Jodha Akbar

Apart from two scenes, I found the cinema flawless. I saw the film months after its release and so by that time I had read reviews in every newspaper I came across and heard about it from almost every person I came across. There were a few 'good's, but mostly 'ok's. Normally with such reviews, I don't have any further interest in the movie. But this time, there was a slight difference. I was waiting to watch the movie as one person, my most reliable source, had said that the movie was wonderful. And it was worth the wait, cause I was absolutely spellbound by the movie.

I did not find it even a bit too long. Every scene was justified. I had heard that since it was a film based mainly on the relationship of Jodha Bai and Akbar, hence the other war-strategy-politics scenes could have been kept short. But I don't think so. A man in love is very different from the same man at every other aspect of life. To understand one role, it is necessary that one also has glimpses of the other, hence the necessity of those non-romantic shots. The same man who throws his own blood relative off the roof, until he dies, is also capable of putting unshakable faith in God and at the same time capable of loving a woman hopelessly.

I had goose bumps when I saw the ‘Khwaja’ song, specially the place where all the singers get up and start moving in rounds, one hand pointing up hailing peace from heaven and one hand pointing down, directing the peace to earth. I had been told about the meaning of the gesture before, that’s why I think I could enjoy it more. The light shining from heaven was a bit unnecessary maybe, but it was not overdone.

What I found most attractive in the movie is the subtlety depicted in many of the scenes. The scene in which Akbar asks to be served in the same plate in which Jodha Bai had tasted the food is one of the most romantic scenes that I have seen in recent times. The sword fight between Akbar and Jodha was another of those subtle romantic scenes.

That’s why I was a bit disappointed when an elaborate ‘touchy’ love scene was shown with a song (when Jodha came back from her parent’s place). This is one of the places of the movie, that I mentioned in the beginning of this article, that I did not like. When things can be said more eloquently with eyes, then actual contact need not be shown. The other scene which I thought was a bit overdone was the scene where a bare bodied Akbar tries to impress Jodha with his sword skills. Yes, I must agree it was a pleasure to watch Hrithik that way and it was perhaps an effort to commercialize the film, but ‘Akbar’ doing that is a bit odd. Love has it’s own ways of expression though, so I won’t be surprised if some old manuscript drawing showing Akbar actually doing that is unearthed some day! But surely, this is not something that Ashutosh Gowarikar would have known!

The music and background was awesome, very soothing and very subtle (again ). Since music and background score of the film was the only part that had been unanimously applauded, so my expectation was very high. I think the music added character to the film; to some extent it provided an identity to the film.

I did want to watch this movie in big screen. The elaborate set, costume and battle sequences would have looked much better there. But, all my friends had already seen it. So, I had to do with a DVD from my locality’s DVD parlor.

And now, Mr Hrithik Roshan, if you are reading his then here comes the biggest compliment that you might ever receive.
My uncle’s 5 year old daughter had come and we were watching the film together. She, like any kid had too many questions to ask. For example, towards the end of the sword fight between Jodha and Akbar when they stand for quite a few seconds very close to each other, with Jodha’s back rested against a pillar, their swords (and eyes) locked, my little cousin looked at me and asked ‘why are they breathing so hard?’.
Now she made an observation. I had explained to her that it was the young boy shown in the first battle who grew up to be Hrithik. She kept quite for some time then remarked ‘the young boy has grown up to be a very handsome man’!!!! Then she kept quite for some more time and then as if in continuation to what she had earlier remarked said ‘it’s the way he talks and the way the swelling in his neck (read adam’s apple) moves, that makes him all the more handsome’!!! I really don’t think Hrithik Roshan will ever receive any compliment as big as this.

Just another evening...

It was a full moon night and the sky was clear. a light, pleasant breeze was blowing. The entire stretch of water and thin wisps of land that lay in between, was bathed in white light. Sometimes, light cotton like grey clouds would float over the moon partially covering it. I was standing at my favorite spot, with my back rested against a pillar, taking in the beauty that lay in front of me. The moonlight shone on the water surface and the wind made patterns on the shimmering water. I had been standing that way for around half an hour, but still could not have enough of the ambience. As if to add to the beauty, the vast canopy of sky above me cracked with a lightning. The vein like pattern of lightning engulfed almost the entire sky. Gradually the clouds thickened, at times hiding the moon for a couple of minutes. I would keep staring at the spot I knew the moon was hiding and wait desperately for it to come out again. The wind had also become stronger, the lightening had become more frequent, the water was changing patterns in a jiffy and the moon had become busy playing hide and seek. In short, the still picture had become dynamic and I knew what was coming. I could anticipate the direction it was coming from, from the wind direction and I looked in that direction, waiting for it to arrive. My wait was short. I had never before seen a storm approaching and I looked at it with awe. The horizon had become blurred with swirling dust. The small paper pieces and dead leaves that were lying around me were already moving in circular motion. Soon I could also hear it approaching making the kind of eerie whistling and howling sound that they show on TV. The wind had become strong and I was wondering if I should leave, but at the same time I was unable to tear myself away from the fury I was witnessing. I held on to the pillar and kept watching. All of a sudden a strong gust of wind kind of blew me away. I was surprised by the force. The force of wind against my face was so strong that it was becoming difficult to breathe. The entire scenery in front of me was in a chaos. The wind had carved a hollow in the middle of the water body and the moon was no longer visible. I took in the beauty around me one last time and left my shelter behind the pillar to leave. The wind was so strong that every moment I felt like I would be blown away. I managed to reach the door, but the suction effect created by the wind was so strong that I could not budge the door. After a few minutes the wind paused for a second, as if to catch its breath, and the door opened.

I wrote this detailed account just because I would not like to forget any part of that wonderful evening, not only during the storm, but also before it. Such beauty makes one forget all worries and pains. At that moment I felt like forgiving myself for all the wrongs that I have done, I felt like forgiving my closed ones for all the times they have hurt me. I felt kind of liberated, as if every thing around me was trivial. As if the only thing that would last was the beauty around me. And nothing else mattered.