JODHAA AKBAR

Director: Ashutosh Gowariker

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai

Oscar nominated director Ashutosh Gowariker’s latest is the most awaited, much delayed and probably the biggest film of 2008.

Bollywood’s hottest on-screen couple are back in action! Super hero Hrithik Roshan and reigning diva Aishwarya Rai created controversy after their infamous smooch in 2006’s blockbuster, Dhoom 2. Their latest release, Jodhaa Akbar, is unlikely to create such a furore from India’s moral police as it is a historical period romance.

Set in the 16th century, it tells the alleged true love story between the great Mughal Emperor Akbar (Roshan) and his marriage of convenience to Jodhaa (Rai), a Hindu Rajput princess, in order to expand his control over the Rajput Empire. The fiery Jodhaa resents being a mere political pawn in her husband’s life. Akbar faces his biggest battle: winning the love of his wife.

From the rushes seen at last year’s Cannes film festival where the film was ‘introduced’, it appears that Gowariker is attempting to recreate a ‘Mughal-e-Azam’-style epic with sumptuous sets, huge battle scenes using hundreds of real horses and elephants, AR Rahman’s music and two of Bollywood’s biggest stars.

It remains to be seen whether this will translate into box-office gold. Bollywood audiences today appear indifferent to historical films. Both Aamir Khan’s The Rising about India’s so-called first war of independence and Akbar Khan’s Taj Mahal failed recently at the box office.

Additionally, audiences may not warm to the idea of seeing their usually shirtless hero Roshan fully clothed in robes with long hair and sporting a moustache. Rai’s magic may be on the wane. She dons her trademark doe-eyed look yet again so faithful fans will not be disappointed. But this is her first proper release since her marriage: Indian audiences find it problematic to engage on screen with someone else’s wife.

Set for release on February 15 2008.

GHAJINI

Director: A R Murgadoss

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