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Jodha Akbar - Loads of passion but Where is the content ???
Note:
A) Contains Spoilers.
B)These are my random thoughts after watching the movie .
C)There are many good points about the movie,but i am not going to stress more about those things since many others have already written about it.
D) I totally agree that it takes lots of courage and passion for making a epic movie and Ashutosh Gowariker should take a bow for attempting such kind of a movie in India.
End of Note.
It is clearly evident from the promos and from the fact that this movie was made from the maker of Lagaan and Swades ,that it was made with lots of passion and love for cinema.When the opening credits rolled on the screen, i got goosebumps ,sheer out of the expectations and the hype created around the movie, which was further added with magnificent voice of big B narrating the proceedings. The initial war sequence was very craftily picturised and the cinematography was top notch.The aerial view of the battle field along with the long angle shot was a masterstroke,but as the camera moved closer to the soldiers the “make belief” factor of the war was lost,the extras looked constrained and lazy.The sequence which could have gone down in the history of Indian cinema was held back.The same thing can be said about the entire movie.I never expected a troy or for that matter lord of the rings,but i surely expected the plot and the sub-plots to be rock firm solid and characters(Apart from Akbar) to be of flesh and blood.Don’t take me wrong the movie is ok, but what could have been a masterpiece simply becomes a long and dragging piece of cinema.
The saving grace of the movie has to be Hrithik,he sinks his teeth into the character of Akbar and makes him alive on the screen.Aishwarya Rai Bachhan is good in the movie as compared to her other movies.Sonu Sood is strictly ok.All the other actors are wasted. The two songs individually are mindblowing.The Khajwa song is picturised in such a manner that it pulls you like a magnet and you are glued to the screen for the entire track.The title track is A.R Rahman at it’s best……beautifully shot and the best song in the album.
The main culprit here is the screenplay with half baked plots and half developed characters.The relation between Jodha and her brother is never developed in a manner that you can relate to or feel for.As a result in the end when he dies, you don’t get emotional nor do you get numb,in fact you don’t feel anything for him.The film drags in parts and some editing could have certainly helped.Just before the intermission, Ila arun creates misunderstanding between HR and Aishwarya and just after the intermission the plot extinguishes like someone has abruptly cut it.The lead villain ’s character in the movie played by Nikitin Dheer(ND) is again not developed fully and doesn’t have enough screen presence to prove his point.The final one to one combat between HR and ND is inspired heavily from Troy,doesn’t matter though but still it remains just fine and again never goes that step ahead.Then again the scene depicting the sword practice of HR ,showing his muscles looks forced and artificial.Though i must say some of the romantic scenes between HR and Aishwarya are treat to watch.
I felt sad after watching this movie as i expected a lot from Ashutosh Gowariker and he could have offered so many more things at various levels to this movie.As an ardent fan of Indian movies i still beleive that Ashutosh Gowariker will one day make another classic like Lagaan,but this time he has missed the bus by 3 hrs 20 mins.
54 Responses to “Jodha Akbar - Loads of passion but Where is the content ???”
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Khalid mohammed review :
(2/5) … apt review, infact. Okay movie.
I have a serious problem with Khlid Mohammad’s review, not becasue he criticizes the film, but because he did it for the wrong reason.
“the displeased emperor banishes a mulla and good
A Kadam,
Plots and subplots :-) I think you forgot that its a historical movie. He cant just create a plot or sub-plot, he has to work with what are historical facts.
I havent seen the movie but when you talk about plot and sub-plots, I was wondering what were you expecting ..a thriller?
I agree with Anand Kadam’s views. The romantic portions of the movie were well depicted and fleshed out..But all the other tracks were hurriedly conceived and abruptly ended. All the characters were half baked and were not properly fleshed. The permise of the movie was very good but IMHO all of these tracks were beyond the scope of a single movie(even one running at 3:20) Nevertheless, these negatives notwithstanding, the movie is still worth watching for its grandeur and the chemistry between the lead pair..
@ShawashankRedemption
you must watch the film to understand what Anand mentioned about plot and subplots.
FYI…its only 10 or 15% history everything else is a creation in this film. That too not so well created…
ShawashankRedemption… i now its an historical movie…you should se it for urself..the plots were underdeveloped…you watch the movie and then let me know your opinion….
[...] Anand Kadam, Passion for Cinema Rating: Thumbs down …The main culprit here is the screenplay with half baked plots and half developed characters… See full review [...]
i agree with anand kadam that it could have been made better if he had worked more on screenplay. i read reviews. I had lot of expectation. the first hour, infact is really bore. and as anand wrote, characters are half baked, relationship are not developed well. you keep waiting and wondering where story will lead to. the best thing is hrithik’s performance.
to me what worked was the romance and even that could have been written better. Hrithik was good but he was Hrithik. I hated his introduction and the fighting the elephant. How Krrish like was that. Hrithik’s Akbar was too superhero like. I’d have preferred a less larger than life portrayal.
Liked Aishwarya quite a bit. She seemed very at ease and natural like.
Watched JA in a theater last nite…a total seven hour waste (movie time and transit)…. I just cannot imagine the maker of Lagaan and Swadesh spending his time, energy and talent creating this boring, extended romantic fiasco. The story/script was BAD, the acting…barely ok, the action…pathetic (Ramayan on doordarshan was more fun)…the final fight picked up from Troy??..who are you kidding??!!… romance between Jodha and Akbar was bearable at times….rest was equally crappy. Probably one of the few Rahman compositions that didn’t stay with me. Another film maker lost….three hours twenty minutes of NOTHING…
Could’ve expected something like this from ppl like KJ, SLB or the SRK, Farah Khan clan…but Ashutosh spending crores to end up like this…its depressing…
The ridiculous feeling of some unknown but real and mysterious persons in the form of Jodha, Akhbar being impersonated by public celebrities like Ash-Hritik…is too farcical for words…poor Jodha-Akhbar must be crying in their graves for pure Kitsch to obliterate their real identities.
the biggest loser in the film is Rahman no doubt . the songs are nothing special (except azeem-o-shaan) and background score is purely pathetic and cliched.
a better score wudve lifted the film several notches
watched this movie this weekend. and i may be in a minority but i found the movie pretentious and boring. i am aware of the difference in production capabilities of hollywood and bollywood, but man the Sword of Tipu Sultan had better battle scenes than this!!! at least there people fought with more passion. add to this the mystery of the missing screenplay, and we have four hrs modelling footage in vintage garb. infact the only two scenes that i liked was the Mevlevi whirling dervish inspired Khwaja mere Khwaja(the only bearable track IMO); and the scene where akbar throws down adham khan. the romantic sequences were much ado about nothing, it seemed the lead characters were determined to fall in love at any cost. :x
filmibhai….i would differ to argue…Rahman did a splendid job….Khwaja mere khwaja and azeem-o-shaan are one the best tracks of this year…and both are b’fully picturised as well..
papai ,
same here..the scene in which Akbar throws an aadham khan was one of the best scenes….but the way adham khan approaches akbar to kill him is damn amateurish….
didnt azeem-o-shaan remind you of our republic day parade? i half expected someone to bring a couple of cannons and shyte
but the song was very well coreographed..may be out of context but was good to watch….
@Anand Kadam..I differ from POV. AG has concieved this movie as a love story..why would he flesh out other characters, create political views..a historical love story should be just what he has done..yes, he touched on political and spiritual issues..but that was just to show the context of Akbar’s and Jodha’s life and its notable complications!
Yes, it is long..and dragged a lil bit in the 2nd half..but way better than many other similar movies!!
@papai..exactly the point..Jodha and Akbar were indebted to their people for sundry reasons and were influenced politically to come together in marriage..they did not love each other..so, they had to make an effort at love..the movie is all about their gradual falling in love after marriage..with so many forces ranged against their future together..
Indraneel ,
i know its way better than many other similar movies ..but my point is what could have been so good just remains ok…..and even if u consider the love story between jodha and akbar ….the story works in parts …like the mis-understanding between J and A is shown..but then it hardly took anytime to resolve and looked half baked for me ….then again what was that thing showing HR bare torso ….it looked so fake and trying to grab attention ……
@deepak desai..that should then hold true for every historical being recreated..Tipu was obese and uncouth, look what Sanjay Khan did!
Gandhi never spoke so anglically like Ben Kingsley or Pankaj Kapur did in Gandhi (1982)..Ali by Will Smith was a very dignified version of the actual Mohd Ali!!!
Kitsch is there..but the restraint and dignity that Hrithik lends to arguably India’s greatest ruler is awesome. Please look at the body language, that cries out for appreciation!
Medieval and Ancient history is known to commoners like us through Amar Chitra Katha..and kitsch is there too..opulence recreated is going to look opulent..or you would like spare presentations like “The Discovery of India”???
These were kingdoms based on loot..ain’t it?!!
@Anand..cmon give AG a break..he knew his USP was Hrithik..allow him that much leeway..he gotta sell his movie too..2 mins of male eroticism never did any movie any harm..so many Hollywood movies do many more grotesque things!!
Indraneel…
i want this movie to recover it’s cost moreover i would be happy if it become’s a hit ….coz it’s a corageous attempt …and other filmmakers will take this path only if JA is hit ..
@ Anand Kadam: I agree with almost all the points that you raised…I think the picturization of Khwaja was a big let down…look at most of the dancers expression….they look constipated…I have attended a performance of whirling dervishes…it is amazing…thats why it hurts to see it reduced to this…but hey its my POV…it may have worked for others…
I also think that ARR’s music for this movie is overrated…he was far better in MP, Bose(one of his most underrated ST after 1947 earth).
Script and dialogs are the biggest culprit…may be AG wanted to cater to the mass…may be my expectations were unreasonable…
Paisa it will make becoz of the schematics behind Movie Marketing these days..critical opinion and word of mouth shall take it to the post!
But, in all ways it is a classic now!!
@Indraneel (21), totally agree with your point about recreating historical figures.
I don’t remember where I read it, but someone had an objection to JA that no where in history books is written that Akbar had 2 thumbs in one of his hands. That one takes the cake :)
I had a lot of issues with the film, but still think it’s a well made film. I call it “almost a masterpiece” :)
Vikrant,
I think the expectations were too high for this one….and yes Bose is the most underated work of AR…
Aditya Pant …
“I don
Indraneel … i agree that these days movies become hit more due to Marketing strategy..but still exceptions are there ..like sawaariya …:)
@Aditya..agree with “almost a masterpiece” bit..may not see it as many times as Lagaan..but then who can beat Cricket and Patriotism combo!!..all the same, has made us vision a 16th Century India and its frialties quite nicely!
@ Yes..Saawariya..poor SLB..he should have gone subtle, that movie was not marketed the way the niche content was..
I think Sony went all out becoz that thought they had a dud..you know something like the classic Godzilla promotion!!!!
indraneel,
the point is there is a strange lack of dramatic tension in this film that made the film…. boring (for the lack of a more dignified word…) look at the LOTR series… those were long movies but you didnt feel bored for a single instant (maybe the comparison is irrelevant in view of content, but i suggest it as movies of comparable length)… your script should be tight no matter what your subject is
Movie is slow, where in slow can be substituted with the set of words, “nothing happening.” I loved Hritik as Akbar and when he get in trance, he is his elegent best. Swades, which for me better than Lagaan” was also a slow movie because things were unfolding in front of Protaginist at the same pace. But problem with JA that there is no story at all. We do not know where the film is leading, there is no anticipation for the climax. I went in with the notion that movie will end with Akbar doing something great for Hindustan, but it ended with a dual which does not have any approved records. I think character of Akbar’s brother in law should have been developed more and his point of view should have been explored during the movie, so that we anticipate climax more eagerly. What good does it do to make Jodha ride all the way to the battel, just to hear final words of “sorry” from her brother? Finally if Akbar was so unfair why his relative were on the high posts even when they were raping women and oppressing peasents? Finally I did not see, which was my expectation from the movie, how Jodha made Akbar a better person?
Vivek Thakur ..
thats the exact problem with the movie …it is only good in parts …and ppl are raving abt it as a masterpiece ….its a courageous attempt but masterpiece ???
Did anyone notice the side kicks? If you are watching period movies, watch out for people filling the frames and their reactions(its always funny)………… like the opening sequence the back horse rider holding his helmet with his hand, when HR was being introduced.
I was disappointed by Rahman’s background score, how cliched it was, very unimaginative.
Best things
1. Khwaja song(awesomely choreographed)
2. Azeem o shaan (thats were the crores went I think, but it was amazing).
Worst things
1. Cliched rani(playing with rabbits in garden, or hanging around rooftop, koi kaam dhandha nahi hai kya…..), and peeping lover boy’s through holes and HR mom (She had only one expression and couple of dialogues).
I was praying literally for it to end, had seen enough already…………..
It has already been declared a hit by rediff. “…it might even surpass the collections of OSO.”
I am happy that it’s a hit ..atleast now diff film-makers will try n attempt historical dramas ….
^^ bhai sabki aukaat mein nahi hai historical films achhe se banana .. ashutosh came the nearest .. i dont think any other directiors frm the current lot are able enough .
last heard santoshi wanted to make Ramayana and Ashoka with Ajay Devgan (sigh) ,.,. and some other director wants to make a film called Draupadi with … ahahahahah .. bipasha … hahahhaha
bipaasha as draupadi………:-?:-?:-?
@vikrant. on constipated dervishes.
Notice the dead pan twin like brothers behind the main singer. the one on left is pathetic..nervous? looks to his rt before the actual move. absolute bad choreography.
and why does aishwaryas golden bead on head get in between her and hrithik? felt like plucking it out and setting it into someones sockets? and they dont get to do anything…:(( just a lot of classic poses.akbars bedroom is fantastic though.
haha maya true that .. the twins (why on earth were twins hired ???????????) .. perfect word constipated , lol . they look so damn camera conscious .. the one on the left was actually stealing glances at the camera
one of the twin was in Lagaan..the guy who played dumb and used to beat the Dhol…..
Ghoora, the spinner of Bhuvan’s eleven!
yes RK …it was him ….
Anand, i do believe filmbhai was referring to the twins in the backgrond chorus not the singalong ones
I am not sure which one was filmibhai referring to …whatever may be i loved the song :):)..it was one one the best cinematic moment in recent times ….
@Anand,
Hope you know the main singer (on screen) he is Haider Ali, who wrote the story of Jodha Akbar. Seems he kept condition before Ashutosh that he would appear in this song as a sufi darvesh. ;)
BTW, his mother Fatema was first Miss India and his father, perhaps, was the actor who played Sangtarash in Mughal-i-Azam, who asks Madhubala to stand like a statue (Muzasma) because he could not make it.
Ya RK i know him..he used to act in Very old DD serials ..i guess he was in Nukkad as well ….
ya he was there in Nukkad and many serials of DD, made by Sayeed Mirza, Azeez Mirza.
Ashutosh Gowarikar was also seen acting with him in some serials.
dpac is right .. i was referring to the twins in te backgrnd chorus
I thought it was a photography trick (with the ‘dumb’ guy from Lagaan) creating the twins.
Does anybody else think so?
The twins were Amin and Karim Hajee. Amin is an actor while Karim is not. Hence the slight discomfiture.
To do those shots without twins would have involved some phenomenal MOCAP and compositing work. Even I thought so at first but realized to get the bokeh right would be almost impossible. Hence twins. :d
RK(@47)
Haider Ali’s mother was Pramila (real name : Esther Victoria Abraham), a famous actress of early 40s.. and She was the First actress winning Miss India (1947) ofc.. Infact 20 years later her daughter Naqi was crowned Miss India and they remained the only Mother-Daughter couple to be Miss India.. She died in 2006
And yes haider Ali’s father was there in Mughal.e.azam and his name is Kumar..
Since its not a post, let me take liberty to repost a few anecdotes about Pramila (that I posted after her death on RMIM)
1. She started career in 1935.. Initially Married to a Parsi theatre artist Manak lal Dangi.
2. She was chosen as Miss India in 1947 and in 1967 her daughter Naqi won the same crown.. First and only mother-daughter to win crown in the
history of miss india… First actress to win Miss India
3. Basant’s “hua kya kasoor, jo hamse huzoor” made her star.. The audience used to throw coins in the cinema haal during the song…
Since she was a side heroine in the film, her name was not given on the posters, but once the film was released and the song became hit, the new posters with her name and photo were published..
4. Acted in about 35 films..
5. Apart from acting (imperial films) she also did set designing and editing for various films.. She had a significant stint as a Color
Cordinator.. She played an important part in Mother India “backstage”
6. At Imperial films, she did a film called “MahaMaya” with actor kumar.. they got married after the film and later launched production
companies “Silver Films and Shama Productions” and made films like
‘Jhankaar’, ‘Bhalaai’, ‘Bade Nawaab Saahab’, ‘Dhun’, ‘AapBeeti’ and’
Bahaana’
7. After Partition, Kumar went to Pakistan while Pramila decided to stay in India
8. Pramila’s daughter Naqi too acted in a few films, later got married
and got renamed ‘Nandini Kaamdaar’
9. Pramila’s son ‘Haidar Ali’ is still active in TV and films.
11. Birthdate : 30th December 1916 (kolkata) , Died : 6th August, 2006
(mumbai), Last film : Thaang (The Quest/Amol Palekar)
…my whole point was to highlight the present pop culture, that is, unadulterated kitsch…and the distance expanding between the Real and the Illusory…in our own lives. At this rate we will so completely forget ourselves that the subject (the watcher), will disappear and only the seen will remain…leaving an empty skeleton with only eyes in the sockets…
Has the spectator become a gadget with predictable reactions…or are some signs of a free intelligent mind who never forgets himself…still exist?