Jodha Akbar: Film Review

Finally, India has its own magnum-opus that can match the splendor and magic of Hollywood biggies of the same genre like Troy and the likes. Though a few people discouraged me from seeing the movie giving a negative feedback, I just couldn’t resist the urge to have a look at the film which was being talked about so much. The positive and rave reviews that the film was getting everywhere strengthened my desire further. So, yesterday, I went and watched Jodha Akbar.

The opening scene of the battle of Panipat, shot beautifully, was like a trailer that set the tone for the following events. As the top shot of the armies of the two sides with the magnificent hills in the backdrop unfolded, I knew that there would be more such magical moments of photography in the film. How the soldiers of the two warring sides rushed forward and clashed was shot beautifully by forward and backward movements of the cameras, making the viewers a part of the whole proceeding from close quarters.

Apart from the breathtaking scenarios of the landscape of Rajasthan dotted by grand forts, this film is also worth a watch for the elaborate costumes and jewelry of the cast. The songs were soothing to the ears as well, merging the Islamic and Hindu elements with élan.

Lastly, the cast of this film: superb. Hrithik as Akbar was a sheer delight to watch. Aishwarya looked ethereal as the Rajput Princess Jodha though at times, her mannerisms were more modern, not befitting the times that she was portraying on-screen. Among the supporting cast, Ila Arun was at her nastiest-best as dai-maa of Akbar while Sonu Sood as Sujamal was another person I admired on-screen.

All-in-all, I would suggest that go and watch this film coz it’s not worth giving a miss to such a nice film made with a lot of care for the minutest of details. Whatever the cynics say about the historical authenticity of Jodha being the wife of Akbar, the film in its credits at the beginning tells clearly that it doesn’t claim to be a historically authentic record, rather a work of fiction based on certain historical events. So, I salute Ashutosh Gowariker for his labor of love and for giving the audience such a wonderful film to watch.