Feb 20, 2008 01:42 PM
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Needless to say, my title says it all! Surreal means Unbelievable, Fantastic, an Unreal experience – which is the precise description of my experience yesterday. The entire three-and-a-half hours passed off like a few seconds, so engrossed was I in the movie, which happens to be a very mature love story set in the atmosphere of the 16th Century, in and around Agra / Jaipur.
A mature love story set in the 16th century, revolving around a powerful Muslim Nobleman and a powerful Rajput Clan – yes, that is the best possible description for this masterpiece from the Ashutosh Gowarikar camp. The fact that the principal characters are the man who became Akbar The Great and The Princess of Jaipur {Whatever be her name} add to the grandeur of the movie, as well as a superb sub-plot to the main story.
I have said “The Man Who Became Akbar The Great” – it sounds strange, isn’t it? The reason for the above nomenclature is because the movie is NOT about Akbar. It is about Jalal-ud-din Mohommed, the reigning monarch of Agra, the 3rd King of the Mughal dynasty and the way he became known as Akbar. It is splitting a hair – but that is what the movie is all about. It is about the maturing of the man Jalal into Akbar The Great. This is very well told through his relationship with his principal wife – the princess of Jaipur.
THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
1) It is a historical fact the Jalal-ud-din Mohommed Akbar married a Rajput princess
2) Her precise name may be in doubt – but I clearly recall our NCERT books referring to her as Jodha Bai
3) It was this woman who gave birth to the man who went on to become Jahangir
4) Rajputana was a strong and independent state ruled by many an able ruler
5) Jaipur {Amber} adjoined Delhi, and thus was a critical acquisition. It was also one of the most powerful in Rajputana
THE STORY
The story begins with a young Jalal under the tutorship of Bairam Khan. This is important to the story, as it establishes the dependence of Jalal upon, and his desire to break free from, the control of Bairam Khan. It also places his personality and its underlying toughness.
The young Jalal grows up into a physically powerful, smart but slightly awkward Jalal, and then comes in the Jaipur situation, which results in an alliance with the young Princess called as Jodha Bai. And it is this relationship which dominates the rest of the story – how it results in Jalal breaking free from his foster – mother’s control, his maturing and his political thought process being determined as well as activated – including his now-famous policy of religious tolerance.
The are two plots in the story – one being the love angle, which I shall look into subsequently. The second plot is about Jalal, his enemies, and his accession to the title of “Akbar”. I call it a sub-plot, because in the movie the theme has been presented from the viewpoint of the political alliance between Jaipur and Agra, and how it disturbed the political equation. The movie starts with an awkward Jalal, and ends with a supremely confident Akbar and Jodha in complete charge in Agra. That, in a nutshell is the story of the movie, which incidentally fully justifies the title Jodha – Akbar: and reminds you powerfully of the adage “behind every successful man is a powerful woman”. It is about how a man became one of the most powerful rulers in Indian history : Ashok, Chandragupta Vikramditya, Harshavardhan, and Akbar to name but a few.
THE LOVE ANGLE
This is truly one of the most sublime love stories I have ever seen – as simple as that. It shows the discomfiture of the Rajput girl in a Muslim house, her inner strength and conviction as she battles her many adversaries and her resolve. It shows the sublime and controlled efforts of Jalal to win over his lovely Rajput bride using both politically friendly moves as well as personally appealing methods.
This has been dealt with in a truly fantastic fashion, with a complete absence of needless music and clichéd dialogues. The story unfolds as much in the expressions as in the dialogues, and all of this without losing pace. There is none of the long-drawn tragic scenes of judai or of pleasure that usually mark such movies – and that makes the movie a true masterpiece in its genre. The blossoming of their love and its maturing has been shown really well, and makes for excellent watching. The slow development of the mutual feelings has been portrayed in various actions of Jalal and Jodha – for ex. the cooking of the feast by Jodha, Jalal’s using the plate of Jodha. The point is that it is not dialogue but actions that are speaking. All in all, you feel that you are in the presence of Royalty!
THE CASTING OF THE PRINCIPALS
Hrithik Roshan impresses as Jalal-ud-din, and has developed very well indeed since the last time I have seen him. He has shown a good control on his expressions, his eyes, and blocking {body-movements} and has displayed considerable maturity
Aishwarya Rai has given a commendable performance, although Roshan slightly over-shadows. Of course, this was also in part because of the script. However, unlike many here, I did not think she looked too old or aged. All in all, a superb performance!
THE MUSIC
Superb! Simply superb! The best of the lot is the song commemorating the Accesion of Jalal as Akbar: Azeem – O – Shaan Shahenshah, a fantastic number based on out-of-this-world drumbeats that will have your foot tapping to its rhythm! And right at the top of the chart is the main take-away of its music: In Lamhon… a song which transports you to another world with its superb music and https://lyrics.
These two songs deserve special mention: Azeem… for its mind-blowing camera panning, and Lamhon… for its superb photography as well as the performance of the two lead actors! In Azeem… a splendorous aura has been created by the simple expedient of placing the camere BEHIND the emperor, as well as lovely arial shots. How many historicals have displayed such celebrations in front of emperors with the camera at ground level between the dancers? Just watch this one: you can actually feel the Aura of the Emperor Of India!
As far as lamhon… is concerned, it is a unbelievable number- with the picturisation and acting being fabulously sensual while being tastefull, and has to be seen to be believed!
IN SUMMATION
A thorough entertainer that glues you to the movie screen for start to finish! Don’t Miss It!
