Jodhaa Akbar

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"Jodha Akbar" redirects here. For the TV Series, see Jodha Akbar (TV series).
Jodhaa Akbar
Jodhaa akbar.jpg
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
 <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • 15 February 2008 (2008-02-15)
Running time
 213 minutes
Country India
Language Hindi
Budget ₹40 crore (equivalent to ₹95 crore or US$14 million in 2020)[1]
Box office ₹115 crore (equivalent to ₹272 crore or US$40 million in 2020)[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 & 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.

Political success knew no bounds for Emperor Akbar (Hrithik Roshan). After having secured the Hindu Kush, his empire extended from Afghanistan to the Bay of Bengal, to the Narmada River. Through a shrewd blend of diplomacy, intimidation and brute force, Akbar won the allegiance of the Rajputs. This allegiance was not universal. But little did Akbar know that when he married Jodhaa (Aishwarya Rai), a fiery Rajput princess, in order to further strengthen his relations with the Rajputs, he would in turn be embarking upon a new journey – the journey of true love. The beautiful daughter of King Bharmal of Amer, Jodhaa , was at first betrothed to another rajput king and her dowrey 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, is declined his rightful throne. But then Mughal empire plans to attack Amer. The king, resentfully, offers her daughter's hand to the emperor himself to avoid war. Jodha completely resented being reduced to a mere political pawn in this marriage of alliance. Akbar agrees to the marriage as it would bring forward a true strong alliance and long lasting peace between the empire and rajputs.After the wedding, Akbar's biggest challenge now lies in winning the love of Jodhaa – a love hidden deep below resentment and extreme prejudice.

After their marriage, Jodhaa does not allow Akbar to even touch her much less consummate the marriage. Hurt, Akbar respects her feelings and sleeps elsewhere. Before the marriage however, Jodhaa writes a letter to Surajmal, her cousin (whom she sees as her own brother) entreating him to come rescue her from the marriage. However, she does not send it. 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 give a bad impression of the Rajputs. Then, her mother gives her a vial of poison and tells her to use it if need arises, though she says that if so, her family would be devastated as they love her a lot. Jodhaa keeps it with her belongings that she plans to take alongside the letter and the Rakhi (sacred thread) she planned to send to Surajmal.

A while later, Akbar orders a feast in Jodhaa's honor. Jodhaa decides that she will cook for him and starts. However, the Maha Manga, Akbar's wet nurse (whom he respects as a mother and places above his real mother and gives her a place in the court) hears and tells Jodhaa that she should not try to get his respect or love because of their different religion. Jodhaa replies that she is his wife and a wife's job is to cook for her husband.

Cast

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2

Crew

  • Story: Haidar Ali
  • Screenplay: Haidar Ali & Ashutosh Gowariker
  • Dialogues: K.P.Saxena
  • Make-up Artist: Jamie Wilson
  • Production Design: Nitin Chandrakant Desai
  • Visual Effects: Pankaj Khandpur (Tata Elxsi – Visual Computing Labs)
  • Chief Assistant Director: Karan Malhotra
  • Cinematography: Kiran Deohan

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 "Jodha 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 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, <templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

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
File:Jodhaaakbar.jpg
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)Elizabeth: The Golden Age2007		 Jodhaa Akbar
(2008)		 ADA...A Way of Life
(2008)ADA...A Way of Life2008
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Rediff 4/5 stars[30]
Planet Bollywood 9/10 stars[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. I am sure you will join me in congratulating A.R. Rahman on his latest Magnus Opus [sic]."[31]

Track listing
No. Title Artist(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. Title Artist(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]
  • Song of the Year – "Jashn-e-Bahara"
  • Male Vocalist of the Year – Javed Ali for "Jashn-e-Bahara"
  • Female Vocalist of the Year – Bela Shende for "Manmohana"
  • Lyricist of the Year – Javed Akhtar for "Jashn-e-Bahara"
  • Technical Award For Film Background Score – A. R. Rahman
  • Technical Award For Song Mixing – H. Sridhar
  • Technical Award For Programming and Arranging – TR Krishna Chetan for "Jashn-e-Bahara"
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
  • Nominated, Achievement in Cinematography – Kiiran Deohans
3rd Asian Film Awards
  • Nominated, Best Production Designer – Nitin Chandrakant Desai
  • Nominated, Best Composer – A. R. Rahman

See also

References

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  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Jodhaa Akbar[dead link]
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ [1][dead link]
  28. ↑ [2] Archived 6 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ↑ [3][dead link]
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Bella Jaisinghani Jodhaa Akbar rocks music awards The Times of India, 29 March 2009
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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