Daryll Cullinan, in his interview to Cricinfo reviewing the 4th day's play in Chennai between India and South Africa explained India's quick demise after Sewhag's fall due to an effort to produce an unlikely result out of the match. He says that in doing so they showed characteristics typical of recent world conquering Australian teams. We all know how the Aussies have plucked victory out of thin air in recent times. 2006 Adelaide against England, 2008 Sydney against India are a few such examples. It showed us that champion teams can turn matches in blink of an eye.
Although Cullinan may not have meant everything I have said here, this is a great compliment coming from him. Yet I must say the Indians must learn a few things and take a few tough risky decisions before earning it.
First of all, they must know to tackle any situation, any twist in the tale, must try to plug the leak before it develops. Instead of blinking on the pitch as to what is to be done, they must have definite plans to continue the match.
The most important problem today was the Indians didn't have a plan B. They had dreamed up of a situation in which Sewhag would bat for an eternity or at the leat until declaration, that is he would cross 400 in their plan A, and in quick time too. However, the South Africans had done their homework and had different ideas of their own.
So when an intense Ntini pulled off two blinders to remove Sewhag and Sachin in quick succession, the Indians felt they had floundered the opportunity. Actually- they had not.
Its foolish to think that all your plans will come good, to expect no fightback from the opposition. The best teams always know how to handle a situation if it doesn't go according to plan, or if plans backfire.
The Indians just had to regroup and go back to plan A. They could have tried different things too. They could have sent in Dhoni immediately after Ganguly fell, to keep up the scoring rate, by attacking Harris.
Without a plan B, the batsmen were torn between going for runs or building their own innings. Nobody knew what their role was, now that they were in a commanding position. Either Dravid or Ganguly had to tie up one end, while the other attacked. And although for a certain passage of time both were scoring boundaries freely, with the fall of Ganguly and Dravid, everything fell apart. Laxman and Dhoni are two contrasting batsmen, yet they can score a fast rate in their own styles.
Laxman deals in smooth caresses, Dhoni deals with bludgeoning blows and both leave the fielding team in chaos. If you doubt Laxman's prowess, just ask the Aussie attack that bowled to him this summer.
So they just had to string a partnership to wrest back the initiative. In that context, Dhoni's mode of dismissal was deplorable. He had no business charging Steyn- a bowler renowned for fiery pace and swing and bounce, who has been man-of-the-series for the past 3 consecutive series. If he wanted to bully someone, he didn't have to look further than Harris, the poor spinner who went for more than 200 runs. in fact, Dhoni had made a living biffing spinners out of the park until he became captain.
Dale Steyn cut him to size with two vicious bouncers and sent him packing. After that it was sheer carnage- Steyn style. He just ripped through the lower order like knife through butter. (This must be a warning to the Indian batsmen of Steyn's lethal nature.)
This wouldn't have happened if Dhoni had been a bit more responsible and strung a partnership with Laxman. This is where it became clear that the Indians had no clear working plan. They had the intent to get runs quickly and have a go at the Proteas, yet sometimes, just intent is not enough. You must know the methods.
Dhoni must by now know his role in the team. He needs to bottle up his aggressive instincts (of which we see very little of lately) and play gritty innings whenever required. Otherwise, if given the license, like in this case, he must be able to pummel the opposition into submission (like what Sewhag did as an opener). In effect, he must be able to do a Gilchrist when it is most needed. Above all this, he must know that his wicket is the door to Indian tail. He must not carelessly give it away like he did today.
Going for broke and getting out in the process is something, but walking down the pitch to an express fast bowler considered in the level of Lee is suicide. He must respect the bowlers for what they are. Had he done it against Kallis or Harris, or atleast Morkel (rarely) it would have been prudent.
Dhoni's manner of dismissal was unforgivable and it was the decisive moment the match turned from a possible Indian victory to an almost inevitable draw. Instead of unsettling or bullying Steyn, he was made to look like a dunce on the ground, stranded outside his crease, ungainly fending the ball like a rank No.11 batsman. Dhoni wouldn't forget this hard baptism, and if he intends to become a great Indian Test captain, he must not.
Anyway, the rest, as they say, is history. Indian dreams of a victory became thinner by the minute, and were almost extinguished once their own new ball bowlers sprayed it all over the pitch gifting away runs like toffees on Independence Day. Only a sliver of hope of a result in this match remains. And that is to do what South Africa did to us today- take the remaining 9 wickets for 150 odd runs in under 50 overs.
That would leave us with about 200 runs to get in about 35 overs. At a run rate of 6 with Sewhag in such searing form and the South African pace contingent recovering well after their 3rd day mauling, it promises to be an exciting run chase if it materialises. If it doesn't, then plan B- play for a draw. Let us hope the Indians come tomorrow with more than one plan and although I fear any amount of planning may not produce a result, it is always good to be ready.
Because they say "When you fail to plan, you plan to fail!"
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Can India do a South Africa to become Australia?
Daryll Cullinan, in his interview to Cricinfo reviewing the 4th day's play in Chennai between India and South Africa explained India's quick demise after Sewhag's fall due to an effort to produce an unlikely result out of the match. He says that in doing so they showed characteristics typical of recent world conquering Australian teams. We all know how the Aussies have plucked victory out of thin air in recent times. 2006 Adelaide against England, 2008 Sydney against India are a few such examples. It showed us that champion teams can turn matches in blink of an eye.
Although Cullinan may not have meant everything I have said here, this is a great compliment coming from him. Yet I must say the Indians must learn a few things and take a few tough risky decisions before earning it.
First of all, they must know to tackle any situation, any twist in the tale, must try to plug the leak before it develops. Instead of blinking on the pitch as to what is to be done, they must have definite plans to continue the match.
The most important problem today was the Indians didn't have a plan B. They had dreamed up of a situation in which Sewhag would bat for an eternity or at the leat until declaration, that is he would cross 400 in their plan A, and in quick time too. However, the South Africans had done their homework and had different ideas of their own.
So when an intense Ntini pulled off two blinders to remove Sewhag and Sachin in quick succession, the Indians felt they had floundered the opportunity. Actually- they had not.
Its foolish to think that all your plans will come good, to expect no fightback from the opposition. The best teams always know how to handle a situation if it doesn't go according to plan, or if plans backfire.
The Indians just had to regroup and go back to plan A. They could have tried different things too. They could have sent in Dhoni immediately after Ganguly fell, to keep up the scoring rate, by attacking Harris.
Without a plan B, the batsmen were torn between going for runs or building their own innings. Nobody knew what their role was, now that they were in a commanding position. Either Dravid or Ganguly had to tie up one end, while the other attacked. And although for a certain passage of time both were scoring boundaries freely, with the fall of Ganguly and Dravid, everything fell apart. Laxman and Dhoni are two contrasting batsmen, yet they can score a fast rate in their own styles.
Laxman deals in smooth caresses, Dhoni deals with bludgeoning blows and both leave the fielding team in chaos. If you doubt Laxman's prowess, just ask the Aussie attack that bowled to him this summer.
So they just had to string a partnership to wrest back the initiative. In that context, Dhoni's mode of dismissal was deplorable. He had no business charging Steyn- a bowler renowned for fiery pace and swing and bounce, who has been man-of-the-series for the past 3 consecutive series. If he wanted to bully someone, he didn't have to look further than Harris, the poor spinner who went for more than 200 runs. in fact, Dhoni had made a living biffing spinners out of the park until he became captain.
Dale Steyn cut him to size with two vicious bouncers and sent him packing. After that it was sheer carnage- Steyn style. He just ripped through the lower order like knife through butter. (This must be a warning to the Indian batsmen of Steyn's lethal nature.)
This wouldn't have happened if Dhoni had been a bit more responsible and strung a partnership with Laxman. This is where it became clear that the Indians had no clear working plan. They had the intent to get runs quickly and have a go at the Proteas, yet sometimes, just intent is not enough. You must know the methods.
Dhoni must by now know his role in the team. He needs to bottle up his aggressive instincts (of which we see very little of lately) and play gritty innings whenever required. Otherwise, if given the license, like in this case, he must be able to pummel the opposition into submission (like what Sewhag did as an opener). In effect, he must be able to do a Gilchrist when it is most needed. Above all this, he must know that his wicket is the door to Indian tail. He must not carelessly give it away like he did today.
Going for broke and getting out in the process is something, but walking down the pitch to an express fast bowler considered in the level of Lee is suicide. He must respect the bowlers for what they are. Had he done it against Kallis or Harris, or atleast Morkel (rarely) it would have been prudent.
Dhoni's manner of dismissal was unforgivable and it was the decisive moment the match turned from a possible Indian victory to an almost inevitable draw. Instead of unsettling or bullying Steyn, he was made to look like a dunce on the ground, stranded outside his crease, ungainly fending the ball like a rank No.11 batsman. Dhoni wouldn't forget this hard baptism, and if he intends to become a great Indian Test captain, he must not.
Anyway, the rest, as they say, is history. Indian dreams of a victory became thinner by the minute, and were almost extinguished once their own new ball bowlers sprayed it all over the pitch gifting away runs like toffees on Independence Day. Only a sliver of hope of a result in this match remains. And that is to do what South Africa did to us today- take the remaining 9 wickets for 150 odd runs in under 50 overs.
That would leave us with about 200 runs to get in about 35 overs. At a run rate of 6 with Sewhag in such searing form and the South African pace contingent recovering well after their 3rd day mauling, it promises to be an exciting run chase if it materialises. If it doesn't, then plan B- play for a draw. Let us hope the Indians come tomorrow with more than one plan and although I fear any amount of planning may not produce a result, it is always good to be ready.
Because they say "When you fail to plan, you plan to fail!"
Although Cullinan may not have meant everything I have said here, this is a great compliment coming from him. Yet I must say the Indians must learn a few things and take a few tough risky decisions before earning it.
First of all, they must know to tackle any situation, any twist in the tale, must try to plug the leak before it develops. Instead of blinking on the pitch as to what is to be done, they must have definite plans to continue the match.
The most important problem today was the Indians didn't have a plan B. They had dreamed up of a situation in which Sewhag would bat for an eternity or at the leat until declaration, that is he would cross 400 in their plan A, and in quick time too. However, the South Africans had done their homework and had different ideas of their own.
So when an intense Ntini pulled off two blinders to remove Sewhag and Sachin in quick succession, the Indians felt they had floundered the opportunity. Actually- they had not.
Its foolish to think that all your plans will come good, to expect no fightback from the opposition. The best teams always know how to handle a situation if it doesn't go according to plan, or if plans backfire.
The Indians just had to regroup and go back to plan A. They could have tried different things too. They could have sent in Dhoni immediately after Ganguly fell, to keep up the scoring rate, by attacking Harris.
Without a plan B, the batsmen were torn between going for runs or building their own innings. Nobody knew what their role was, now that they were in a commanding position. Either Dravid or Ganguly had to tie up one end, while the other attacked. And although for a certain passage of time both were scoring boundaries freely, with the fall of Ganguly and Dravid, everything fell apart. Laxman and Dhoni are two contrasting batsmen, yet they can score a fast rate in their own styles.
Laxman deals in smooth caresses, Dhoni deals with bludgeoning blows and both leave the fielding team in chaos. If you doubt Laxman's prowess, just ask the Aussie attack that bowled to him this summer.
So they just had to string a partnership to wrest back the initiative. In that context, Dhoni's mode of dismissal was deplorable. He had no business charging Steyn- a bowler renowned for fiery pace and swing and bounce, who has been man-of-the-series for the past 3 consecutive series. If he wanted to bully someone, he didn't have to look further than Harris, the poor spinner who went for more than 200 runs. in fact, Dhoni had made a living biffing spinners out of the park until he became captain.
Dale Steyn cut him to size with two vicious bouncers and sent him packing. After that it was sheer carnage- Steyn style. He just ripped through the lower order like knife through butter. (This must be a warning to the Indian batsmen of Steyn's lethal nature.)
This wouldn't have happened if Dhoni had been a bit more responsible and strung a partnership with Laxman. This is where it became clear that the Indians had no clear working plan. They had the intent to get runs quickly and have a go at the Proteas, yet sometimes, just intent is not enough. You must know the methods.
Dhoni must by now know his role in the team. He needs to bottle up his aggressive instincts (of which we see very little of lately) and play gritty innings whenever required. Otherwise, if given the license, like in this case, he must be able to pummel the opposition into submission (like what Sewhag did as an opener). In effect, he must be able to do a Gilchrist when it is most needed. Above all this, he must know that his wicket is the door to Indian tail. He must not carelessly give it away like he did today.
Going for broke and getting out in the process is something, but walking down the pitch to an express fast bowler considered in the level of Lee is suicide. He must respect the bowlers for what they are. Had he done it against Kallis or Harris, or atleast Morkel (rarely) it would have been prudent.
Dhoni's manner of dismissal was unforgivable and it was the decisive moment the match turned from a possible Indian victory to an almost inevitable draw. Instead of unsettling or bullying Steyn, he was made to look like a dunce on the ground, stranded outside his crease, ungainly fending the ball like a rank No.11 batsman. Dhoni wouldn't forget this hard baptism, and if he intends to become a great Indian Test captain, he must not.
Anyway, the rest, as they say, is history. Indian dreams of a victory became thinner by the minute, and were almost extinguished once their own new ball bowlers sprayed it all over the pitch gifting away runs like toffees on Independence Day. Only a sliver of hope of a result in this match remains. And that is to do what South Africa did to us today- take the remaining 9 wickets for 150 odd runs in under 50 overs.
That would leave us with about 200 runs to get in about 35 overs. At a run rate of 6 with Sewhag in such searing form and the South African pace contingent recovering well after their 3rd day mauling, it promises to be an exciting run chase if it materialises. If it doesn't, then plan B- play for a draw. Let us hope the Indians come tomorrow with more than one plan and although I fear any amount of planning may not produce a result, it is always good to be ready.
Because they say "When you fail to plan, you plan to fail!"
Friday, March 14, 2008
My Favorite Singers: Suchitra the "Omaha Zeeya" girl
Through the years I've listened to various songs, spanning innumerable genres, that I can safely say that I'm a connoisseur in music. So it was a bit surprising even to me, that when I decided to give an account of my favorite musicians, the first name that came to my mind (of all the names you would think) was Suchitra.
Now there are many of you out there who believe she doesn't even have a sweet voice befitting a girl, and that she does sound more like a boy sometimes, but I believe she is one of the most versatile singers in the cine circuit as of now.
Her career was launched with the iconic voice of "the woman in the dream" in "Uyirin Uyire" from the trendsetting action movie Kaakha Kaakha, singing the unforgettable lines "Omaha Zeeya". The song was a dream song, and even now it is one of the things that comes to your mind when you think of the movie. During the days after the audio release, this song was the craze of Tamil Nadu. And everytime someone heard the opening lines "Omaha Zeeya" there was a roar of acknowledgement from the crowd. Her voice had this otherwordly charm that helped people transcend dimensions and forget reality, and enjoy the song. It was like the slow ignition that lanuches rockets into space. And launched she was!
She became a top singer after that and proved that she was no one-song wonder, but people still couldn't believe that the "Omaha Zeeya" girl was her. The voice was so different in other songs. Anyway, both voices were loved by the people. In fact, her true voice had the X-factor which the crowd loved more. Although the quality to number ratio of her songs is quite low, some of her songs are so peppy you'd start dancing even if you're injured.
Who can forget the power of her voice in "Unna Petha Aatha" or the pep in "May Maadam". Although the latter had its fame for Reema Sen's dancing, Suchitra had her share as well. And "Dole Dole" (Telugu version) has been immortalised by Suchitra, with her voice like flowing wine. The seductiveness in the voice transported us to great heights, just like in her debut song "Uyirin Uyire".
And its not just for the songs is she famous. Her stint as Radio Mirchi's morning host is now history, and part of Tamil folklore (or maybe studentlore). Although she's now at Radio One doing the same job, sporadically though, she was so popular at Radio Mirchi that the Radio Station grew with her popularity. She was so well known as the "Radio Mirchi" Suchitra. Everything about Radio Mirchi was synonymous with her.
Listening to her voice on Radio, many times you'd think of kissing its bearer. Such a sexy voice it is, and it sure added a fresh mindset to everybody's morning. Whatever you guys may feel about her singing- her voice is husky, too crass, breaks off sometimes, whatever, she brings that X-factor to the song, which rarely does any other singer, especially a female singer.
Now there are many of you out there who believe she doesn't even have a sweet voice befitting a girl, and that she does sound more like a boy sometimes, but I believe she is one of the most versatile singers in the cine circuit as of now.
Her career was launched with the iconic voice of "the woman in the dream" in "Uyirin Uyire" from the trendsetting action movie Kaakha Kaakha, singing the unforgettable lines "Omaha Zeeya". The song was a dream song, and even now it is one of the things that comes to your mind when you think of the movie. During the days after the audio release, this song was the craze of Tamil Nadu. And everytime someone heard the opening lines "Omaha Zeeya" there was a roar of acknowledgement from the crowd. Her voice had this otherwordly charm that helped people transcend dimensions and forget reality, and enjoy the song. It was like the slow ignition that lanuches rockets into space. And launched she was!
She became a top singer after that and proved that she was no one-song wonder, but people still couldn't believe that the "Omaha Zeeya" girl was her. The voice was so different in other songs. Anyway, both voices were loved by the people. In fact, her true voice had the X-factor which the crowd loved more. Although the quality to number ratio of her songs is quite low, some of her songs are so peppy you'd start dancing even if you're injured.
Who can forget the power of her voice in "Unna Petha Aatha" or the pep in "May Maadam". Although the latter had its fame for Reema Sen's dancing, Suchitra had her share as well. And "Dole Dole" (Telugu version) has been immortalised by Suchitra, with her voice like flowing wine. The seductiveness in the voice transported us to great heights, just like in her debut song "Uyirin Uyire".
And its not just for the songs is she famous. Her stint as Radio Mirchi's morning host is now history, and part of Tamil folklore (or maybe studentlore). Although she's now at Radio One doing the same job, sporadically though, she was so popular at Radio Mirchi that the Radio Station grew with her popularity. She was so well known as the "Radio Mirchi" Suchitra. Everything about Radio Mirchi was synonymous with her.
Listening to her voice on Radio, many times you'd think of kissing its bearer. Such a sexy voice it is, and it sure added a fresh mindset to everybody's morning. Whatever you guys may feel about her singing- her voice is husky, too crass, breaks off sometimes, whatever, she brings that X-factor to the song, which rarely does any other singer, especially a female singer.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Jodhaa Akbar: An Emperor learns to love, and then to rule!
The movie goes at quite a nice pace in the first half. I found myself waiting for what is gonna happen next scene. Each and every character adds color to the film, which already quite colorful, considering the fact that it is the splendor of the Mughal and Rajput Empire being protrayed. Each and every scene is so natural that you would believe you were actually in those times. The shades are not too gawdy, nor too simple. They're just perfect. For sheer eye candy, I wouldn't go far than this movie. Hrithick and Aishwarya as King and Queen of Hindustan is a sight to behold.
I coudln't single out any character as having a special role, apart from the lead pair themselves, who are two pillars of strength, and stamp their dominance on the movie like the Twin Towers do to the Kuala Lampur landscape. Hrithick Roshan as Emperor Akbar the Great is astounding that you start believing that even the real Akbar would have approved from the heavens. He is near perfect sounding like a King whenever he has to (that's something new I've seen in him- his commanding voice is an asset), looks, walks and loves like one. Aishwarya Rai as Jodha is very good, but once or twice, she is too artificial. Otherwise she is perfect as well.
And since when is Hindi cinema gonna learn the art of subtlety? Why is it that for every song sequence someone has to be portrayed as singing the lines? Why cant the lines ever reverbrate in the air for once? I had loved listening to the Azeem O Shan Shahenshah, and was eager to see how it had been picturised, and the first sight that greeted me turned me off.I had expected the song to be singing in the background while Akbar rode majestically on his horse flanked by his army.
Sadly, I had forgotten this was Bollywood.
After all how good is a bollywood film if it didn't have some people singing sentimentally of the hero as their saviour et al. This is exactly what that differentiates a Hollywood movie from Bollywood (Kollywood is an entirely different issue- it is a class in itself, and lets refrain from talking about it here). It is very well understood that the reforms brought about by Akbar are well received by the people. There was no need for a group of people singing in praise of him- in the most sentimental manner (typical of Bollywood), with a beaming Hrithick Roshan sitting in the centre of a dias. For once such a scene could be warranted here, but after having seen countless such sequences in other Bollywood films in the most irrelevant of times, this one is also taken in the same vein.
The story is thin- after all, there's little evidence of an epic love story betwixt Akbar and Jodha (yet they justify the movie by saying history forgot their love, and that they created history in silence. Somehow, you are bound to believe it, after the way Akbar was shown in Mughal-e-Azam as a King who pays more importance to royal matters, than matters of love. Of course- why should the Emperor leave traces about his private affairs?), so the writers had to concoct a lot of scenes to make it screen-worthy. However, they are going far when they seem to say that Jodha was the reason Akbar began to show more concern towards his subjects, something like a fatherly concern than a King's. Ridiculous!
While the idea looks fine for a fictional movie, it is an insult to Akbar's greatness by saying Jodha was the prime reason behind it. Although it is true that Akbar was the first King to rule by love, and not by force- like his illustrious grandfather Babar (Humayun was always too ill to actually rule), it is blasphemous to say that Jodha changed his mindset. Why the movie makers could as well as have said "You people can start calling Jodhabai as Jodha the great and start idolising her instead of Akbar". I know writers have some liberty, but this is pushing it.
The fact that she was one of Akbar's chief queens, and that Akbar's heir Jehangir (The Salim of the Salim-Anarkali romance) was her progeny shows that he loved her deeply, or had utmost respect for Rajputs, and their power, and hence wanted to appease them at all costs. But that is no reason to say that Akbar would listen to every whim and fancy of hers, or that she was the mastermind behind Akbar. Akbar was surrounded by great contemporaries- the likes of Birbal, Man Singh, Todar Mal, Tansen etc. and from constant association with such intelligentsia Akbar became cognisant with the intricacies of ruling a land as diverse as the mighty India. He himself thought of such great ideas like a unified religion Din-e-lahi which was far ahead of its time.
Also, the movie seems to say that Akbar's most important contribution was to remove the tax levied to Hindus as virtue of their religion, and that he was called Akbar the Great after that. Such indifference to matters of history do not go unnoticed, and it's a heinous lie if the producers ever mention that a lot of research had gone into the making. Bah Humbug!The movie is cluttered with so many research flaws. I've never heard of a woman of royal lineage making a public appearence anywhere, let alone in a battlefield. And of course, even if they did ever come to public meetings they always had to wear the purdah to cover their face.
The climactic duel between Akbar and Shareefuddin is so cinematic that children who watch the movie would think Akbar was another fairy tale character like Krish. Its so quintessentially bollywood- with Jodha and Banu (Akbar's sister and Shareefuddin's wife) watching their husbands joust, that it stinks of unrealism (royal women in the battlefield??). Oh for crying out loud! The whole second half rings out loud in the ears with such serious flaws. I've never heard of an assassination attempt at Akbar's life. But I may not know (being an avid reader of history), and the producers may know better :)
The songs bear the mark of a master artist- AR Rahman. Each one is worth a separate post. Azeem O Shan is the inspiring kind of number with powerful drum beats that are part of the welcome party for kings. Its quite versatile too, and never sags. It takes my No.1 slot because its been quite some time since such a power ballad came to the Hindi film industry that has been strewn with love songs. Khwaja is an exotic number, a typical ghazal rendition by AR Rahman himself. The rest of the songs are good as well, and all are melodies.
Verdict: Should be watched once, could be watched more if you like flicks on royal matters, maybe watched many times if you like Hrithick or Aishwarya.
I coudln't single out any character as having a special role, apart from the lead pair themselves, who are two pillars of strength, and stamp their dominance on the movie like the Twin Towers do to the Kuala Lampur landscape. Hrithick Roshan as Emperor Akbar the Great is astounding that you start believing that even the real Akbar would have approved from the heavens. He is near perfect sounding like a King whenever he has to (that's something new I've seen in him- his commanding voice is an asset), looks, walks and loves like one. Aishwarya Rai as Jodha is very good, but once or twice, she is too artificial. Otherwise she is perfect as well.
And since when is Hindi cinema gonna learn the art of subtlety? Why is it that for every song sequence someone has to be portrayed as singing the lines? Why cant the lines ever reverbrate in the air for once? I had loved listening to the Azeem O Shan Shahenshah, and was eager to see how it had been picturised, and the first sight that greeted me turned me off.I had expected the song to be singing in the background while Akbar rode majestically on his horse flanked by his army.
Sadly, I had forgotten this was Bollywood.
After all how good is a bollywood film if it didn't have some people singing sentimentally of the hero as their saviour et al. This is exactly what that differentiates a Hollywood movie from Bollywood (Kollywood is an entirely different issue- it is a class in itself, and lets refrain from talking about it here). It is very well understood that the reforms brought about by Akbar are well received by the people. There was no need for a group of people singing in praise of him- in the most sentimental manner (typical of Bollywood), with a beaming Hrithick Roshan sitting in the centre of a dias. For once such a scene could be warranted here, but after having seen countless such sequences in other Bollywood films in the most irrelevant of times, this one is also taken in the same vein.
The story is thin- after all, there's little evidence of an epic love story betwixt Akbar and Jodha (yet they justify the movie by saying history forgot their love, and that they created history in silence. Somehow, you are bound to believe it, after the way Akbar was shown in Mughal-e-Azam as a King who pays more importance to royal matters, than matters of love. Of course- why should the Emperor leave traces about his private affairs?), so the writers had to concoct a lot of scenes to make it screen-worthy. However, they are going far when they seem to say that Jodha was the reason Akbar began to show more concern towards his subjects, something like a fatherly concern than a King's. Ridiculous!
While the idea looks fine for a fictional movie, it is an insult to Akbar's greatness by saying Jodha was the prime reason behind it. Although it is true that Akbar was the first King to rule by love, and not by force- like his illustrious grandfather Babar (Humayun was always too ill to actually rule), it is blasphemous to say that Jodha changed his mindset. Why the movie makers could as well as have said "You people can start calling Jodhabai as Jodha the great and start idolising her instead of Akbar". I know writers have some liberty, but this is pushing it.
The fact that she was one of Akbar's chief queens, and that Akbar's heir Jehangir (The Salim of the Salim-Anarkali romance) was her progeny shows that he loved her deeply, or had utmost respect for Rajputs, and their power, and hence wanted to appease them at all costs. But that is no reason to say that Akbar would listen to every whim and fancy of hers, or that she was the mastermind behind Akbar. Akbar was surrounded by great contemporaries- the likes of Birbal, Man Singh, Todar Mal, Tansen etc. and from constant association with such intelligentsia Akbar became cognisant with the intricacies of ruling a land as diverse as the mighty India. He himself thought of such great ideas like a unified religion Din-e-lahi which was far ahead of its time.
Also, the movie seems to say that Akbar's most important contribution was to remove the tax levied to Hindus as virtue of their religion, and that he was called Akbar the Great after that. Such indifference to matters of history do not go unnoticed, and it's a heinous lie if the producers ever mention that a lot of research had gone into the making. Bah Humbug!The movie is cluttered with so many research flaws. I've never heard of a woman of royal lineage making a public appearence anywhere, let alone in a battlefield. And of course, even if they did ever come to public meetings they always had to wear the purdah to cover their face.
The climactic duel between Akbar and Shareefuddin is so cinematic that children who watch the movie would think Akbar was another fairy tale character like Krish. Its so quintessentially bollywood- with Jodha and Banu (Akbar's sister and Shareefuddin's wife) watching their husbands joust, that it stinks of unrealism (royal women in the battlefield??). Oh for crying out loud! The whole second half rings out loud in the ears with such serious flaws. I've never heard of an assassination attempt at Akbar's life. But I may not know (being an avid reader of history), and the producers may know better :)
The songs bear the mark of a master artist- AR Rahman. Each one is worth a separate post. Azeem O Shan is the inspiring kind of number with powerful drum beats that are part of the welcome party for kings. Its quite versatile too, and never sags. It takes my No.1 slot because its been quite some time since such a power ballad came to the Hindi film industry that has been strewn with love songs. Khwaja is an exotic number, a typical ghazal rendition by AR Rahman himself. The rest of the songs are good as well, and all are melodies.
Verdict: Should be watched once, could be watched more if you like flicks on royal matters, maybe watched many times if you like Hrithick or Aishwarya.
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