Jodha Akbar: Some Questions
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Neeraja
(Bordeaux, France)
Email:
neeraja.sigma[at]gmail[dot]com
Jodha Akbar: Some Questions
Jodha Akbar is drawing mixed reactions on PFC and may be at other places too. I watched the movie yesterday and I was not impressed. I have never been a fan of Ashutosh Gowarikar’s style. I liked Lagaan for the idea, cricket and Aamir khan but felt that the direction was weak and cliched. Didn’t like Swades. The setting was far too artificial to appeal to me. Jodha Akbar is strictly okay. It’s watchable. It has it’s moments that impress but on the whole, quite disappointing.
I don’t like the way Gowarikar goes about presenting the people and the story. He presents his characters in a way, that makes you feel that the character is aware from the very begining, that it’s larger than life. I felt this especially in Lagaan. The feeling grew 10 folds after watching ‘Naya Daur’, a movie with same spirit as Lagaan but a very down-to-earth treatment.
Anyway, coming to the questions. I have been reading comments of people on PFC saying that it’s a good movie but far from a classic. What is a classic? Why is Mughal-e-Azam a classic? When Madhubala is as bad as Aishwarya when it comes to acting, when the direction is as cliched as in ‘Jodha Akbar’. Not to forget, the end of Mughal-e-Azam that left me so very disappointed (Of course it also has some brilliant dialogues, beautiful songs and some awesome sequences)
So, what really makes a movie a classic? Isn’t it a test of time?
Now some questions more specific to the movie:
1) Why Sonu Sood, when he can’t act?
2) Why Poonam Sinha, when she can’t act? (She was even worse than Sonu Sood)
3) Why didn’t anyone correct Aishwarya when she says ‘Gareeeeeeema’ instead of ‘Garima’? (It was very disturbing)
4) When Jodha is introduced to badi ammi (Ila Arun), why were the women behind her, her cheli log I presume, dressed exactly in the same way as her? Some aaya dresscode thingy?
5) Did people in those times really eat in those mammoth sized plates? If yes, HOW?!
6) Who played Ila Arun’s son? Is that sub-stroy based on facts?
7) Was there actually a riyasat called Ajabgarh? (bada ajeeb naam hai)
8) Why is Akbar portrayed as a super polite gentleman, almost to the point that it appeared fake? (a little sarcasm or some sharp dialogues coming from Akbar, once in a while, would have been nice)
9) Does anyone know what was the persian verse(and the translation) that Akbar says during the sword fight?
10) Why did the shopkeeper guy say “Arey bhaiya, jis bhaav mein zameendar se milega usi bhaav mein to bechenge”? Who are ‘Zameendars’?
11) What were wives and maulavi saab doing in the war? (cricketer log can’t take their wives to a tournament and these people had their wives watching them fight for life! bahut na-insaafi hai!)
12) What a completely useless assassin! (this is not a question)
Feel free to add more questions as long as you know the answer to at least one of the above.
PS: Hrithik Roshan was awesome 
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
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Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
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1 – Sonu sood acted once in his life. Yuva.
2 – you caught it. Yes. she is a real bad actress
3 – cause it’s Aish. face tits…. bam and men are done. even if she was saying “cream yourself” instead of Garrrrreeeeema, men would never have noticed. (not that I did… until you pointed it out… ahem)
4 – it’s a uniform thingy
5 – Will have to check my great great great great great gand father’s recorded history the next time I visit Gurdaspur to collaborate the facts.
6 – do we really need to know. Yes it is based on historical facts he was dropped twice to ensure he was dead.
7 – if in this Ajab film there is an ajnabi naam called ajabgadh, it should ajeebat not surprise you
8 – cause in Gowarikar’s view he is a pussy (pun unintended)
9 – was there a sword fight zzzzzz?
10 – Bastards of the 15th century.
11 – wives are taken in war for chitti chitti bang bang. maulvis were taken for prayers before war, meals, and chitti chitti bang bang.
12 – An actor who is useless in a movie is called a useful assasin of the movie. An actor who cannot act and not assasinate a movie is called a completely useless actor/assasin/idot/fill in the blanks.
fresh
you are talking about JA
otherwise people here always talk about some hollywood crap. whatever may be the context.
to say something good, they give example of hollywood. and to say something bad again some hollywood carp is used as example.
this article of yours is fresh.
quote – I don
1) So he could blend in with the other non-actors
2) see above
3) because they were still bemused by her Shahenshahji!!
4) It is BW – when all the sakhiyan wear black the heroine wears red, when they switch to red she is in white, then they are white and she is blue, they are always a step behind. Perhaps they are a tad slow because who else would want this job?
5) They are the forerunners of those rotating tables in Chinese restaurants.
6) A black man – or a man in black, as you will.
7) Ajabgarh ki ladkiyaan ajeeb hoti thi, talwar bhi chalati thi aur belan bhi.
8) Akbar polite? Excuse me. Did you not see what he did to that geriatric elephant?
9) Ashutosh doesn’t either, or there would be subtitles.
10) The usual baniyagiri – throwing dust in a poor unsuspecting shopper’s eyes with made up excuses. Little did he know that it would find its way into the Akbarnama and create an entire new class of oppressors.
11) The former for the weak flesh and the latter to make the spirit strong after.
12) A good filmi assassin you mean. Consider the possibilities if he had succeeded. The Muslims would also be up in arms and the name of the film would have to be changed to Ghoda Khacchar.
oz@1
“wives are taken in war for chitti chitti bang bang. maulvis were taken for prayers before war, meals, and chitti chitti bang bang”
=)) =)) =))
@Neeraja,
Your reasons for getting dissapointed by this movie dissapoints me. You could have said all this in two words – bad script. Seriously, AG seemed confused in this movie, not able to make up his mind whether to concentrate on JA’s love story or potraying Akbar’s deeds. In the middle of fatigued romantic scenes between JA, he decides thats enough and jumped onto showing how benevloent Akbar was towards his praja (the scene where he goes to the market disguised). Give me a break, man! The other thing which didn’t do any good to the movie is lack of depicting chronology involved with the scenes. koi bhi scene kabhi bhi aa raha tha.. jab AG ka mann kiya tab unhone relegious tax hata diya, infact Panipat jaisi war ki bhi date nahi dikhayi.
“Didn
@Neerja,
your questionaire raises many questions.
(1) Why Mughal-i-azam is a classic. You saw it and dont know. Why Anna Karenina is a classic? [Many have not been liking/(understanding its good things) it over the years.]
(2) Madhubala is bad actress, you mean in Mughal-i-Azam. Any scene which you may quote where you find her less capable and where you feel she could have done that scene in some other particular manner or some other actress was capable to carry off that scene in much better way?
(3)Direction is cliched in Mughal-i-Azam. Do you actually mean direction or script?
(4) When based on his last two films, Lagan, Swades, you already had observed and concluded that Ashutosh Gawarikar does not handle his characters and story in a way which you like, then why you still saw Jodha Akbar?
Were you living under hope that this time he will improve or because many in the world are going to watch the film so you could not resist.
or its other way round that you liked film to certain extent but not willing to accept that you can actually like a AG film hence all questions to support previous disliking?
[Note: all are simple questions which are generated from your post only, so they are reactionary questions towards your post. They have nothing to do with your personal liking or disliking of a film, does not matter if film in case is Mughal-i-azam]
Now because you have seen JA and found it strictly OK. is it possible to mention SOME 5 good things in the film which were not seen in other contemporary films? Did you observe some good things in the film? Some may be first time experiments! Did you observe them?:-?
1. He was Aishwarya’s brother…so genetically speaking, he had to be a non-actor.
2. Same reason, Shatrughan’s wife.
3. Ashutosh was still busy correcting Kaveri Amma’s grammar to eliminate marathi twang and get some UP dialect going.
4. Neeta Lulla refused to design for Ila Arun…
5. People in those times, especially Akbar, even had L’Oreal streaked hair (didn’t anybody notice?) then what are mammoth plates to cry over.
6. Yes sir. That’s a fact. Adham Khan, Mahaam Anga, and his stupid attempt at killing Raza Muraad for stealing that atrocious wig!
7. Ajabgarh is again a fact.
8. Well, he smirked a couple of times.
9. The persian verse was:
“Azmast ki barmast chuni degre neest” and it means:
“Jaldi kya hai Jodha…abhi 3 ghante ki film baaki hai!”
10. At least he didn’t say – “Bhaaaaagoooooooo”.
@Amit
These are not the reasons why I didn’t like the film. These are just some questions that crept into my mind while watching the movie.
Yes script was the culprit. Actually these minor things are not so important, this was just for fun, though I genuinely want to know some of the answers.
I wish he had given the whole conspiracy against Akbar part some intelligent thought and a little more time.
@RK
Lets start from (4) why did I watch JA when I don’t like AG’s ishtyle? First of all, I enjoyed Lagaan. I just feel it could have been a better film.
I watched JA because I try to watch every bollywood film (not B,C..-grade ones) that I can get hold of only exceptions being some Yash Raj films of 2007.
Now coming to Mughal-e-Azam. Another film I thoroughly enjoyed watching. My point was that it’s the time that decides whether a movie will be a classic or not, isn’t it? Mughal-e-Azam was re-released in colour and people loved it. It stood the test of time and that’s what makes it a classic, in my opinion.
I agree that Madhubala was actually quite good in Mughal-e-Azam, but I don’t know what’s it with her face that she never looks genuinely sad to me. May be I am prejudiced.
I really will have to watch the movie again to answer your questions. I watched it long long time back on TV (and remember flinching in some scenes). As of now, all I can say is that women listening from behind the purdah and Jodhabai’s character was a bit cliched.
My favourite song from the movie is “Ae ishq ye sab duniya wale..” and hate its picturization.
As I said, greatest disappointment was the end. It took away everything that was built up :(
Why? Why did he not kill Anarkali?
What did I like in JA?
I liked the way songs were picturised. I was happy that Gowarikar didn’t go for Bhansali style grandeur in clothing etc.
Sets were good.
The Sunshine bit before ‘In lamhon ke daman mein’ was absolutely wonderful.
I liked the last fight, but, that was inspired. Not that it matters but you asked for original things.
I liked the first war scenes especially the part where elephants enter the scene
I liked the way he showed the meetings of deewan-e-aam and also of Rajput kings. It was kept simple and hence appeared more believable.
The language of the movie was fine. Understandable but not so common today Urdu words and similarly for Hindi.
I liked Hrithik Roshan throughout and among the supporting cast Todarmal, Bairam khan, badi ammi and Maharaja of Aamer.
This ‘zameendar’ word is really not making any sense to me. I am thinking this is a small mistake like Geeta dutt singing “chalo chalo thaane dikhayen jamadaar se”
Thank you people for all the very funny answers
)
-Neeraja, there isn’t a mistake in the Geeta Dutt song. Are you pointing at “jamadaar” as the mistake?
@Oz
Yup. It’s not a mistake?
You’ve got the funny answers, so I will answer the serious question you asked
During the sword fight, Akbar says this:
Koshtegaan-e khanjar-e taslim raa
Har zamaan az ghayb jaani-ye digar-ast.
This literally means:
Those slain by the sword of submission
Get all the time another life from the unseen
This is from a Chishti poem, meant to show Akbar’s affinity to the Chishti sect of sufism.
The assasination attempt shown in the film was true but the contextwas all wrong. It is believed that the assasination attempt was a result of the fact that people felt that in Akbar’s rule their women were not safe. Akbar has been reported in some books as having an “insatiable sexual appetite”
Does anyone knw the meaning of the phrase he tells Aishwarya during their sword fight?
@Divya
Refer Aditya’s post
1) Why Sonu Sood, when he can
@Aditya(13)
Thanks a lot
hmmmn…didn’t know about Akbar’s “insatiable sexual appetite”
@Oz
Isn’t jamadaar = sweeper?
@doremi
Yeah Banderas would have worked for me but then who cares about him when there is Hrithik :D
I actually meant that how was the assassin so very stupid to get caught so easily.
@?
but that saying was something like “Azmat ki barmast chuni degre nest”
IMO, the main culprit was the script and the pace. 15 minutes into the movie, Krithik says “I am now capable of taking my own decisions”. And 200 (or was it 2,000?) minutes later when he repeated the same dialog, I went “ahhhhhhhhhh”!!!
:((
btw, can someone name another Hindi movie in which a Muslim guy marries a Hindu girl?
:-?
Halla Bol, A Muslim actor (Ajay Devgun) marries a Hindu woman (Vidya Balan)
6) Who played Ila Arun
Neeraja: Yes Jamaadar = sweeper, but during the british days and immediately after that, jamaadar was also a post in the police. Jamaa + dar = one who records (jama karna). Hope this clarifies.
Also, the assasin got caught easily because it was not a part of a carefully thought out conspiracy (as depicted in the film). Per history, it was a common man who made that attempt.
Zameendar means landowner. The zameendar system has been there since before the Mughals came.
@Neerja,
(1) Zamadar – as name suggests- whoever collects. This post was there in Police, Army, Revenue department etc. When word Zamadar reduced only to Sweepers in independent India then only this word gave way to modern nominations.
So that song “Chalo chalo shikayat karein zamadar se” was quite in sync with the tradition.
(2) Ending of Mughal-i-Azam. Film is based on fiction or less proven facts recorded in History. In the begining of the film, mother of Madhubala gets ring from Akbar and a promise that whatever she desires once in her life time will be awarded to her. and she demands life of her daughter in the climax. Akbar wanted his son not to marry Anarkali and he tried for this before also. He was not interested in killing her as it was so easy for a king to do. From his part he fulfilled his desire and promise both. A good ending indeed which left history options open.
Like many versions about Anarkali, few versions are there which say she was the woman who turned out to be Noorjahan in later period. She was married off to Sher Afghan and later Salim aka Jahangir killed Sher Afghan and married Anarkali with new name Noorjahan.
Inspite of court based historians and scholars like Abul Fazal etc no definite version about a single event is known and it gives room for imagination.
Never got any problem with ending of MIA as it is an open end where audience may live under impression, perhaps they met again. An intelligent ending.
(3) Missed your point 3 earlier. What is this Garima/Gareema case? Where was it in the film?
—–
Now Ila Arun can sing happy songs that you actually liked her performance in the film:)
ah! ok I knew the meaning but didn’t know that there was actually a post called ‘jamadaar’. thanks Aditya and RK.
@Dhananjay Mhatre
My history books told me that Zameendari system as we know of it today was introduced by the British.
Of course the word might have been in usage earlier as well and that’s what I wanted to know.
@RK
I was looking for a tragic love story (I know, I know it was still tragic for the lovers didn’t meet in the end) ending in Anarkali’s death. I agree that it was interesting as it leaves things open-ended but it just didn’t work for me. Hence the disappointment.
You expect me to remember where she said that? well, I guess you would given that I remember so many useless details listed in the post :(
Let me see….I think it was in one of the scenes in her Krishna Mandir.
and lol! she(Ila Arun) was not that bad when you compare her to rest of the cast in the movie. Didn’t make me wince, that was enough.
@Neerja (26),
“Zameendari Bandobast” was started much before British came to India. Rather District system, opted by Britishers, was also an inspired version of already established system in India atleast from Middle ages.
Re: Garima/Gareema,
Krishan Mandir in Akbar’s palace? or at her father’s palace?
I doubt you are confusing with some other word.
I may be wrong but “Garima/Gareema” name perhaps was never used in the film.
Perhaps two names are mixed recited at two different occasions by Aishwarya.
One name is Geera or Gira, who interrupts her when she is fighting with Hritik at her father’s palace. Gira is a lady servant at her father’s palace. and other name is Neema/Neemat the Eunuch in Akbar’s palace. She calls one other name of her companion Meenakshi/Minakshi once when she asks her to take her dupatta and sit at her place before hers would be husband – Prince of Ajabgarh.
As you had pointed out the wrong diction so I expected you knew exactly where this incidence had happened.
Bad memory, I cant recall such thing.
RK: Gareeeeeeeema was definitely there in the film. Not as a name but as the word ‘garima’. The movie was so long that I don’t recollect where it came
But I noticed it very clearly, because till that time I felt Aishwarya was doing well with her Hindi pronunciation.
@Aditya,
Aishwarya Rai, when stopped by Hritik’s saying that he cant bear criticism of Badi Ammi” says that” ……. mein bhii apne atmasaman aur ….
there is a possibility of using word Garima ” there as it fits in the dialogue.
@RK: exactly! that was the place. How can you remember so much
yup it was not used as a name. It was used as
garima ~ pride.
Sorry for the confusion, my mistake, shouldn’t have used capital letter for ‘g’.
It was in the Krishna Mandir in Akbar’s palace but there were 2-3 scenes in there and I don’t remember which one had her saying ‘gareeeema’.
You remember the names of her female companions/servants also! wah!
@Neerja,
If its part of that dialogue then its not in Krishna temple.
Its occasion when she is meeting Surajamal outside of Akbar’s palace and Hritik orders to catch Sonu Sood and later he comes down and he is inside the fort while Aishwarya stands outside and they talk from distance.
just before the intermission….
i loved lagaan. even the direction was top-notch. i will recommend the movie to anyone anywhere in the world.
i believe any story can be told if it’s directed in a right way.
but yesterday, when i was watching jodhaa akbar, i was cringing in my seat with embarrassment.
the much talked about battle sequences had no build-up and relief. all the shots looked like they were shot with a single lens without any dramatic impact. the focus was on showing the money spent than on showing what the money was spent on.
the way the scenes cut into one another was another hiccup. they cut from night to day without any transition. just imagine a dark room and someone lights a torch in your face. whatz going on mr. moviemaker?
a huge set was built for the movie. did anyone care to cover up the base of set with some mud or rocks so that it doesn’t look like it was just placed on a flat ground. how much money or time does that take? remember it’s supposed to be a fort and it’s been there for centuries? it looked like someone can just slide a piece of paper underneath the fort.
acting wise, aishwarya rai’s giggles were cut and pasted onto hrithik’s face. enough said.
i don’t know about history. but i went to watch a good movie. came out disappointed. all the best ashutosh for your next movie. i don’t know if you still want to continue with the tag “Academy Award Nominee” before your name. coz, from now on i won’t buy that.
I fail to understand how the assassin managed to kill himself by licking cyanide off his wrist band! Akbar lived from 1542 to 1605 and cyanide was discovered in 1782!! hmmm
its a beautiful movie. i guess anyone who watches the movie with involvement without much of the mind’s useless thought process and its “endless parade of superficial logics ” can observe and appreciate the beautiful moments shown in the movie.
..the secret for enjoying “art” lies in Not listening to the mind’s countless “whys” but by connecting with something deeper. as long the movie stirs your emotions it works.
i am one of those fortunate people who enjoyed the movie immensly….this one will go down in history as a classic.
The Persian proverb that Akbar tells Jodha during the sword fight is :
Az mast ke bar mast
chun digar nist
It can be loosely translated as, what happens to us is a result of our own doing, becaus there is no other.
The literal tanslation of this couplet would be:
That which is on us is of/from us
since there is no other.
To: Rupa Abdi
Do you Farsi/Persian?
Thanks,
Sandy