Jodhaa Akbar: A Historical Drama That Made History
Bollywood churns out historical dramas quite often. However, the ones that really strike a chord are few and far between. Jodha Akbar is one such rare historical cinematic delight that was adored by the critics and the audiences alike.
In 3 hours and 30 minutes, Jodha Akbar might be a bit overlong but has enough cinematic material and storytelling finesse to get you through. Jodha Akbar is set against the gory and turbulent 16th century India when the inter-religion marriage of the Mughal emperor Akbar and the fiery Rajput princess Jodha was solemnised for the effective consolidation of the Mughal empire and basically everything apart from love. Even though there are many subplots and many characters running around in the film, the film's beating heart is the beautiful love story between Jodha and Akbar.
Unlike many other period dramas, the characters of Jodha and Akbar were not made out to be caricatures or cardboard characters. They were made into flesh and blood characters, thanks in no small part to the actors. Hrithik Roshan delivered a career-defining performance in the role of Akbar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan made the spirited Jodha come alive on screen. It is in the moments when Jodha and Akbar's love story comes to the forefront that the film really sparkles. When Akbar longingly stares at his wife while his advisor is trying to get him updated on state matters, Akbar's love and longing in that tender moment is almost tangible. When Jodha, from behind the drapes, stares at her bare-bodied husband practising sword-fighting, you can really see her passion simmering under layers of reluctance. It was refreshing to see that director Ashutosh Gowariker dared to make a historical about the most celebrated Mughal emperor and did not fall into the same old trap of monotonous glorification. He created humane characters with flaws and a relationship full of ups and downs. This was the real victory of the film.
Jodha Akbar was also a visual spectacle. The film was mounted on a huge scale and that hard work and intricate detailing showed on the screen. The song Azeem o shaan shahenshah is a great example. The music of the film is also one of its highlights with the Mozart of Madras, A. R. Rahman, rendering his trademark magic to the film. Be it the hauntingly romantic Jashn-e-Bahara or the splendidly spiritual Sufi song Khwaja Mere Khawaja, every song of the film is a stirringly soulful number. And, we all know how Ashutosh Gowariker is a good student of history. No wonder, Jodha Akbar is a true-blue cinematic gem.
