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Jodhaa-Akbar: God save the Queen (and King)
A PLEA TO THE MAKERS OF JODHAA-AKBAR
I feel like pulling my hair out. UTV Motion pictures and Ashutosh Gowariker- what is wrong with you guys?
It’s less than a week for the release of what is the biggest magnum opus this year and what should be the most awaited film to hit the screen in a long time, and yet, strangely- though not very surprisingly- there barely seems to be any buzz at all. Other than, of course the usual yawn-inducing controversies that almost always seem to hound historical films made in India, any real excitement over the film really escapes even a hardcore Gowariker fan like me.
Can’t the producers see the writing on the bloody wall? Just making a good film simply doesn’t suffice- you have to first get bums on seats- period. And I don’t see the makers of Jodhaa-Akbar doing enough to ensure that the theatres remain housefull atleast through the first weekend.
Today is the time of ghor kalyug at the box office, of aggressive hardsell, of driving people nuts with your publicity drive to the extent that they sing Dard-e-Disco (or Saawariya) in their sleep. To hell with the ridiculous theory that says that ‘a good film always works’- it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that is just politically correct crap.
I can bet that atleast half of the people who watched Heyy Babyy or Om Shanti Om did not even like them- and that atleast 25 percent regret having ever seen them, feeling embarrassed and wincing at the very thought that they are the reason why Farah Khan and Sajid Khan can continue to boast revoltingly about their ‘cinematic achievements’ after making them go through such torture.
Jodhaa-Akbar’s publicity campaign has been nothing short of a mess- the completion of production and date of release getting delayed so many times have considerably quietened the hype surrounding the film. To make matters worse, we have a drab and poorly cut first promo, and then the music comes into stores barely a month before the release.
Gowariker’s style of filmmaking is sublime, gentle- almost flowing with the serenity and composed tranquility of a river- and that aspect is also reflected in the music of his films. That is the reason why the music of both Swades and Jodhaa-Akbar, while both magnificently created by AR Rahman did not ever really catch on, with the exception of a few tracks (Aahista Aahista, that beautiful lullaby deleted from Swades today lies almost tragically removed from public memory).
So there you go- like it or not- the music is hardly going to contribute to an opening- in sharp contrast to Hare Krishna Hare Ram single handedly getting Bhool Bhulaiyaa that massive initial- though giving the music time to settle and sink into the audience could have helped (Rahman’s music often takes a while to warm up to, and repeated hearing to fully appreciate). However, Gowariker and Rahman create exquisite music together, and it can’t really be helped that it doesn’t cater to the dhinchak massy music tastes of the audience.
What can still be helped is improving the quality and increasing the quantity of the promos and other publicity. Get Hrithik and Aishwarya to get their traps open and give non-stop interviews. Get the stars on the news, reality shows, get promotional tie-ups, scream from rooftops- do whatever it takes to ensure that school children may forget the dates of their board exams but not that of the film’s release.
The bottomlime is- this kind of ‘graceful, dignified’ publicity will not help. To hell with grace- get your pants down and your hands dirty guys. The publicity of a film need not be as elegant as the film itself.
74 Responses to “Jodhaa-Akbar: God save the Queen (and King)”
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They had a press release for the Theatrical promo last year, that is the only ridicule thing about their marketing so far. Yes, there were/are some logistical problems, but it would be harsh to criticize that.
It is good that they have not produced a music video to promote the film. It is good that they are going the normal way. No need to promote the film like OSO or Bhool Bhulaiya. Jodha Akbar is not OSO.
Jalladuin Akbar does not got to people - they come to him, to his darbar.
May be the film is not releasing next week. Who knows?
The film is 110% releasing next week and is releasing in with a record 130 prints in North America. It’s the widest release for a Bollywood film surpassing “Om Shanti Om”.
I have no idea bout the marketing campaign in India but as far as the North American one, we are sparing no effort and expense to ensure the widest reach possible. The buzz coming from the people who have seen the film is unbelievable and it’s a sure shot winner.
Ashutosh’s style is subtle and understated and that reflects in the marketing and promotion. I have some experience in this field and I can tell you with absolute conviction that the biggest campaign in the world won’t save a bad film while a good film sells itself.
“Fool’s Gold” played a trailer on the Superbowl costing 2.5 million dollars which was watched by 97 million viewers and it’s still gonna tank.
Have faith.
Ashutosh is subtle
in swadesh,
song with makrand deshpande, youn hi chala chal rahi
remove this song and something is lost.
mohan bhargav is in india, this impact is sealed through the songs. before this song,shahrukh is seen in airport, than in his friends shop. but feel is still that of journey.
as makrand sings youn hi chala chal rahi, and audience relax, mohan bhargav is finally in india. what could be more indian than a sadhu singing a philosophical song.
>:d<
Mithun,
Thanks for the update. Here in UK there is absolutely no buzz which is strange.
promotion has picked up. I’ve seen the ads all over tv and interviews with the actors have been seen.
I don’t think this film needs all those gimmicks. The publicity varies from film to film, it can’t be the same for all genres. There has to be a fine balance somewhere. I really don’t wanna know more about this film until it hits the theaters. May be thats just me. But I am sure those guys have a reason for doing it that way.
The film is gonna be huge and the word of mouth will be tremendous.
Amen. we could very well do with a good film earning some good money, for a change. Ashutosh didn’t get his due for Swades as well, and the effort clearly shows in JA. One guy who is raising the bar for commercial cinema deserves some returns for doing that and to continue to be inspired to do good projects. However, I do have a problem with all the amounts of money spent on the design, I wish he sticks with lesser expensive projects in future.
What you said about music release is very true. Guess what even after music release, I waited for 2 weeks to get it even in Planet M! And the music launch was so ‘thanda’ affair with news channels covering it more as Amitabh-Shatrughan Sinha patch up rather than music launch of a big ticket fare!
The website: lesser the said is better. Swades had a pathetic site, with hardly any good download stuff. Mind these offline posters/wallpapers/screen savers matter a lot. Same is happening now.
I won’t however say that it is not generating hype, but it is due to the reputation of Ashutosh, Rahman and actors. UTV’s marketing and PR have been virtually non-existent.
An NY Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/movies/10chop.html?_r=3&ref=arts&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
It’s been a conscious decision to not employ a bombardment strategy but to use our resources in a selective and effective manner.
The week leading up to the release will see an increase in visibility and exposure. As you yourself pointed out the stellar reputations of the cast and crew make any sort of bombastic marketing and hype from us totally redundant.
i really do hope that the film turns out good and sells itself through word of mouth .. i still prefer things taking a natural course .. OSO had a blockbuster opening but was off the screens in abt a month .. JWM had less publicity but a nearby multiplex is still screening it
mithun.. how are u associated with jodha akbar ? pardon my ignorance :)
I would really, really like to believe that Jodhaa-Akbar does not need all those gimmicks that other ‘biggies’ have employed recently- however- after what happened to Swades, I do have my doubts. It would be wonderful and heartening to see JA get that bumper opening with its subtle publicity, but still I feel in this day and age, publicity is not really meant to be subtle. I am not saying that you make a dumb music video with Jodhaa and Akbar singing an item song, but some hardsell is required. There certainly will be excitement with (at the risk of sounding elitist) genuine cinema buffs, but this king of tame publicity gives the aam junta a thanda vibe. It would definitely be nice to see a good film earn good money for a change- and shut up all the Taran Adarshes of the industry for once and all with their childish and simplistic analysis of what’s good and what works.
BTW, talking of publicity, just go and check out the movie site right now. “The website is still in its infancy” it says… and the film is a few days from release. Just check out the terrible design. http://www.jodhaaakbar.com/
i will watch jodha akbar… it looks very interesting… but then again, Swadesh looked interesting too, but i was disappointed big time
UTV behaves in a funny fashion.
They promote Goal like crazy and don’t promote Swades or JA. We can have wishful thinking that JA will open big. It will have a good opening but not bumper.
UTV and AG killed Swades after making it. They are doing same with JA.
The thing about publicity is that one size doesn’t fit all. If you look at the marketing campaigns for two of the most acclaimed films of the year in “There will be Blood” and “No Country for Old Men” and the strategy of selective targeting has paid rich dividends.
Look at the case of “Saawariya” which had so much hype and ubiquitous promotion going for it and it still fell flat on it’s face.
“Munnabhai” had minimal promotion yet still turned out to be a monster hit. I wasn’t working for VVC then and had no clue that the film had even released but went to see it coz my friend called me during the interval and told me the film is brilliant. I’ve seen the film thrice in theatres and about 20 times on DVD. The power of word of mouth is truly remarkable.
Even if you have a bumper opening the collections will fall in the forthcoming weeks if the film itself isn’t good. I think we don’t give the paying public the respect they deserve. They did make a decidedly non-commercial film like TZP a hit.
Exactly Vishesh- it is that hardsell I am talking about that makes the difference between a ‘good’ and ‘bumper’ opening. OSO and saawariya have raised the bar so much that any publicity less than at least half of that is just not good enough.
Taare Zameen par did not run publicity campaign like OSO. except aamir khan i did not find any person of Taara zameen par giving interview. but due to mouth publicity it picked up and is still in talkies.
Hope this would happen to JA.
You think OSO and Swaariaya have raised the bars of publicity?! This is exactly wrong… you’re comparing those marketing with Jodha Akbar.
If you wanted to compare, then you should have compared Taare Zameen Par’s marketing with Jodha Akbar.
Anyway, forget about the marketing, I saw a promo of the film, in which Akbar and Jodha were having a sword fight and in that scene Ash looks so exhausted -she seemed like she was going to die any minute - there was no dum in her. She.. will she mess up the film….
the best publicity campaign in recent times were for the movies 300 and the Dark Knight….
check out the 300 trailer with the NIN track Just like you imagined
@Vishesh
The domestic rights of Jodhaa Akbar has been sold to Reliance Adlabs and it’s they who are responsible for the promotion.
UTV is merely the producer and just retains overseas rights. All domestic marketing and promotion is being done by Adlabs.
Please get your facts straight before you start assigning blame to an Oscar nominated filmmaker and UTV.
Mithun, I totally disagree with you on various points- your comparisons are unfair.
1. The case of films like ‘No Country For Old Men’ and ‘There Will Be Blood’ is totally different and not applicable here- these aren’t ‘commercial’ films, and they have their own niche market abroad where they find their audience. That ain’t gonna happen here, dear.
2. Point is, ‘Saawariya’ flopped, but Sony laughed all the way to the bank anyway with that huge opening, so there you go- that proves my point. I am sure they made a healthy profit, in fact.
3. About ‘Munnabhai’- look, Munna was an exceptional case where there was tremendous word of mouth buzz which led to an increase in the film’s collections- the opening was not all that huge. Besides, Munnabhai is and will always be a crowd-pleaser- I do not mean that in a derogatory sense- mind you.
Talking now of the ‘Taare…’ - firstly, Aamir has a huge fan base that is ready to see him in something that may not be totally commercial. Having said that, Taare’s opening was also not all that huge- when I went to see the film on th 1st day, I was the only one buying tickets for TZP while most were queuing up for ‘Welcome’.
Plus, Mithun- I don’t really know how to explain this but there is sometimes this sudden post release buzz and thunderous critical acclaim that surrounds a emotional tear-jerking film that manages pulls those right heartstrings in the audience. That’s how ‘Baghban’ (though without critical acclaim), ‘Black’ and ‘Taare’ became hits in my opinion. At the risk again of sounding very arrogant and politically incorrect, I think the audience is yet to really grow up.
Whew! I feel like a trade analyst myself now.
I plead ignorance and plead guilty to not knowing the thing about the Adlabs deal- they get the blame in that case. However have UTV and Gowariker no part to play at all? UTV was responsible for the music release. And about assigning blame to an ‘Oscar Nominated filmmaker’ Gowariker happens to be my favorite filmmaker (I bare my deadly fangs everytime someone criticizes Swades or Lagaan)- but clearly, here the point is about Gowariker the producer and not Gowariker the filmmaker.
Honhaar, I am not exactly comparing the publicity for OSO with that of JA- I don’t mean Hrithik should tear off those robes and show his six-packs, but he can certainly talk about the film with a little more zest and enthusiasm. I don’t think the campaign of Taare can be compared to JA either- Taare has been made for a fraction of JA’s budget and recovery in any case would have been much easier.
Mithun, I know that ‘Ashutosh
@Jahan
Sony took a huge hit on Saawariya as the marketing costs of the film was more than the production cost of the film. That is the rule for most Hollywood films and they followed that model. Check your figures and you will see Sony did not laugh to the bank.
I gave the example of Blood and No Country to demonstrate the fact that film marketing has come of age and that the old shock and awe technique isn’t a must anymore.
Munnabhai wasn’t a one off case. Other films which have benefitted from WOM are Chak de India, RDB and Page 3etc.
I’m curious as to what strategy you think the makers should adopt to promote the film?
@jahan…
website is in its infancy??? maybe i missed that…
are you talking about the same link???
whay do u feel the site is terribly designed?
i agree with Mithun…
marketing is just not about a 30 sec trailer every 5 mins on every channel. a buzz about a movie can be created through various mediums and platforms… and no publicity is bigger than word of mouth…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_%28film%29#Marketing
check this out for more understanding
and btw, sony didnt laugh its way to the bank. they took a huge L on saawaariya
Are you absolutely sure about Saawariya- with all the various and countless tie-ins, did Sony really bear all those undoubtedly heavy publicity costs?
I disagree about RDB- it got a huge opening anyway- anyway, its an Aamir Khan film which again puts it in a different league.
Frankly, to put it in plain words, Mithun- I am doubtful of whether the audience fed on Welcome and OSO can really appreciate Ashutosh’s subtle style. All these films- RDB, Taare, Black, Chak De, Page 3 are not exactly subtle works. And I can’t see JA getting killed at the BO like Swades- I want Ashu to make a killing for a change.
I am not a publicity strategist, Mithun- I do not have the experience you have. There is no intricate stategy I can really suggest. What I know is, I am a part of the audience and really looking forward to JA- but can’t feel any euphoria around. The silence is getting deafening. Look at the cast talking about the film and they barely seem inetersted.
Going on a different tangent, i feel that JA may not even be Asu’s best really- I have doubts over the both the lead’s ability to deliver to my expectations- and curiously i have more doubts over hrthik. But whatever he does, I will always wish the best for Ashutosh- he is someone I admire and respect deeply.
@Dpac- The animation is tacky, the site is unnatractive, it lacks grandeur expected from the film- the list is endless and not worth dwelling on. The remark about the infancy stage is in the Directors note.
Isn’t Jodha AKbar a Hrithick movie? Ain’t he a star? Just look at how many websites have been dedicated to Jodha Akbar by their fans.
Jahan, why do you care about the website when you want hard hitting marketing to attract the mass?
I still have my reservations over the comparison with TWBB, NCFOM - the market here is different and more infant, and papai- I don’t understand you citing The Dark Knight- I don’t mean to say that publicity is just about flooding TV with promos. The Dark Knight campaign has been very good- closer home, in fact Hum Tum had an excellent campaign some years back. Read through the article and have witnessed the kind of marketing that has been done- I wish the ppl behind the JA publicity had begun to create that kind of buzz at the beginning of december.
I know that word of mouth is the best and most genuine form of publicity- though it has to be really strong- it didn’t work for Johnny gaddaar last year which most people in the audience gave a positive response. Anyway, ’nuff said. Just want to say that I hope for the best for both Ashu and JA, and will forcefully pull along atleast a couple of people with me when I catch it on the day of release for reviewing. Amen.
@Jahan
I wish you had read the trade papers before writing your post. Ashutosh has already made a huge killing on the table profit itself so rest assured bout his security. The domestic rights alone have been sold for 90 crores. All this information is freely available on the net on sites like indiafm and ndtv.
If you wish to discuss the merits of the film that is a different matter altogether but if you write an article bout marketing without having checked the facts related to it then this entire post is pointless. If you are a fan of AG then spread the word amongst your friends and families rather than clutching at invisible straws in the wind.
As far as the website goes consider the logic of having a website filled to the brim with rich media when most of the country still accesses the net on dial-up. Check the figures on how many people have broadband in India.
“animation is tacky..
site is unattractive… etc etc”
would you be kind enough to show us what would have been in ur opinion ‘proper’ for the grandeur?
anything remotely similar to what u have in mind will do…
(this is not infuriate u or make for unnecessary argument.. but i dont understand where u are coming from when u say its tacky)
i just cited dark knight as a prime example of new age marketing… i accept the fact that the demographics are different in india
Guys please have a look at this- Thanda matlab Jodhaa Akbar- http://www.indiafm.com/slideshow/2008/02/06/181/index.html
Honhaar- Stars are not infallible- people expect Hrithik in certain films (and now please don’t begin arguing about the terrible KMG, I am exhausted giving explanations!), Shahrukh in certain films (he couldn’t get Swades, paheli and CDI bumper openings), Salman in certain films, Aamir probably has the most flexibility in this case.
Anyway- let the debate continue as we await the release of JA! Agree or disagree, pls see the film- there you go I am kickstarting my own guerrila WOM campaign…pls follow suit and God Bless to one and all!
i am worried about JA coz of aishwarya ..hrithik may be ok ..but aish ..lets see …
I ain’t a fan of Hrithick or his films, but he has a star status and he has not done any off beat as JA before, so it would be better to give his star status/fans a bit of benefit of doubt.
What is with bumper openings? Did not Chak De India! end up as a hit film? Didn’t Sawaariya get a bumper openings and then fizzled out?
It is not about how you start - it is about how you end.
Lol so basically you have based this post on an already published article while reiterating almost verbatim the points the author made ? Lol.
(O God I just can’t stop, can I?)
@Honhaar- Those fan sites you talk of were created half a year back…and they hardly make up. There are a million Aishwarya rai fan sites, that doesn’t make every film of hers a hit.
@Papai- that’s the kind of new age marketing i want to see too, though modified appropriately for the indian movie market.
@Dpac- the site is not really worth dwelling so much on- you tell me is it grand by your standards- are u satisfied by it’s quality. About an example, well…it may jar with my personal aesthetic sensibilities but the Bhool Bhuilaiya site comes across as rather flamboyant in it’s own way. Come on- this is the mughal era we are talking about- we want to see grand gates opening and unfolding the site, sparking animation, a royal touch!
Honhaar …
how come JA is an off beat film..just becoz it’s historic doesn’t make it off beat …
So neither marketing hard makes a film hit… it might give a good bumper openings, but not a hit film unless you equate that as a hit film… you don’t see the point we are trying to make….
@jahan….
:-)
u get to see all that in the film mate….
the web site is simple and subtle… serves the purpose…
have you seen the lagaan publicity material?? lagaan website?…
i mean u can be dissatified if ur expectations are not met.. fair enough..
but if u are saying the DESIGN is tacky.. u better come up with something more than “Come on- this is the mughal era we are talking about- we want to see grand gates opening and unfolding the site, sparking animation, a royal touch!”
my bad. off beat is a wrong word to use. it is not an off beat movie, but hrithick is doing a non-masala film after Lakshay…
@papai…
im curious…
whats new age about Dark Knight marketing??
but he did a good job in Lakshya …
Over publiciizing big budget period films can be quite tricky..unless you give a lawrence of arabia or even a lagaan people are going to be extremely disappointed . the movie might sink with the weight of its own hype and hoopla with in the first week even if the movie turns to out to be ok.
its good that they are not going overboard with the publicity ..let the people discover the movie in theatres without any sky high expectations then the buzz will start building up .
i have a good feeling about this movie :) it wont disappoint.
btw PVR opened up the advance booking yesterday , they are sold out for the first weekend with in few hours atleast in bangalore .
@mithun…
i just realized uve been talkin in ‘collective’ terms…
its been all ‘our strategy” ‘our idea’ etc etc
u an insider in this hooplah??
@Dpac- You may not find my suggestion substantial, I do not intend to provide you with my own blueprint for the site- you asked me for what i could think of at the moment and i told you that. If it makes things better, i’ll just stay content with saying that my expectations weren’t met. And Lagaan released way back in 2001- what are you comparing!
:)
@ Mithun- you comment reeks of heavy sarcasm and if you are suggesting plagiarism or copying of any kind I am hurt, mortified and disgusted. (The very thought of copying from someone who loves Shakalaka Boom Boom is horrifying) Yeah, on a second reading of the article by Mr. Tuteja, many points made are common- including the Dard-e-Jodhaa one. However, I assure you that I have had this written well before I stumbled on this article and this is something I have been thinking of for a while. Besides, Mr. Tuteja and my perspective towards the film are different and I speak as someone who admires Gowariker’s craft and genuinely wants to see it prosper, not a trade analyst casually wondering why a big film like this hasn’t been publicised.
@Morph- That is indeed good news!
@Honhaar- “It might give a good bumper openings, but not a hit film unless you equate that as a hit film
For the North American release yes. I’m interning at UTV USA.
im not comparing lagaan to jodha/akbar per se…
just trying to tell u in your own terms.. that u are being waylaid by ur ‘expectations’ than any fault of the web design.
simple !! :)
@DPac
its a technique called viral marketing… it uses an already existing community(youtube,myspace, fan clubs) to generate buzz… and the community itself will increase the buzz by various user generated media…The point is to take your target audience and make them involved and interact with them…
For TDK the marketing campaign involved puzzles, cryptic links that only dark knight fans will find out, numerous fake sites etc. So by the time the official content started coming out we got fully hyped up…
you can read more about viral marketing here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing
@ papai..
thanks mate..
im familiar with viral..
but havent seen it happening wrt to dark knight…
(i may be lazing around in www world these days but usually these things get to me in one way or the other…)
can u give us some links ??
@mithun..
that figures…
@Dpac
http://friendsofharveydent.org/
enjoy
@papai..
this is the ‘carrot’ end of things mate..
do u have the community links?? in myspace/facebook etc?
@Dpac
the links are at the bottom of the page. Read thru the entire page.. and remember ctrl+A is ur best friend
@Mithun- “Wish you had read the trade papers before writing your post. Ashutosh has already made a huge killing on the table profit itself so rest assured bout his security.” I have read the papers and know about the massive amounts the rights have been sold for. That is not my point- Even flops like Mangal Pandey, Yaadein and Swades have made healthy table profit before releas itself for the producers. All I want to see is JA being a celebrated and certified hit- one that makes a killing at the BO and not of its distributors.
I am and will surely encourage ppl around me to watch it, rest assured. My facts may not be 100% sound, sir- but I find it difficult to believe that none of what I have said is of any relevance or truth. I understand that you are attached with the film and that somewhat explains the increasing hostility in tone :-? It is undeniable that there have been severe hiccups in the marketing atleast in india.
“As far as the website goes consider the logic of having a website filled to the brim with rich media when most of the country still accesses the net on dial-up.” Come on, you can always have a diff version of the site for a diff connection speed.
jahan bakshi, i share your fears. there is a danger of the film disappearing under the audience radar despite it being a good film. a 30% marketing budget is a must for films today to give them a fair chance.
today, if JA has any visiblity, it is due to the popularity of the lead pair and not due to any significant mkting.
as if to prove our points, on the indiafm’s “most awaited films of 2008″ list, JA ranks a lowly “5″.
@ Mithun,
Thanks for the info. I did not mean to blame UTV. Its just that its one of the best production house in India with RDB, Khosla Ka Ghosla, Swades and now JA to name a few.
As an avid film buff, I get disappointed that a movie that should be in the news is there for all the wrong reasons.
And talking about AG making a cool profit of 90 crores, shouldn’t he more aggressive and even UTV has high stake riding on it. I am sure they still have some say over publicity strategy. I am surprised if they don’t.
I cannot resist but Red Chillies went full blast even if they made table profit of 75 crores just to ensure OSO gets a huge opening.
-Vishesh
Mithun,
Where can I get more info. about the UTV internship program in the US? Do you know if they have a program in the DC area? Thanks!
I am part of a Hrithik roshan fan site and we feel that this movie is a great introduction to Indian cinema for the overseas audience. So we have really worked hard on spreading the word and tried to keep things text based.
The JA page is
http://www.hrithikrules.com/filmography/akbar.php and we also created an email template to spread the word.
http://www.hrithikrules.com/jaemail.html
Mithun, if you could please email me at infosolv@yahoo.com I really would appreciate it.
Mithun,
don’t think you are correct regarding UTV selling the rights. Those were the initial reports but last quote from UTV last week was that they were distributing.
Did I miss something.
The Jodhaa Akbar promos do not look promising. Hritik looks vacuous and intense by turns, Aishwarya is walking in that prancing walk that someone told her is a “hirni jaisi chaal”. I will see the film on the day of release for Ashutosh and for the most divine music. But the buzz around the film is more thanda than chilled Pepsi. Taare and Chak de are not fair comparisons as the former appealed to the emotions and the latter to feelings of nationalism in a modern sense. JA is a historic romance with quiet melodious music and not much commercialism. It needed a buzz to get the youth into theaters, but I have not seen that happen as yet.
just saw the review of jodha akbar on indiafm.i would hav seen the movie anyways.now am stillit more eager to see it.
Taran’s review? I don’t know if that is a good sign or a bad one!!
atleast now it won’t be a dud..
This one is a FDFS for me. From the director of Swades and Lagaan. Jodhaa Akbar is the next one. Dont know about the buzz but I am very eager to watch this one.:d
[...] check out the discussion here about the movie’s publicity or lack thereof - Today is the time of ghor kalyug at the box [...]
Review: “Jodhaa Akbar is a spectacular watch…” by Arthur J Pais (short review on rediff.com) http://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/feb/14jodhaa.htm
I liked the movie a lot. Only problem was its Music : overhyped / Loud&Repetitive ( afterall its ARR ! )
The tunes are good but the orchestration is very very poor. ARR is a modern day LP ( IMO ).
Even in the soothing “In Lamhon Ke” we have sudden screaming instruments. “Man Mohana” is the only song I liked in totality. Only that it could have been superlative if somebody else had sung it ( Shreya maybe ? )
I salute AG for his conviction to make such a huge movie and bring a different angle to the JA legend.
kcp
I agree with you morph on the overpublisizing issue. Mughal E Azam was a superb film and hence it withstood the big budget advertizements and the huge premiere show ( I have the video of the premiere and it was really grand )
kcp
Review: JA is a ravishing love story though not one for the ages- but a must-watch despite falling well short of the magic of Lagaan and Swades. http://cinemaparadiso.rediffiland.com/blogs/2008/02/15/Jodhaa-Akbar-The-Emperor-Arriveth.html
UTV has lost it completly…….. they have launched a TV channel called World Movies….which has got neither world or movies
….such a great idea fucked up by the money hungry UTV masters.