants, 100 horses, and 55 camels have reportedly been used in the shooting of this film.

- The soundtrack of Jodhaa-Akbar has twelve songs by Rahman.

Jodhaa-Akbar is scheduled to release worldwide on October 12, 2007

-glamsham.com