Jodhaa Akbar
Tags: historical, murder

Plot synopsis:
Jodhaa Akbar is a sixteenth century love story about a political marriage of convenience between a Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a Rajput princess, Jodhaa. The beautiful and fiery daughter of King Bharmal of Amer, Jodhaa gets betrothed to another Rajput king and her dowry was her father's crown, which will pass to that Rajput king, after his death. Through this arrangement, the son of the elder brother of the king, Sujjamal gets deprived of his rightful throne and he leaves the kingdom angrily to join rebels. But when Mughal empire plans to attack Amer, king Bharmal, resentfully offers his daughter's hand to the emperor himself to avoid war. Akbar agrees to the marriage as it would bring forward a true strong alliance and long lasting peace between the empire and Rajputs. Jodhaa completely resented being reduced to a mere political pawn and she wants to marry Rajput king she was betrothed previously. She writes a letter to Sujjamal, her cousin (whom she sees as her own brother) entreating him to come rescue her from the marriage, she couldn't send it, though. Jodhaa shares all her misery with her mother, who tells her to send a servant girl in her place. Jodhaa replies that it would deceive Akbar and would be death to their kingdom if he finds out. Then, her mother gives her a vial of poison and tells her to use it if a need arises.
After their marriage, Jodhaa acts reluctant with Akbar and they do not consummate their marriage. Later Akbar controls the rebellion and announces that every religion has its rights in his kingdom. Eventually, he becomes the founder of a new religion called Din-e-Ellahi, which combines both Hinduism and Islam.

Review: At the same time, he has to win her heart as well as to look after the interest of his public.Jodhaa Akbar, which stars Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Khulbhushan Kharbanda, Suhasini Mulay, Digvijay Purchit and Punam S.
It also deals with intercaste marriage, which at the time was not heard off due to the fact that when the Mughals invaded India, the Rajput Princesses and Queens became Sati when their husbands, the Kings were killed in battle so as not to be captured and, or, forced to live with the Invaders.Hrithik Roshan, son of the director and producer, Rakesh Roshan and nephew of the music director Rajesh Roshan, was offered this role as the director, Ashutosh Gowariker, who had seen him in "Koi Mil Gaya." believed that he was capable of doing justice to this part and also because of his physique.
The performances put in by Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai,along with the ethereal music provided by A.R.Rahman and the stunning costumes by Neeta Lulla are going to blow your breath away.No Indian cinema has ever evoked such a strong mixture of emotions in the audience as this one.
And Aishwarya Rai as usual looks stunningly beautiful.All in all, a tremendous movie and I am going to strongly recommend this to all my friends.Thank you Ashutosh for Jodhaa Akbar..
Jodha-Akbar is a motley of exceptional love,Terrific Action,Soulful music and splendid cinematography.It is one of the most uncommon films and a must see one if you want to witness something special.The film got combative stunts and it has everything to please everyone.But on the other side,the film is slow and lengthy.The first half of the film lasts more than 2 hrs yet the twists and turns will glue the audience to the cinema.Hrithik was awesome as Akbar and Aishwarya was majestic as Jodha.Direction was at the best.Ashutosh proved yet another blockbuster which falls in the same line of Lagaan and Swades.May be he need to concentrate on the duration of the film by chopping off few scenes.Jodha Akbar is basically a love story instead of calling it as a War based film.The film lacks pace and slow narration of few scenes and the frequent usage of Urdu language made the audience ambiguous and also boring.But at the other end,even though the film lasts for more than 3.30 min,it is gripping enough and very much bearable.The Director need to edit the film and make it as a 3 hrs film so that the audience will like this film even more.The huge star-cast of Hrithik-Ash playing as Akbar and Jodha might have evoked a lot of curiosity among the audience before the release but i must admit the film almost lived up to the expectations.The love part was dealt exceptionally well and it is the forte for the film.The film depicted the Legacy of Akbar.The film also shown that Akbar did lot good for Hindus.
I don't feel,the film will hurt any religion sentiments.The director did an excellent job in maintaining the balance.A R Rahman's background score was very good and music is freshy.And adding to that,the picturisation of the songs is spectacular.Especially Azeem-O-Shaanshahensha,it is definitely one of the best ever pictured songs in the history of Indian Cinema.Overall, a film worth watching..
History tells us that he was a unique and even megalomaniacal emperor: he had many wives and untold numbers of concubines in a harem which (depending on which account you believe) included a few male lovers, invented his own religion in which he was divine, and held court with atheists, Jews, and Jesuits, a practice which would become decidedly less common with future emperors.Hrithik Roshan puts up what is probably his best performance as Akbar, though he is hindered by the sheer volume of activity making up the plot: an absent queen mother, sinister foster mother, devious brothers, and, above all, a reluctant wife, all demand his attention.
Roshan is at his best when Akbar is wooing a banished Jodhaa and when he ventures off into his kingdom; in many ways, Akbar remains a symbol of tolerance and benign authoritarianism throughoutdespite the fact that he is the one who sets much of the narrative's action into play, surprisingly few scenes give us insight into his inner workings; the opposite is true for Jodhaa.In the last decade since Aishwariya Rai was introduced to movie-going audiences, she has grown tremendously as an actress.
And speaking of cutting, she's first rate in the five-minute sword fight between Jodhaa and Akbar, a scene which goes from swordplay to foreplay.Rai is slated to play Anarkali opposite Ben Kingsley's Shah Jahan in an upcoming film and has yet another role as the pining courtesan in Bhansalli's next, "Bajirao Mastani." Normally, I would accuse her of self-typecasting, but it seems that filmmakers themselves are unwilling or unable to see her differently.
Yes honestly, i still feel that SWADES is Ashutosh's best film, Jodha Akbar does not had the soul to hold the movie till the end.
The director and writer Ashutosh Gowarikar could have done a much, much better job of making this movie more interesting had he (1) included the character of Emperor Akbar's Prime Minister Birbal, (2) stayed away from the same old boring 'singing and dancing' Bollywood pattern, and (3) limited the run time of the movie to at the most 2.5 hours.
I would not recommend it to anyone but I would advice doctors to use the film for the cure of insomnia since it's so boring.Asoka was also historical like Jodhaa Akbar but that was good because it had a fast moving story and gets to the point.
It was more than worth the risk we took to watch it.Starting with the signature Gowariker style, with Mr. Bachchan narrating to the map of India in the time of the Mughals, the movie was unlike any Bollywood movie I've ever seen before.Admitted, we still have a long way to go when it comes to making war scenes which will look anything nearly like a Kingdon of Heaven, or Lord of the Rings, but still, it was an attempt, and quite its worth.
In a time when the common people had never seen the Emperor, he mixes with them, as a mere peasant, to crack open the flaws in his system.At three and a half hours, the movie never gets boring, and that in itself, says a lot for a Bollywood flick.Jodhaa Akbar is visually stunning.
Is Jodha Akbar worth a watch...It definitely is.Its probably the most beautiful movie shot, every single detail is well made, and AG has put a good effort in the movie.The acting is Superb from Hritik, and Aish and specially ILa Arun.I don't know if the movie will be a Blockbuster, cause its a very expensive movie, but the lack of no big releases the movie will create a Hype and will be a winner all the way.
Again, for years to come.Despite of the ridiculous objections some people in India have produced against it, this film gives a magnificent look on the great many variations of the history and people of India, and above all, successfully captures the essence of the lost culture.Hrithik Roshan seems to be the only Indian actor who could have played the role of Emperor Akbar.
Of course, a love story, is what needs to be created to sell tickets with Indian film audience, but if they were interested in making a good movie, it would've been about Akbar, with pinches of Jodhaa here and there.
And the endorsement on the animal rights is impressive, given the fact so many animals were used the making of the movie, the producer left no leaf unturned to ensure the best for the film.Director Ashutosh is well known for this Oscar nominated Lagaan and critically acclaimed Swades.
Both Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan have played their roles superbly.Though some point of time movie feels a little boring but it always make you think whats coming next.
usually directors loose plot when they make a historic film in India but here ashutosh holds his point.the film although chooses a historical backdrop but main theme is to show that love exists beyond barriers and religions.so pin-pointing out historical inaccuracies in a movie like this will be unfair.however, script had to be more strong.the convas is beautiful considering it's budget.And the more we talk about performances the less will it be because the performances are superb.HRITHIK ROSHAN is an actor with infinite expressions , especially in this movie his eyes speak more than his dialogues and most importantly it's not that easy to speak urdu with that emphasis.overall if you plan to watch a movie with family it's a worth watch.it's perfect for your DVD collection..
hi friends,i have just seen its premier held in mumbai.and i love the entire movie.if u leave the first twenty minutes,then u will witness the best periodic movie ever made.Hrithik Roshan looks like he is made for doing this role.Aishwarya rai has dosen't look much beautiful than in this movie.This movie shows the love between Jodhabai and Akbar in a very brilliant way.The music of the movie mostly given by A.R.Rahman is mind blowing.Although the length of the movie is three hours and fifteen minutes approx.But one thing is sure u will witness a great periodic movie.I specially recommend to watch this movie.it will be a great blockbuster of 2008..
The Movie strikes an amazing balance between the love story and journey of "Akbar" as an Emperor(How Jodhaa bai helps him become a better King).Direction is superb with amazingly shot war scenes and brilliant action.
Situation based five songs which are not only royal in their tone but combines contemporary appeal as well with enthralling background music.Definitely the costumes are graceful with wonderful sets.With all of this you have rocking performances by Ash and Hrithik, they truly lived their roles.Probably few facts shown with director's own perspective which some people find debatable.Overall a brilliant work by the "JA's" team and must watch for every movie lover..
It's not a good sign when you're looking at your watch and wondering when is the movie going to end.As much as it hurts for me to write this, one of the film's biggest draw backs is Hrithik Roshan in the role of Mohammad Jalaluddin.
It is hard to believe that Jodhaa Akbar, the most awaited movie of the recent times, has been so poorly choreographed by non other than our Oscar nominated director, Ashutosh Gowariker.
Before starting this review I would like to commend the entire Jodhaa Akbar team for their good work - Keep up your good work guys!I definitely had very less expectations from the movie before watching it - But I was totally proved wrong.
I think he totally added a new dimension to the personality of Akbar I had imagined earlier, through his acting.The surprise in this movie was that Aishwarya was the perfect "Rajasthani Bahu"(Rajasthani daughter-in-law) in the movie.She acted up-to the mark I must say.The strange chemistry between Hrithik and Aishwarya continues in this movie too and becomes even more better in this(it started in Dhoom 2).Even though the editing is loose at some places it really doesn't matter.Last but not the least I would like to thank Ashutosh Gowariker for giving such a good movie once again (after Lagaan and Swades).The Locations were excellent too.Even though the story is mainly romantic he has also shown the importance of universal brotherhood and religious harmony even to this day very neatly, in this movie.
I watched "Jodha Akbar" Yesterday.............I must say this is the best periodic movie ever made in the history of Indian Cinema....
great direction with mindblowing perfoemance laced with soul stirring music makes it best ever movie..Hrithik lived as akbar no one can replace him .aish is good...asuthosh one of best director to make period film entertaining..arr music extrordinary..cant pick one best song..watch this movie and experience the magic...
Well I do not know much about Indian cinema, even though I like many of them, like Life of Pi, in terms of costumes and photography, Jodhaa Akbar is impeccable, the look is too beautiful, the film has a serious problem, it is Longer than it should, when the film has more than three hours, it has great risks of being tiring, for example I think that two and a half hours is the perfect time, few films of more than three hours did not leave me with tedium at all A few minutes (Braveheart, Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia, Ben-Hur, Amadeus, Gladiator, Goodfellas and more), the script can not sustain so many hours, and the direction is hampered by this, the battle scenes are weak, Which is neat that was poorly choreographed, Jodhaa Akbar is a weak film, even with a good cast, and a visually impeccable being left a lot to be desired.
This movie though was not the greatest of all time as far as it's story line is concerned but if we go by the performances it seems to be one of the finest works of the main lead of the movie...I said the story wasn't perfect because I dint find that interesting there is nothing eye catching besides portraying the easy relationship between Akbar & Jodha & that's the centric point of the story line and I really don't like the love stories...but over all it was a good combination of acting,direction,cinematography and the set designing...Good Time pass I gave 8/10 as I think the hard-work they put deserved to get an 8....
An outstanding film..A must watch for every movie lover..A visual treat especially for Aishwarya and Hrithik fans..Both have done a commendable job and kudos to Ashutosh Gowariker for having the conviction in the story and going ahead ad making it..Ila Arun was superb as well in her power packed performance..and like Hrithik rightly put it in one of his interviews- the music director AR Rehamn is beyond judgement..He grows from strength to strength with every album he composes..Amazing movie..A little tiring - after all it was 3hr 40min film..But worth itz time..A little more editing, especially in the beginning would have made it better,,But nevertheless..Awesome movie..
Saw this movie close to a month after its theatrical release.It was a late night 10 pm show and I went there expecting an empty theatre...But to my surprise there were many ,queing up at the ticket counter to watch the story of Emperor Akbar unfold on celluloid....Jodha Akbar sometimes makes you feel as if you are watching one of those Doordarshan mega-products like Chanakya or Mahabharat and sometimes you feel as if you are watching a war epic which many believed, only Hollywood was capable of..The movie at some parts might make you feel as if its too slow but such is the nature of every historical,that in order to do justice to the chosen subject,the director has to purposely slacken the pace and throw light on the minute happenings of the by-gone era..In short the proceedings might look super slow to some viewers but historical movies never drag....Its just one of the special characteristics of historical cinema..Jodha Akbar has great performances and for me,no one other than Hritik Roshan could have played the role of a lover, a poet, a son, a leader and an emperor with a golden heart in a better way..But on the flip side, Hritik tries hard to emote with his eyes but ends up exercising his nostrils in too many scenes.Aishwarya Rai is passable..Don't know why but honestly,I didn't like the chemistry between the two lead pairs..May be,the zing-thing was missing between the two..
Aishwarya as usual looked like a doll and no offence,but trust me when I say that the doll is getting old real fast..Action scenes are jaw dropping..Cinematography is top notch and everyone attached to the project, I feel ,has done a commendable job..Music was fantabulous and the picturisation of the title track was grand and splendid....Never in my craziest of dreams did I ever think that I would ever get to peep into the world of the Whirling Dervishes in India Cinema..But take a bow,Mr.Gowariker..Thats what you call, chef-d'oeuvre.Your picturisation of Khwaja mere khwaja is a classic, a masterpiece and only a genius could have taken the song to such supreme level in the final stages...Jodha Akbar,despite facing protests in various parts of India,is in short,a specimen of Azeem-0-Shaan Cinema and its one of those rare,not to be missed films..Indian Cinema is looking beautiful and this movie plays its part in the decoration of it..It will be remembered for a long long time..Takhliyaaa...
Good thing before the movie began, it was cleverly pointed out that this story is a cinematic expression of history, so people should not get caught up with regards to Jodha's real name...the story has been presented well, the costumes, jewelery are exquisite and the performances memorable...especially, I can imagine no one else other than Hrithik in the role of Akbar!
He made me believe there was nobody else who could play Akbar in this film.As always, Aishwarya's beauty sets her perfectly for the role, but arguably we have seen too much of her that I could not see Jodhaa's character clearly in her performance, but could only see Aishwarya Rai.Definitely, this 4 hour film is not a waste of time and you will not regret spending almost half a day in the cinema or at home watching this amazing compilation of scenes that do not seize to amaze, with real volunteer people in the battle scenes (no special effects people, all real).If you love uncanny love stories, epic dramas and good old-fashioned action; this is the film for you.If you are set in your religious traditional ways, do not go and watch this movie, as it will have you erupting with anger once you've seen it..
Its a historical love story of Mughal Emperor Akbar-the Great and a Hindu Rajput Princess -Jodha.