Jodhaa Akbar

"Jodha Akbar" redirects here. For the TV Series, see Jodha Akbar (TV series).
Jodhaa Akbar

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced by Ronnie Screwvala
Ashutosh Gowariker
Written by K. P. Saxena
(Dialogue)
Screenplay by Haidar Ali
Ashutosh Gowariker
Story by Haidar Ali
Starring Hrithik Roshan
Aishwarya Rai
Sonu Sood
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Ila Arun
Narrated by Amitabh Bachchan
Music by A. R. Rahman
Cinematography Kiran Deohans
Edited by Ballu Saluja
Production
company
Distributed by UTV Motion Pictures
Release dates
  • 15 February 2008 (2008-02-15)
Running time
 213 minutes
Country India
Language Hindi
Budget ₹40 crore (equivalent to ₹54 crore or US$8.1 million in 2013)[1]
Box office ₹115 crore (equivalent to ₹157 crore or US$23 million in 2013)[2]

Jodhaa Akbar is an Indian epic historical drama film released on 15 February 2008.[3] It is directed and produced by Ashutosh Gowariker. It stars Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai and Sonu Sood in the lead roles. Extensive research went into the making of this film. The shooting for the film started at Karjat.[4] This movie was also dubbed in Tamil and Telugu languages.

The film centres on the romance between the Mughal Emperor Akbar, played by Hrithik Roshan, and the Princess Jodhabai who becomes his wife, played by Aishwarya Rai. Acclaimed composer A. R. Rahman composed the musical score. The soundtrack of the movie was released on 19 January 2008.[5]

The film won the Audience Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the São Paulo International Film Festival,[6] two awards at the Golden Minbar International Film Festival,[7] seven Star Screen Awards and five Filmfare Awards, in addition to two nominations at the 3rd Asian Film Awards.[8]

Plot

Jodhaa Akbar is a sixteenth-century love story about a political marriage of convenience between a Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a Rajput princess, Jodhaa. The beautiful and fiery daughter of King Bharmal of Amer, Jodhaa gets betrothed to another rajput king and her dowry was her father's crown, which will pass to that rajput king, after his death. Through this arrangement, the son of elder brother of the king Sujjamal gets declined of his rightful throne and he leaves the kingdom angrily to join rebels. But when Mughal empire plans to attack Amer, king Bharmal, resentfully offers his daughter's hand to the emperor himself to avoid war. Akbar agrees to the marriage as it would bring forward a true strong alliance and long lasting peace between the empire and rajputs. Jodha completely resented being reduced to a mere political pawn and she wants to marry Rajput king she was betrothed previously. She writes a letter to Sujjamal, her cousin (whom she sees as her own brother) entreating him to come rescue her from the marriage, she couldn't send it though. Jodhaa shares all her misery with her mother, who tells her to send a servant girl in her place. Jodhaa replies that it would deceive Akbar and would be death to their kingdom if he finds out. Then, her mother gives her a vial of poison and tells her to use it if need arises.

After their marriage, Jodhaa acts reluctant with Akbar and they do not consummate their marriage. Akbar respects her views and lets her follow her regular religious rituals. Slowly they grow closer and Jodha's resentment for him starts to decrease. A while later, Akbar orders a feast in Jodhaa's honor and she cooks for him on that day. Akbar's wet nurse Maham Anga gets devastated by the death of her treacherous son in the hands of Akbar and decides to bring rift between Jodha and Akbar. She somewhats succeeds when she sends Rakhi and Jodha's letter to Sujjamal. Akbar misunderstands that Jodha was plotting against him and sends her to her maternal home. Later he comes to know of Jodha's innocence and begs her to come back to him. She tells him to win her heart through the religious equilibrium n equal rights in his kingdom. He does so and she comes back.

Meanwhile Akbar's brother plots a revolt along with rebels and Akbar gets mortally injured in the war. Jodha prays two days continuously for him and they consummate their marriage once he gets better. Later Akbar controls the rebellion and announces that every religion has its rights in his kingdom.

Cast

Crew

Production

Ashutosh Gowariker hired a research team of historians and scholars from New Delhi, Aligarh, Lucknow, Agra and Jaipur to guide him on this film and help him keep things historically accurate. He clarified that the name of the film remains Jodhaa-Akbar and not Akbar-Jodhaa as reported by sections of the media.

Over 80 elephants, 100 horses and 55 camels were used in the movie. The song "Azeem O Shan, Shahenshah" featured about 1,000 dancers in traditional costumes, wielding swords and shields at a grand location in Karjat. The budget of the film was initially ₹370 million., which shot up to ₹400 million. Jodhaa-Akbar was supposed to be released in June–December 2007 but was delayed due to unknown issues.[9]

The first television promo aired on 9 December 2007.

The movie used much gold and kundan jewellery made by Tanishq, including 2 kg of gold for the sword case alone.[10]

Historical accuracy

Many of the events portrayed in the movie are based on real events. Certain Rajput groups claimed Jodhaa was married to Akbar's son, Jahangir, not Akbar.[11][12]

Several historians claim that Akbar's Rajput wife was never known as "Jodha Bai" during the Mughal period. According to Professor Shirin Moosvi, a historian of Aligarh Muslim University, neither the Akbarnama (a biography of Akbar commissioned by Akbar himself), nor any historical text from the period refer to her as Jodha Bai.[13] Moosvi notes that the name "Jodhaa Bai" was first used to refer to Akbar's wife in the 18th and 19th centuries in historical writings.[13] In Tuzk-e-Jahangiri, she is referred to as Mariam-uz-Zamani.[13]

According to historian Imtiaz Ahmad, the director of the Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library in Patna, the name "Jodha" was used for Akbar's wife for the first time by Lieutenant-Colonel James Tod, in his book Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan. According to Ahmad, Tod was not a professional historian.[14] N. R. Farooqi claims that Jodha Bai was not the name of Akbar's Rajput queen; it was the name of Jahangir's Rajput wife.[15]

Ashutosh Gowarikar's reaction was,

“ While making the film I did my best to go by the book. I consulted the best historians and went through the most rigorous research. There are different names used for Akbar's wife, Jodhaa being one of them. In fact, there's a disclaimer about the Rajput queen's name at the beginning of the film. But to see that, the protesters have to see the film. ”

Protests and legal issues

The portrayal of ethnic Rajput people in the movie was criticised by members of the Rajput community as misleading, politically motivated historical revisionism that minimised Rajput history.[16] The community's protests against the film in some states led to the film being banned in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttarakhand. However, the producer went to the Supreme Court to challenge it.[17][18] Later, the Supreme Court of India lifted the ban on screening the film in Uttar Pradesh and some towns of Uttarakhand and Haryana. The court scrapped the Uttar Pradesh government ban as well as similar orders by authorities in Dehradun in Uttarakhand and in Ambala, Sonepat and Rewari in Haryana.[19]

Critical reception

The film received a critics rating of 69 on Metacritics,[20] and Rotten Tomatoes has given the film a 78% rating with 7 fresh and 2 rotten reviews.[21]

Anil Sinanan of The Times gave the film four out of five stars stating, "Oscar-nominated Lagaan director Ashutosh Gowariker's sumptuous period epic has all the ingredients of a Cecil B. DeMille entertainer [...] The film ends with a passionate plea for tolerance of all religions in India, a resonant message for modern India."[22] Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN also gave the film four out of five stars commenting: "I've never felt this way about any other film, but sitting there in my seat watching Jodhaa Akbar, I felt privileged as a moviegoer. Privileged that such a film had been made, and privileged that it had been made in our times so we can form our own opinions of the film rather than adopt the opinions of previous generations, which we invariably must when looking at older classics."[23] Tajpal Rathore of the BBC gave the film four out of five stars, noting that, "although the 16th-century love story upon which its based might be long forgotten, this endearing treatment sears into the memory through sheer size and scale alone [...] Don't let the running time put you off watching this unashamedly epic tale."[24] Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India gave the film three stars, stating that, "Jodhaa Akbar works only because its heart is in the right place. The film talks about a love that transcends all barriers – gender, religion, culture – and dreams of an India where secularism and tolerance are the twin towers that should never ever crumble. And Akbar and Jodhaa are the alluring exponents of this dream." Kazmi also suggests that "if you are willing to shed off all the trappings of history, only then will Jodhaa Akbar work for you."[25] While suggesting that the film is "too long" and that it is "not a history lesson," Rachel Saltz of The New York Times also notes, "in choosing to tell the tale of this emperor and a Muslim-Hindu love story, Mr. Gowariker makes a clear point. As Akbar says, 'Respect for each other's religion will enrich Hindustan.' "[26]

Box office

Jodhaa Akbar collected Rs 379.02 million in India and was declared a Super hit by Box Office India.[27]

In overseas, it grossed $7,550,000 (Rs 49.92 crores) and was declared a blockbuster. The film grossed $2,100,000 in UK, $3,450,000 in North America, $960,000 in UAE, $450,000 in Australia and $590,000 in rest of the world.[28]

The film ended with a worldwide lifetime gross of ₹515.42 million($28,370,000).[29]

Soundtrack

Jodhaa Akbar
Soundtrack album by A. R. Rahman
Released
9 January 2008 (music launch)
18 January 2008 (CD release)
Recorded Panchathan Record Inn and A.M. Studios
Nirvana Studio
Genre Feature film soundtrack
Length 39:43
Label
Sony music
Producer A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman chronology
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
(2007)		 Jodhaa Akbar
(2008)		 ADA...A Way of Life
(2008)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Rediff[30]
Planet Bollywood[31]

The acclaimed score and soundtrack of the film was composed by A. R. Rahman, making his third collaboration with Ashutosh Gowariker after Lagaan, and Swades. The official soundtrack contains five songs and two instrumentals. Rahman scored the prewritten lyrics by Javed Akhtar, except for the songs "Khwaja Mere Khwaja" and "Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah". The former was written by Kashif while the latter was by Javed Akthar himself. The music was released on 9 January 2008 and the CDs were out by 18 January. The soundtrack album was met with very positive reviews, with most of the reviewers hailing the album a magnum opus by Rahman. Aakash Gandhi of Planet Bollywood reviewed the album saying "Jodhaa Akbar compositions are magical, spectacular, invigorating and above all a wholesome experience you rarely get in soundtracks these days. When you cannot pick a favorite you know the benchmark has been set consistently high. Indian music has just added another soundtrack to its eternal treasure."[31]

Track listing
No. TitleArtist(s) Length
1. "Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah"  Mohammed Aslam, Bonnie Chakraborty, Chorus 5:54
2. "Jashn-E-Bahaara"  Javed Ali 5:15
3. "Khwaja Mere Khwaja" (Lyrics: Kashif)A. R. Rahman 6:56
4. "In Lamhon Ke Daaman Mein"  Sonu Nigam, Madhushree 6:37
5. "Mann Mohana"  Bela Shende 6:50
6. "Jashn-e-Baharaa"  Instrumental – Flute 5:15
7. "Khwaja Mere Khwaja"  Instrumental – Oboe 2:53
Total length:
 39:43

Soundtrack in Tamil[32]

Track listing
No. TitleArtist(s) Length
1. "Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah"  Mohammed Aslam, Bonnie Chakraborty, Chorus 5:54
2. "Muzhumathy"  Srinivas 5:15
3. "Khwaja Endhan Khwaja" (Lyrics: Mashook Rahman)A. R. Rahman 6:56
4. "Idhayam Idam Mariyathe"  Karthik, K. S. Chithra 6:37
5. "Mana Mohana"  Sadhana Sargam 6:50
6. "Muzhumathy"  Instrumental – Flute 5:15
7. "Khwaja Endhan Khwaja"  Instrumental – Oboe 2:53
Total length:
 39:43

Music awards

The film emerged out as the biggest winner in many music awards.[33] However in the best music direction category, it lost many mainly to Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, composed by Rahman himself. The fine background score won the film many awards including Filmfare Best Background Score and IIFA Best Background Score. The soundtrack was also nominated in numerous categories.

Mirchi Music Awards[33]
Others

Awards

Filmfare Awards
Screen Awards
Won
Nominated
Stardust Awards
IIFA Awards
V Shantaram Awards

[35]

International

Golden Minbar International Film Festival of Muslim Cinema (Kazan, Russia)[7]
32nd São Paulo International Film Festival (Brazil, South America)[6]
Asia Pacific Screen Awards
3rd Asian Film Awards

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Jodhaa Akbar could make even more money than OSO". Rediff. 19 February 2008.
  2. ↑ "Top Worldwide Grossers ALL TIME: 37 Films Hit 100 Crore". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  3. ↑ "25 January 2008". IndiaFM. 12 September 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
  4. ↑ "Aishwarya gets summons by Customs Department". IndiaFM. 15 November 2006. Retrieved 2007-10-03.
  5. ↑ "Jodhaa Akbar Synopsis". apunkachoice.com. Retrieved 2015-02-04.
  6. 1 2 "Jodhaa Akbar wins Audience Award at Sao Paulo International Film Fest". Business of Cinema. 3 November 2008. Archived from the original on 14 February 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  7. 1 2 "Jodhaa Akbar, Hrithik win awards at Golden Minbar Film Festival in Russia". Bollywood Hungama. 23 October 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  8. ↑ "Awards for Jodhaa Akbar (2008)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  9. ↑ "Success saga!".
  10. ↑ "Royal jewellery of Jodhaa Akbar". The Hindu. 20 June 2008.
  11. ↑ "Jodhaa Akbar :: Official Website". Jodhaaakbar.com. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  12. ↑ "Jodhaa Akbar not being screened in Rajasthan". IndiaFM. 16 February 2008. Archived from the original on 2 March 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
  13. 1 2 3 Ashley D'Mello (10 December 2005). "Fact, myth blend in re-look at Akbar-Jodha Bai". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
  14. ↑ Syed Firdaus Ashraf (5 February 2008). "Did Jodhabai really exist?". Rediff.com. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
  15. ↑ Atul Sethi (24 June 2007). "'Trade, not invasion brought Islam to India'". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
  16. ↑ "Rajputs' reasons behind preventing screening of Jodhaa Akbar in Rajasthan and elsewhere". Ibosnetwork.com. 11 February 2008. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  17. ↑ "UP bans screening of Jodhaa Akbar". NDTV. 2 March 2008. Archived from the original on 3 March 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2008.
  18. ↑ "Court moved against banning the film". The Hindu. 2 March 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2008.
  19. ↑ "Supreme Court lifts ban on Jodhaa Akbar, for now". Reuters. 3 March 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
  20. ↑ "Jodhaa Akbar". Metacritic. Retrieved 2011-07-01.
  21. ↑ "Jodhaa Akbar @ Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  22. ↑ Jodhaa Akbar Archived 17 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  23. ↑ "Masand's Verdict: Jodhaa Akbar". Ibnlive.in.com. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  24. ↑ Tajpal Rathore Updated 11 February 2008 (11 February 2008). "Jodhaa Akbar". BBC Jews. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  25. ↑ Nikhat Kazmi (15 February 2008). "Jodhaa Akbar". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  26. ↑ Rachel Saltz (16 February 2008). "A Muslim and a Hindu. Let’s Dance.". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  27. ↑ Archived 25 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  28. ↑ Archived 6 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
  29. ↑ Archived 20 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
  30. ↑ "Music review: Jodhaa Akbar". Rediff.com. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  31. 1 2 Aakash Gandhi (2009). "Jodhaa Akbar Music Review". Planet Bollywood.
  32. ↑ "Jodha Akbar Songs - Jodha Akbar Tamil Movie Songs - Tamil Songs Lyrics Trailer Videos, Preview Stills Reviews". Raaga.com. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  33. 1 2 Bella Jaisinghani Jodhaa Akbar rocks music awards The Times of India, 29 March 2009
  34. ↑ "Winners of Max Stardust Awards 2009". Bollywoodhungama.com. 16 February 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  35. ↑ "Aamir Khan's TZP wins V Shantaram Gold Award; A Wednesday wins silver". Indiantelevision.com. 29 December 2008. Retrieved 2011-07-01.

External links

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