I am in shock!Might get a stroke of some sorts. P.S: I am getting a train to a city that will be showing JA. It's going to cost me approx 4000 INR but I can't wait!
--- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "Matthew Islam" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > WHAT, GOOD THINGS ABOUT JA FROM INDIAFM!? REALLY!!!! OOPS! GOOD THINGS ABOUT > AR.......REALLY!!!!?? GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE ALREADY LAMBASTED > SOUNDTRACK!!!!! This will help the dull promotion for the movie to be > mitigated to an extent. The movie must be good when all guns were out to pan > it as indicated earlier and now..............well read on!!!! > > You know, a couple of months ago I was telling the boss that many people > will complain that JA is slow and not just people but the so called > critics........his answer was......the critics would get used to it. He said > it with great confidence. I guess, I was wrong and he was right. I have a > feeling that he knows that he doesn't want to do cheap stuff anymore because > everyone is doing it......he is moving away from music that won't matter > after he is gone but moving into the sphere where he would like to > contribute to music like the greats did..........not because he thinks he is > great but because he believes that no other composer may be has this good an > opportunity in India now at present in terms of resources to do what he is > doing, so why not tread the risky path and do the best he > can................anyways..........read on............... > > By Taran Adarsh, February 13, 2008 - 11:24 IST > > > Let's get one thing straight: You haven't watched anything so opulent, so > magnificent like this in a long, long time on the Hindi screen. It's not > just body beautiful, but there's soul as well. > > It requires courage, prowess, patience, aptitude, knowledge, passion and of > course, loads of currency to attempt a movie like JODHAA AKBAR. But more > than anything else, it requires your firm belief in the subject, the belief > to attempt a historical when historicals are considered an absolute no-no in > the industry, the belief to spend almost Rs. 40 crores in a film that could > go either ways. > > Write your own movie review of Jodhaa Akbar Only when you're convinced > yourself can you convince millions of moviegoers. And convinced you are > after watching JODHAA AKBAR, a film of epic proportions. > > Now let's clear a few misconceptions pertaining to the film > It's blasphemous to compare MUGHAL-E-AZAM and JODHAA AKBAR. While > MUGHAL-E-AZAM was primarily about the legendary romance between Salim and > Anarkali, a subject that has been attempted quite a few times on the Hindi > screen before, JODHAA AKBAR is about the relationship that the young Akbar > shared with Jodhaa. > > > A lot has been said and written about its length [3.20 hours]. Does the > viewer of today have the patience to watch a really lengthy film in today's > times? But once into JODHAA AKBAR, the sequence of events, the drama, the > romance, the war every aspect keeps you mesmerized. Oh yes, the length does > pinch you at one crucial point [second hour, which is relatively shorter], > when a song breaks out. Otherwise, the 3 + hours are very well spent. > > > When you watch historicals like MUGHAL-E-AZAM and RAZIA SULTAN, the usage of > chaste Urdu is difficult to comprehend at times. Not here! The language is > simplified - Akbar speaks in Urdu, Jodhaa in Hindi - and it's easy to > decipher. > As a cinematic experience, it would be wrong to compare JODHAA AKBAR to any > of Ashutosh Gowariker's previous endeavors. Why, it would be erroneous to > compare the film with any film ever made before in this genre. This one > stands out and stands out the tallest. > > To sum up, JODHAA AKBAR leaves you spellbound, enthralled, entranced and > awestruck. Ashutosh Gowariker makes the legendary characters come alive on > screen. Take a bow, Ashu! > > Set in the sixteenth century, JODHAA AKBAR is a love story about a marriage > of alliance that gave birth to true love between a great Mughal emperor, > Akbar, and a Rajput princess, Jodhaa. Little did Akbar [Hrithik Roshan] know > that when he married Jodhaa [Aishwarya Rai Bachchan], he would be embarking > upon a new journey -- the journey of true love. > > The daughter of King Bharmal of Amer [Kulbhushan Kharbanda], Jodhaa resented > being reduced to a mere political pawn in this marriage of alliance, and > Akbar's biggest challenge now did not merely lie in winning battles, but in > winning the love of this defiant princess. > > One of the prime reasons why JODHAA AKBAR works is because the present-day > viewer is unaware of the romance between Akbar and Jodhaa. Sure, we all know > of Akbar as a great emperor, but the love story makes for a refreshing > subject. And the execution of a number of sequences makes JODHAA AKBAR > extremely special. > > Some instances: > * The war sequence at the very outset. You realize the scale and magnitude > of the film at the very beginning. > * Hrithik taming an out-of-control elephant. It's hair-raising. > * The two pre-conditions set by Jodhaa, before her marriage to Akbar. Very > interesting. > * The confrontation between Ila Arun and Ash at the kitchen, when Ash > decides to make the meal herself. > * The immediate sequence, when Ash is asked to taste the food herself by Ila > before she's about to serve the food to the Emperor and his associates. Once > done, Hrithik demanding that he be served the meal from the same platter > that Jodhaa had used. > * The intermission point, which sows the seeds of a misunderstanding between > Hrithik and Ash. > * Post-interval, Hrithik returning to Amer to get Ash back to Agra and the > welcome ceremony by his mother-in-law [Suhasini Mulay]. > * The sword fight the very next morning, between Hrithik and Ash. > * The 'Azeem-o-Shaan Shahenshah' track, when the entire kingdom hails > Hrithik. > * The fight in the climax [reminds you of the fight between Brad Pitt and > Eric Bana in TROY]. > Amazing moments indeed > > Ashutosh Gowariker knows that historicals have to be simplified while > narrating on celluloid so that the moviegoer is able to grasp and comprehend > the plotline and the sequence of events. Thankfully, JODHAA AKBAR is not in > the least difficult to decipher. Gowariker's handling of the subject > deserves the highest praise, for it's not everyday that you come across a > film like JODHAA AKBAR. > > A.R. Rahman's music is not the type that you take to instantly, but yes, it > gels beautifully with the mood of the film. 'Azeem-o-Shaan Shahenshah' and > 'Jashn-e-Bahara' are the best tracks in terms of tune. In terms of > choreography, 'Azeem-o-Shaan Shahenshah' is awe-inspiring, while the > execution of 'Khwaja Mere Khwaja' is outstanding. Rahman's background score > is simply extra-ordinary. > > There's no room for dullness in Haider Ali and Gowariker's screenplay. The > writing is tight, the drama keeps you hooked and the romantic track is > wonderful. The film also talks of secularism, an issue so vital in today's > times. K.P. Saxena's dialogues are amazing. At places, soaked in acid. The > writer comes up with several gems, yet again. Kiran Deohans' cinematography > matches international standards. The movement of camera at various places, > especially in the battlefield, is breath-taking. Also, the D.O.P. captures > the grandeur to the fullest. The production design [Nitin Chandrakant Desai] > is, again, awesome. Recreating the bygone era requires not just money, but > also the vision and Desai proves his supremacy yet again. > > Be it the war sequences or the sword fights or general action, Ravi Dewan's > contribution to the film is incredible. Especially noteworthy is the fight > between Hrithik and Nikitin Dheer in the climax. It's simply outstanding! > Editing [Ballu Saluja] is perfect, although the romantic song between > Hrithik and Ash can be shortened in the second hour. The costumes [Neeta > Lulla] as also the jewelry also deserve special mention. > > JODHAA AKBAR also works because of the right casting. It's difficult to > imagine anyone else in the role of Emperor Akbar. Hrithik seems born to play > this role and he enacts it with such precision, such flourish, such > confidence that it leaves you asking for more. A mind-boggling performance > without doubt! > > Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is superb. Oh yes, she looks ethereal -- a compliment > she has heard a trillion times before. What's new in that? But watch her > emote in this film. You realize the amazing talent that has hitherto not > been tapped by any movie maker. A flawless performance indeed! > > JODHAA AKBAR has a host of characters, but the ones whom you carry home, > besides Hrithik and Ash, are Sonu Sood [excellent], Nikitin Dheer > [fantastic], Ila Arun [electrifying; her finest work so far], Punam S. Sinha > [graceful], Kulbhushan Kharbanda [perfect], Raza Murad [effective] and > Rajesh Vivek [good]. Amitabh Bachchan's rich barritone voice adds lustre to > the magnum opus. > > On the whole, JODHAA AKBAR is, without a shred of doubt, a brilliant film in > all respects. This historical has all it takes to prove the first > blockbuster of 2008. Very strongly recommended! > > * * * * >
