Director: Ashutosh Gowarikar, 215 mins, 12A, Subtitles

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Poonam Sinha, Ila Arun.

Opening with an Amitabh Bachchan voiceover, we are told it is “Hindustan, 1450 AD”. The Mughal Empire is establishing its grip over India. What follows is a three- and-a-half-hour journey back in time to a bygone era, well worth a visit.

The Mughals, members of the Muslim dynasty of Mongol origin founded by the successors of Tamerlane, ruled most of India from the 16th to the 19th century. This visually stunning film recreates the period in which Emperor Jalal (Hrithik Roshan) dominated the country via bloody conquest of the princely states, ruled by the Maharajas.

In order to prevent further violence, the King of Amer proposes a marriage of convenience with his beautiful daughter Jodhaa (Aishwarya Rai) to the Emperor. He agrees in order to increase his foothold over Rajasthan and ultimately the rest of India.

The Emperor faces his biggest battle yet: winning the heart of his proud Hindu bride. She resents being used as a pawn in his plan to increase the size of his kingdom. Jodhaa insists on maintaining her religion, cooking vegetarian dishes for her man and singing bhajans (Hindu devotional songs) in her specially constructed bedroom mandir (temple).

Her loyalty is tested when a vial of poison is discovered in her personal belongings. Is Jodhaa a Hindu spy intent on poisoning the Emperor? He gets increasingly suspicious of his wife’s motives Otello-style, whilst simultaneously becoming increasingly attracted to her.

Oscar-nominated ‘Lagaan’ director Ashutosh Gowariker’s sumptuous period epic has all the ingredients of a Cecil B DeMille entertainer. Lavish and loud set pieces threaten to swamp the propulsive proceedings. A battle sequence using thousands of real elephants and extras involves sword fights, the taming of a wild elephant and a fight to the death climax. Confidently executed with sweeping cinematography, these extravagances are ultimately props for the love story between two beautiful strangers caught up in an arranged marriage.

It works best when there are pauses to let the golden couple fall in love via some melodious Sufi-infused AR Rahman rhythms. Roshan and Rai (billed in the end credits as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) portray the legendary lovers with conviction and credibility. Love makes the Emperor a more compassionate ruler. Indeed, he is remembered today in the history books as ‘Akbar, the Great’.

The film ends with a passionate plea for tolerance of all religions in India, a resonant message for modern India.

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