Review of Jodhaa Akbar (2008) by Jalpesh C — 15 Mar 2008

Jodhaa Akbar is a fine effort at (re)creating history. The director has combined the usual romantic drama routine with swashbuckling exhibits and colorful details of sixteenth century imagery. Be it the choreography of the war scenes or the near perfect delivery of Sanskrit and Urdu dialogues or the impressive swordplay demonstrated by the two actors (and not the usual stunt sides), the director has taken painstaking care to maintain authenticity. A.R. Rahman is the perfect choice for both the amazing main soundtrack and the haunting background score.

The direction is weighed down by an average script. Characters like Maham Anga and Sujamal who had such potential to be developed further were given confusing motivations. Some of the plot was entirely predictable.

The acting in the movie was overall good. Hrithik did not have the screen presence required of his character, but it wasn't really his fault. The role was too unidimensional. Aishwarya made Jodhaa memorable. The two did have an incredible chemistry though. Ila Arun was quite a revelation.