This movie has all the ingredients to become the block buster of the year. I think this is a very well made film and hats off to Ashutosh Gowarikar for trying this movie.
This movie is basically publicized as a “Love Story” between Rajput Princess Jodha and the Moghul Emperor Akbar. But, the film was banned in Rajasthan, as Rajput Community in that state find some historical deficiencies in the story. They say, Jodha was not wife of Akbar but she was his daughter-in-law, and she was married to Akbar’s son Jehangir. I must state that I am not aware of the history of who married who in that period and it’s not my job to give a judgment about the story in regard to its historical accuracies.
After seeing the movie, I really find it very hard to accept the story line as a “Love Story”. In the story, Jodha and Akbar were married. There was some sincere attempt by the director to showcase that love develops between them as the movie progresses. But the way the film was made by the director; this doesn’t seem like a love story at all! Just throwing some nice songs in between, with the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai and Handsome Hrithik Roshan, and making them do some romantic scenes, will not make it a complete love story! I am not criticizing Ashutosh for this movie, because I find the movie very interesting, in spite of the fact that I don’t feel it’s a Love Story!
I think this movie has to be viewed completely in respect to Mughal Emperor Akbar. This movie is about how he, from a very normal boy, who was taken care by his step-mother from his birth, experiences lots of internal conflicts in his mind, as to religion, proper way of conduct on the battlefield, dealing with his relatives, his duties as a member of the Mughals, etc. He then evolves as the greatest emperor that Indian Sub-Continent has seen.
Now, coming to the story. Jalaluddin Mohammed was raised by his step mother. He considered his step-mother as his everything, more than his real mother and loved her very much and never used to cross her words, even in his wildest dreams. But, his step-mother had own sons. Her way of ensuring that her sons get the Mughal Throne, was to make sure that Jalal was within her firm grip, by motherly love, denying the young Jalal to education, and always making sure that he spent most of his time on the battlefield. Young Jalal being very noble, was always obedient to her, never used to say “NO” to the words of his step-mother, as he regarded her words as commandments.
As Jalal grows, he finds that killing the enemy king who was defeated in the battle was not fair, as the whole purpose of waging wars with other kings was to ensure that the Mughal Empire grew in the whole of the sub-continent. This quality in him, of ensuring that Mughal Empire grew on the one hand, and his dislike to kill the enemy king on the battlefield, was the stepping stone for his becoming the greatest Mughal Emperors.
Surely, he wanted to spread the rule of the Mughals in the sub-continent, but he always wanted to make sure, that was done not at the cost of human life. He wanted people as his subjects and was against killing people just for the sake of building an empire.
This wonderful attitude of not to take any human life unnecessarily, was instrumental in his getting some divine aid, from Hazrat Kwaja Moinuddin Chisti of
The Rajputs at that time were quite aware of the impending attacks from the Mughals, and due to some conflict between themselves, whether to face the mighty Mughals on the battlefield, and were completely divided between themselves.
The wise Rajput King of Amer, saw immense loss of life if he went to war against Mughals, hence decides to be under the Mughals. That time, his daughter Jodha was engaged to another Rajput Prince, and because of his decision to side with the Mughals, that engagement of his daughter stands broken.
This king of Amer then proposes to Jalaluddin, that if he wishes Amer to be part of the Mughal Empire then he will have to marry his daughter Jodha. Jallauddin learns that if Amer is attested to the Mughal Empire that would bring him immense logistical benefits and also enables safe journey of the Muslim holy people entering the sub-continent through the port in
We next see the internal tribulations happening to Jodha as she gets married to a person of different religion than hers. As she discovers that Jalal is wisdom personified, accepts the marriage.
As the movie progresses, Jalaluddin discovers the real mentality of his step-mother, and decides to give her up.
He hears about the mis-rule in his empire and decides to give a personal visit to the Agra Market in the disguise of a common man. There he sees the things on the ground himself. He then proclaims that no taxes would be levied from those Hindus, who go for pilgrimage. This proclamation gives him the title “Akbar”, as we now today.
He then goes to war against his step-brother because of the cunning mentality of his step-brother. To spare innocent lives, fights with his step-brother on one-to-one basis to decide who would be the Emperor of Hindustan. Akbar Wins. And the good qualities in Akbar make him the undisputed emperor of the Mughals.
I would say that this movie is more of how Jalaluddin Mohammed becomes “Akbar” the Great. And this movie is not a hard core Love Story. I don’t see any Love angle in the relationship between Jalaluddin and Jodha as the director claims it to be! Maybe Love angle starts between Akbar and Jodha after the movie ends!
But this is a must watch film, just to see Hrithik Roshan. Hrithik plays the role of Akbar magnificently and truly after seeing this movie, my respect for Hrithik as an actor has increased tremendously. Also, Aishwarya Rai was beautiful, not in that “Miss World” style, but as “Typical Dusky Indian Queen” style!
