Jodhaa Akbar

Director :Ashutosh Gowariker
Story: Haider Ali
Lead Actors: Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik Roshan
Supporting Cast : Ila Arun, Raza Murad, Sonu Sood
Screen play: Ashutosh Gowariker, Haider Ali
Music Director: A. R. Rahman
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Released on: February 16, 2008

The film is, at its core, a love story between the Mughal Emperor, Akbar, and his Rajput wife, Jodhaa. Ashutosh Gowariker, the director of Lagaan and Swades, is back with this epic movie which has enough in its kitty to keep you glued to your seat despite its daunting length. The action scenes, the very presence of hero and heroine, the scandalous Saas-Bahu track, Rahman's soulful ‘Khwaja Mere Khwaja’ are all reasons why you must watch this movie! The interplay of political saga and romance between the royal couple is the trick that makes Jodhaa Akbar stand out. Though romantic in nature, Jodhaa Akbar is acutely modern, political and factual in its treatment. The conflict of emotions in an arranged marriage, the steps towards adapting to a foreign culture by both parties, Jodhha’s demands to be treated as an equal are all issues which well apply to today’s audience and help form an honest opinion than base it on yesteryear’s generation. The review of Jodhaa Akbar will not be complete if one does not wonder why, in spite of such a huge success, Jodhaa's home state shut its doors on it! Without going deep into the controversial ‘political’ deliberations, it’s anyway high time to ask if it falls under any body’s purview to censor creativity! History cannot be one-sided and this holds true for this movie as well. Let us not fall under the trap to question whose history has been portrayed in Jodhaa Akbar, rather let us just enjoy being enchanted with its magnificence as it tells of a history that to each one is his/her own.