Masand's Verdict: Jodhaa Akbar

LOVE ACTUALLY: A drama of epic proportions, Jodhaa Akbar is at its core an intimate love story.

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Keywords: Review, Aishwarya Rai

There is ample evidence of the fact that Gowariker once again assembles the perfect team to realise his vision. Kiran Deohans' cinematography is one of Jodhaa Akbar's key strengths, and nowhere is that more apparent than the battle scenes which Deohans' camera captures gloriously, making you feel like you're right out there where the action is.

His visual treatment for the film's songs is another masterstroke, in particular the eye-watering manner with which he films the Khwaja mere khwaja number, and also the lavish indulgence of the Azeem-o-shaan-shahenshah song.

Then there's Neeta Lulla's costumes and Nitin Desai's sets, both suitably ostentatious, but never once drawing attention away from the drama like they have previously in films like Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas. Of course, Jodhaa Akbar benefits enormously from AR Rahman's genius score, a collection of the finest, most haunting tunes you can remember recently, my favourites being the unforgettable Jashne Baharaa number and the one-of-a-kind Khwaja mere Khwaja track.

The soul of Jodhaa Akbar however, lies in the superlative acting. Supporting player Nikitin Dheer makes a lasting impression as Akbar's rebellious brother-in-law, but the film of course belongs to the two leads.

As Jodhaa, the sometimes-feisty-sometimes-graceful leading lady, Aishwarya Rai is wonderfully restrained and uses her eyes expertly to communicate so much, making this one of her finest outings on screen.

Hrithik Roshan, as Akbar, oozes confidence and delivers a career-best performance as the unflinching emperor. Not only does he transform physically to become the part, he gets under the emotional skin of the character and makes it his own. I cannot think of any other actor who could play this better.

Fact or fiction, Jodhaa Akbar is an engaging, involving movie-going experience, and puts Gowariker right up there on the very short list of India 's finest filmmakers. No prizes for guessing, I'm going with four out of five and two thumbs up for Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodhaa Akbar, it's a modern masterpiece that will be celebrated for years to come.

Rating: 4 / 5 (Very Good)