Why I liked Jodha Akbar

India is land of myths and legends. What keeps these stories alive from generation to generation, is the novel way in which it is retold. The art of story telling has to be, by far the most successful craft in India; it is nothing short of a legacy. Children grow up hoping to emulate erstwhile heroes, and imbibing small parts of heroism in their own life path. Akbar is one such larger than life hero! Akbar’s antics involving Birbal, Anarkali, Salim etc are rather well known. Yet he married a hindu woman as a muslim leader. Why one always wondered. I am sure even others were just as intrigued as I on the subject!

Having set the stage for such a larger than life romance, the face that would bear down the weight of its merit, was important. Until now one always pictured Akbar as a fat, pot bellied, Prithviraj Kapoor prototype. A fresh outlook, in the form of the ravishing Hrithik, was certainly worth a dekho. I don’t suppose any contemporary actor can carry off a dhoti and a suit with as much panache as master Roshan. The interesting part in this romance was that for once, Hrithik had to work hard to woo his lady love. Watching a man with such charisma, employ an effort, to work his way into his lady love heart, and also adequately display his assets to subtly tempt her and compel her to feel a twinge of attraction, was both interesting and endearing. The ‘him’ in question here is both Akbar and Hrithik

According to the story, Jodha was forced to marry Akbar, as a political pawn on her father’s requests, for the benefit of her kingdom. She was admittedly mortified of marrying a moghul, and a muslim. Realising her fate was more or less sealed, she lay down her own set of conditions before marrying India’s erstwhile emperor. Later on in the story, she also displayed enough strength to refuse his advances when she was wrongfully accused of infidelity. Given these plot points, strength of character and rare beauty was a prerequisite for Jodha then.

Aishwarya Rai’s beauty is legendary. Personally I always felt she was more of a print model than an actor, but well no one is really asking me. But honestly, if you ask me, it’s her minimal dialogues that made her endearing in Jodha Akbar. I have noted that she carries out roles of silent strength far better (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and Guru) than the ones, which require her to prattle like a humming bird. The thinking audience which is quick to criticise pop-craft, finds her more appealing in those roles. The rest are anyways blinded by her be beauty. In this film, she certainly appealed to both bands; the masses and self proclaimed classes! And yes, while I am on Aishwarya, I think, Yellow is certainly her colour.

But the success of the film and the appeal of its actors with the audience, goes beyond Hrithik and Aishwarya. I think in this film, the audience fell in love with Jodha and Akbar, much like they did with each other, through all the ups and downs! It was almost heartening to watch two strong characters from history, facing heartbreaks and pain, separation and reconciliation. Except that the canvas of their romance was larger than life, in the end of the day it Jodha Akbar was a love story where a woman wanted her man to love her unconditionally, and a man was egoistic enough to not throw himself at a woman; he wanted her to walk that last lap towards him so he could know that she wanted him as much as he did her. There is something fascinating about reigned in sexual chemistry, which is too dignified to be brazen yet too potent to be hidden. The passion of such a romance is timeless.

A lot of credit for the success of the film, goes to the original character of Jodha: she is a strong woman, who holds her own against a power house husband and growing to love him in her own time and her own terms, makes her as much of a 21st century woman as any real woman existing today. The audiences always like that! A love story where neither had to really compromise or lose their character … and in the advent that they chose to bend, they do so out of choice and out of love, for their beloved is always so appealing.

Ok so now you know that I love ‘love stories.’ But then who doesn’t??? But wasn’t Jodha Akbar also a coming together of others subtle relation ships? These other sentiments really tug at an Indian viewers heart; hai na? Namely, love for a mother (Jalal and Mahamanga), and love of a brother (Jodha and sujamal). And of course, if that love exists for someone other that related by blood the tension strength of that bond is further stretched. Mahamanga was Jalal’s nanny who he valued over his own mother. Jodha loved Sujamal more than her own brother yet he hated her fiercely owing to a misunderstanding. His sacrifice for the sake of her husband’s welfare, in spite of his anger towards her, makes for a great tale. During the course of the film, the supporting cast, of Ila Arun and Mahamanga and Sonu Sood as Sujamal had made enough of an impact to hold a scene on their own. It always helps a film when support cast preventing weariness and over exposure of the man protagonists.

Attention to detail is another thing that I usually find appealing in a film. Stories of sects, communities, people speaking a certain language etc, have a novelty value that cannot be tangibly described. I also appreciate the subtlety of the secularism in the film. As an aside, I have to ask, will a film in which girls dash off to college in a burkha (Mere Mehboob) or men break into a quawalli at the drop of a hat (Bahu Begum) do well in today’s time? I think not!

Moving on … While on the subject of culture and language, the distinctive difference in Jodha’s hindi and Akbar’s urdu was fascinating for me. That having been said, too much of a good thing in a product that is meant for mass consumption can be a viewer repellent like no other! Remember Razia Sultana? The urdu was so high funda, that I am certain no one understood the film completely except its writer. No can do!!!

So what else makes a good film and why did I like Jodha Akbar? I would like to talk a bit about comedy. Today is an era, where irony has replaced old fashioned, rib tickling comedy. Naturally in a story of such sombreness, ‘har har’ comedy cannot be expected. But some moments that bring a smile or even an ironic laugh in Jodha Akbar come to mind. There’s the little girls conversation in Jodha’s chambers where the transvestite talks of love. Another notable moment of comic relief was when the religious advisors to Akbar’s court, insist his marriage to Jodha must not impede the Islamic flavour of the palace. Into the silent pause, as Akbar ponders, breaks a Krishna bhajan! Sweet! Though my favourite moment of amusement in the film is when Akbar is fighting Jodha to win her back and force her to return to his palace! She nearly slits his throat with one manoeuvre and he though grudgingly appreciative of the move as a soldier, taunts, “Malliaka-aye-hindustaan, yeh mat bhooliyega ke hum aapke suhaag hai.” That line had so much meaning, hidden anger, restraint, power gamble and yet came out sounding so ironically funny that it was superb!

Ok I know many found the length of the film Jodha-Akbar to be something of a problem. And while I enjoyed the film even in its third watch, I can appreciate that cinema as a medium, needs to be as brief as possible, if possible. Long drawn detailing, that seem to be relevant for the broader story, but slows down the narrative is often suicidal. Even in Jodha Akbar, the whole coup, family war sequences, etc. it got a bit tiresome towards the end. To be honest, even in the earlier parts of the film, where the history was being revealed about how the kingdoms and to give up their freedom, how some resented it and some succumbed wagarah … was not clear. It probably was hurriedly dealt with to tackle the problem of length but then there, detailing suffered. But I have to say even in single cuts there was care taken to make ever throne, dressing style, a palace structure different, from Jodhpur to Amer, Ajamgarh to Jaipur … Super Stuff!!!

I learnt a lot while watching Jodha Akbar; I learnt that Akbar was born in India, that he had to rule from such an early age that the early parts of his tyrannical regime were actually a victim of other people’s taking advantage of him (another great cameo by Promod Mouthu), and of course one learnt he was illiterate! That was a shocker!

A critical appreciation of Jodha Akbar would be incomplete without a word of praise for its director. Film making as a craft was supposed to be a director’s vehicle. Few directors in today’s time have the ability to make actors out of stars; and Ashutosh Gowakiker certainly leads the pack. He told us the story of two iconic figures and made them human. He showed us how being draped in film and finery does not make a king less vulnerable or a princess less helpless. He showed us how in the end, every one just wants someone to love! He certainly showed us that in spite of their greek god and goddess looks, Hrithik and Aishwarya can act well enough to become some one else; therein lies the greatest strength of Jodha Akbar.

Jodha Akbar could have been a story of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra or John and Jacqueline Kennedy … some stories are not curtailed by their history, but are certainly enriched by it!