Jodhaa Akbar (2007) July 23, 2008 by Alex<http://lightscamerahistory.wordpress.com/author/oriana78/>
Set during the 16th century in India, Jodhaa Akbar tells us the love story between Akbar <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akbar_the_Great>, one of the most powerful and famous Mughal emperors and his wife, the Rajput princess Jodhabai <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodhabai>. The movie starts with some scenes during Akbar's boyhood and how he grew to later become an astute ruler who favoured culture and knowledge. Years later, after many conquests and having built an Empire, he finally wins the allegiance of the Rajsputs and then agrees to marry the daughter of King Bharmal of Amer, the lovely princess Jodhaa. It's a political allegiance and the two will only meet briefly some time before the marriage and with a curtain between them. Of course, not everyone is happy with this union and many conspiracies start to blossom… At ease in battle and political schemes, Akbar will be completely torn apart by the honest and fiery Jodhaa and it quickly becomes clear that the only way to conquer his Queen is to win her heart. The plot is mainly focused in Akbar-Jodhaa's relationship, how they manage to live together despite their cultural and religious differences and political confrontations between Rajputs and Mughals. Some of you might know already Ashutosh Gowariker for Lagaan<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169102/>or even Swades <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367110/> and admire his talent behind a camera and how he surrounds himself with a great crew who manages to create some of the most beautiful Indian movies. We certainly need to mention that this story is mostly fiction (the director claims 70% of the movie is the product of his imagination) and that many controversy still runs about princess Jodhaa. Despite the theories and several discussions, they will not ruin your pleasure while watching this movie and the amazing photography and beautiful costumes will certainly take your breath away. This movie is full of enjoyable moments, but the scene of the vegetarian lunch prepared by the Queen and her discussion with Maham Anga (the intimidating "mother" of Akbar) must be one of the best. The courtship is also rather funny and those looks between them just sparkle! Some other scenes are a bit off, like the sword fight between Jodhaa and Akbar, that really didn't seem necessary, or the final battle that could have ended much sooner, but it was still entertaining. After 3h30m of movie, you're asking for more! Aishwarya Rai Bachchan <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0706787/> and Hrithik Roshan <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004335/> have an incredible chemistry on screen and you can feel it in every scene, which is one of the main reasons for this success. Rai Bachchan continues to show to everyone why she is considered one of the most talented actresses in India. This woman truly has something special, no matter how many people are on the screen, you are always looking at her and this has nothing to do with her beauty. Roshan is a little bit too muscled for a 16th century emperor but we'll not complain much about that. He is regal and bears the title of Emperor rather well. The music is truly magnificent but nothing less was expected from the acclaimed composer A. R. Rahman <http://www.arrahman.com/> who already showed his talent in so many movie soundtracks. A must-see for all Bollywood fans and certainly a movie for all those who appreciate a good romantic story with some action and history thrown in. Director : Ashutosh Gowariker Main actors : Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan & Hrithik Roshan Historical context : 16th Century India Movie Soundtrack : A. R. Rahman DVD release date : 28th July 2008 in the UK (might change since it was already delayed several times) Official site : http://www.jodhaaakbar.com/ IMDB : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449994/ *http://lightscamerahistory.wordpress.com/2008/07/23/jodhaa-akbar-2007/* -- regards, Vithur ARR -- The Sweet Cube always
