Jodhaa Akbar - Machan, this makes no sense Da ..!!

Yeah, saw the movie. 3.5 hours. Summary Reaction - Gowariker's focus on detail with elaborate sets and great script doesnt make up for the fact that the whole movie is a tad too long, too boring; guessing the denouement is a no-brainer. The only thing carrying the movie forward is the fine acting performances of an ensemble cast, Sonu Sood in particular.

Sometimes I think Gowariker wanted to create a spectacle of the war scenes, with elephants and horses and swords and the likes.. somehow that doesnt materialise. Theres too little gore to call it bloody, too many elephants to call it lame. The props look like they've been borrowed from 'The Mahabharat', which some people seem to believe.

Next, comes the plot. Its preceded by a very decent disclaimer which tells us not to blame the movie in case we dont agree with the chronology or the events themselves. Forced marriage - Things start looking up - U turn, hits rock bottom - Patched up again - One good guy who turned bad becomes good again - The final showdown between the hero and the villain - THE END.

Apart from what we'd like to see at the movies, there are some elements of Gowariker's ideas that i liked. I don't know if he had this in mind when he made the movie, but this movie brings out a culture fusion angle to the history being retold. In reality, 'Jodhaa' was converted to Islam after marrying Jalauddin Akbar, and is buried according to Islamic rites. Here, we see a more benevolent and understanding Akbar, who lets his new wife dictate terms in his dominion - she builds a temple inside her quarters, and serves rajasthani food during one luncheon. It was fun to see how a little acceptance can go a long way. Perhaps he is subtly aiming at the Hindu-Muslim unity message that films have sent for a long time now ?? Perhaps.

There are several historical inaccuracies in this movie - obviously going uncorrected, in case it affects the film's performance on Friday and after. No one wants a history lesson. Another rather undernoted point is the casting. Aishwarya Rai can pass as anyone these days; im not complaining that shes there. Hrithik being cast as Akbar didn't go down well with me.

Jalaluddin Akbar is a descendant of Genghis Khan, the Mongol ruler formerly called Temujin, renamed 'Khan' when he sat on the throne as ruler of almost half the known world. Mongols, are, well, mongoloid. They dont have sharp noses or chins, and have physical features adapted to surviving in the Gobi. Hrithik isnt your usual mongoloid. Gowariker has cashed in on the Media attention that 'Aishwarya - Hrithik' pairings in movies has got so far, something i dint expect him to do after a movie like Lagaan.

I advise the reader to see the movie once - just to get a feel of why costly movies cost so much - and stop with that. It is impossible to digest this movie a second time round.

PS - and yeah, Rahman does a good job with the music. I guess you don't need me to tell you that.