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Culture

When Jodhaa met Akbar

By: Runa :+: Under: Culture, Entertainment, Movies, Opinion, Review
On: ⋅ February 25, 2008 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

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(Note: Special thanks to Santosh for allowing me to write this one )

Jodhaa Akbar is like a cupcake : sweet, ornate, decorative but not substantial. In essence it is a love story but with swords, sand, elephants and lots of color. Ashutosh Gowariker’s labor of love /depiction of labored love -is a 3 and a 1/2 hour spectacle sprinkled with homages to LOTR, the Matrix, Kung-fu movies, Chandralekha ,Gladiator and Troy. Gowariker has of necessity taken liberty with the story of Jodhaa Akbar - which as umpteen protesting groups in India will tell you is probably apocryphal. The director overlays modern sensibilities over what was nothing more than a political alliance between a Rajput princess and the self-proclaimed protector of the world - Akbar. Gowariker has created the ultimate chick flick with all the usual trappings except set in gorgeous locales in Rajasthan and the magnificent red sandstone buildings in Fatehpur Sikri.

So, boy not only meets girl - he marries her. She checks out his ass, he checks out her cooking.Its kind of amusing to watch the Emperor reduced to sneaking adolescent peeks at his wife through the gorgeous fretwork windows of the palace. With the sub-plot involving the Emperor’s stepmother Mahamaya’s animosity towards the bride , the whole thing veers periliously close to a saas-bahu TV serial.

The director understands that for his film to sell in the here and now, and to rise above the usual sarson da sagas, his heroine necessarily has to display feminist leanings. So, Jodhaa demands and gets religious freedom. She keeps herself in good shape via early morning ninja-esque workouts with a sword.She refuses to allow her husband to consummate the marriage because as she tells him, her feelings for him are ambivalent. In the best Mills and Boon tradition , he proceeds to woo her.

There is also the Manmohan Desai mandated nod to Hindu-Muslim unity. Gowariker’s earnestness comes through in sequences where the message clearly is that the Moghuls were never invaders - regardless of what the saffron hordes would like you to believe. He overstates Jodhaa’s influence on the Emperor and would have us believe that Akbar was so smitten that he changed public policy towards Hindus because of her ! But this is a romance and belief must be suspended.Easy enough, if you allow yourself to soak in the stunning visuals and exquisite costumes and jewelry. Look out for the wonderful Sufi song “Khwaja ji” and Hrithik’s graceful foot work.The denoument when Akbar and Jodhaa declare their love for each other is cheesy but so much fun ! Aishwarya Rai looks as good as she does in every film. The jewel-toned costumes and actual gemstones help. As for Hrithik Roshan, everytime he took off his kingly headgear, I had this mad urge to ruffle his hair smooth.

When I analyze my visceral response to the film, its definitely gender based! This one is a chick flick all the way through.

Go and see the film.Sometimes a cupcake is all that you really need!

( Uber disclaimer : “When Harry met Sally ” and the “The Lake House” are amongst my favorite movies - now you know how objective I am !)

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