As he pierces the air with his sword, his perfect bare chest, muscles taut and sweat glistening on his muscular back, Hrithik Roshan in his film version of Mughal Emperor Jalauddin Akbar takes your breath away.
Gowariker’s film is set in the 16th century and charts a confused but conscientious teenage prince who has a crown nailed to his head. Although he is initially apprehensive about bloodying his sword, he manages to become the emperor of Hindustan with relative ease, and through his conquests and exploits he earns the title of Akbar the Great. Simultaneously, the film also follows the trajectory of Akbar’s love affair with the Rajput princess Jodhaa. His flirting is a politically motivated move, but it has the magic of a true blue-Romance.
The first 20 minutes of the film unfold slowly because the plot and the various characters are slowly established, but once the Jodhaa-Akbar marriage is arranged, the magic of romance takes over. Mughal emperor Akbar. And she enters the relationship setting conditions; how he will not convert to Islam; and she also requests that a temple be made in her corner of the palaces. A lenient Akbar agrees to carry out the queen’s wishes for him. much to the chagrin of the hardliners at his court. And though she’s liberal-minded, Jodhaa takes her own time to warm up to her prince charming.
Here lies the magic of the love story. The fact that the couple did not consummate their wedding on their first night; the fact that much of the romance takes place aankhon hi aankhon mein adds a lot of color and character to this story. You don’t get any of those romantic clichés. Obviously, while the romance between Jodhaa and Akbar is the mainstay of the plot, there are several other dramatic moments provided by subplots that revolve around deception, conspiracy, murder, and jealousy. Moham’s surrogate mother Anga Akbar and his queen Jodhaa are locked in a jealous battle; and then there is the emperor’s brother-in-law played by newcomer Nikitin Dheer (Sharifuddin Hussain), who continues to hatch countless plans to overthrow Akbar.
Kiron Deohan’s cinematography is ostentatious. Gowarikar and screenwriter Haider Ali provide a competent script. AR Rahman weaves the magic with his sufiana Khwaja mere khwaja and Javed Akhtar perfectly captures the magical mood in Azeem-o-shann…
As for performances, Hrithik Roshan brings Emperor Akbar to life in all his glory. The actor is superlative in the intense and charismatic moments when he plays the romantic. Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan looks perfect and fits into Queen Jodhaa’s shoes with her restrained acting But this company belongs entirely to Ashutosh Gowarikar who with his great vision and almost sincerity makes this larger than life rel experience worth the price. of a multiplex ticket.