Anyone seen the movie " Jodhaa Akbar" yet?

greerdd · Feb 22nd, 2008, 12:53

haven't seen it. sounds great

the opoponax · Feb 22nd, 2008, 13:11

Apparently the Jodhaa Bai in the film is a portrayal of Jehangir's mother, who is known to more serious history buffs as Mariam-uz-Zamani (whose birth name was probably Hira Kunwari).

The name Jodhaa is used because that's the name she's popularly known by in India today. It's kind of like the way that no American film about the John Smith and Pocahontas story (also mostly fiction, by the way!) is going to use any of Pocahontas' real names, such as Matoaka, Amonute, or Rebecca - American history remembers her as Pocahontas, and thus Pocahontas she will always remain.

Personally, I don't understand what the fuss is about in terms of historical accuracy. When has any big historical film ever matched up well with someone's doctoral thesis? Every big western costume drama I can think of is wildly inaccurate. If it were accurate, it would be boring and nobody would ever pay to see it.

I'm assuming the furor in Rajasthan is primarily over the film's portrayal of a Hindu woman's love for a Muslim man (and in the film, Jodhaa is very clearly shown as being the sexual/romantic initiator - she seduces him!), as well as its main subject matter, which is the conquer of Rajputana by the Mughals. It's this sort of thing that really whips conservative Indians into a frenzy, not "But it should really be called Mariam Jalal-ud-Din!"

Aishah · Feb 22nd, 2008, 17:24

bijapuri - I loved your description of your theatre experience.
Interesting post,the opoponax - I didn't know that about Pocahontas nor the names of Jodhaa. I think the ban is based on historical inaccuracy (which is ridiculous - what does it matter?)not so much the Hindu woman's love for a Muslim, as far as I can see by items on TV news channels. Then again, there may be this underlying thing.

crvlvr · Feb 22nd, 2008, 23:53

Agreed, some of us know that movies are movies. However, there is some responsibility of the filmaker to inform the public of that when dealing with historical subjects. If they chose to change "Mariam-uz-Zamani" why then use "Akbar" as is? Change that too, and there will not be any issues. Obviosuly, there is some benefit for using real historical characters as it peaks the public's interest.

You will not believe the number of people who watch movie like "Kamasutra" and think that's what Kamasutra it is really all about.

Indjun · Feb 23rd, 2008, 00:32

Do they bust into song and dance every 15 minutes?... cause if they do I'll go crazy.

It seems the only Indian movies I enjoy are the ones by Mira Nair or Deepa Mehta, no song and dance, just good story telling and direction.

amyl · Feb 23rd, 2008, 00:52

Am starting with it now. Online of course. I have become very stingy when it comes to Hindi movies. Cannot risk my money and time for a torturously bollywoodian movie.

The battle scenes in the trailer looked copied to me.

Anyways...let's how the Pizza and wine go with Jodha-Akbar.

3:30 hours seem too long a time for me to spend on a movie.

Cardamom · Feb 23rd, 2008, 10:00

Yay! I finally saw it. I have to say, chugging a pint of beer before the movie DID help

Overall, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I expected worse chemistry before Hritik and Aish, but it was alright. The sword fight scene was kinda

(insert giggles here).

Downside: waaay too long and I hated the dramatic music every time something dramatic was about to happen. I think you could make a drinking game out of it.

Anyone else think Sonu Sood looks like a young Amitabh Bachchan? Also, I think half of the cast Lagaan was in the movie!

Anyway, I recommend it for diehard Bollywod fans, but not for newcomers. Newcomers? I recommend Krrrish.

-C

amyl · Feb 23rd, 2008, 13:01

Okay....found one link that had 3 parts of it.

First part: I happened to charcoal one pizza in the oven. Wine kept us going.
Second Half: Left over pizza eaten up. Bottle emptied. Terrible scene with a movie we were actually dragging along.
Third Half: I went to bed during the first half of this part.

Now I feel glad to have not wasted any money and time going to the cinema hall for it.

Hritik does not suit in that role. He looks good in jeans and Ts. I have never liked Aish's acting. This movie did not change my opinion. Oh and that language ....ufff....we were making our own funny dialogs at some points when we understood nothing of whatever the Moguls were speaking. AND that typical music in the background.......hmmm

Aishah · Feb 23rd, 2008, 13:04

Indjun - thoroughly agree with you re the song and dance routines. This is what spoilt Lagaan for me - they might have got away with it if they had been strictly traditional song and dance appropriate for the period and less of it. I love the music btw - have a tape of it, but incorporated into the film made the film very boring after a while for me.

Sailaway · Mar 3rd, 2008, 19:20

Finally got to see it and liked it. I love Rajasthan and Sufis, so was happy to see the both. The story wasn't very engaging, but hey, where else can we see Hritik doing swerling dervish?

shashank.aggarwal · Mar 3rd, 2008, 23:09

I saw this in Goa and liked it, although I was not able to enjoy is completely, as I took a Britisher with me.

I met him in Goa itself, and this guy has come to India 5 times, and has gone no where else but Goa..has never seen an Indian movies, So i took him along, and all the time I was trying to think from his point of view and explain him what was happening. But yes, there were movements when I was completely lost in the movies, especially during the Sufi song, "Khwaja mere Khwaja"...

bijapuri · Mar 3rd, 2008, 23:24

hmmmm . . . IMHO I can't remember a worse AR Rahman score.

HinduHomie · Mar 4th, 2008, 03:02

Hello friends my first post her on IndiaMike

Hope not to offend anyone but this movie definately whitewashed Akbar's role in the crushing of Rajput/Hindu resistance to Mogul rule. I guess in the name of maintaining communal harmony such discrepancies are necessary.

NeeliAankhen · Mar 4th, 2008, 06:44

Here is a link to an interesting article from Tehelka.

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main38....8Betraying.asp

I haven't seen this yet. I'd kind of hoped to see it - or part of it - at the Raj Mandir in Jaipur as I was there when it was supposed to open. I'd figured on seeing about an hour of it, and then see it here in the US with subtitles, since my Hindi is much too primitive to let me really follow a movie.

crvlvr · Mar 4th, 2008, 06:49

so from rave initial reviews, it looks like the general opinion i going downhill. i might save my money and just wait for it to appear on DVD. Plus, that FF button can be a lifesaver..

Feb 22nd, 2008, 17:24	#33
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 4,959	bijapuri - I loved your description of your theatre experience. Interesting post,the opoponax - I didn't know that about Pocahontas nor the names of Jodhaa. I think the ban is based on historical inaccuracy (which is ridiculous - what does it matter?)not so much the Hindu woman's love for a Muslim, as far as I can see by items on TV news channels. Then again, there may be this underlying thing. __________________ "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

Feb 23rd, 2008, 00:52	#36
amyl 21st Century Freak Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Singapura.......in Babenhausen, DE for a while Posts: 1,850	Am starting with it now. Online of course. I have become very stingy when it comes to Hindi movies. Cannot risk my money and time for a torturously bollywoodian movie. The battle scenes in the trailer looked copied to me. Anyways...let's how the Pizza and wine go with Jodha-Akbar. 3:30 hours seem too long a time for me to spend on a movie. __________________ a'mar kono chinta nei

Mar 3rd, 2008, 23:09	#41
shashank.aggarwal Mr. Badboy :D Join Date: May 2007 Location: ~ Dilli ~ Posts: 5,494	I saw this in Goa and liked it, although I was not able to enjoy is completely, as I took a Britisher with me. I met him in Goa itself, and this guy has come to India 5 times, and has gone no where else but Goa..has never seen an Indian movies, So i took him along, and all the time I was trying to think from his point of view and explain him what was happening. But yes, there were movements when I was completely lost in the movies, especially during the Sufi song, "Khwaja mere Khwaja"... __________________ Travelogue - Around India Random Reviews

Mar 3rd, 2008, 23:24	#42
bijapuri laid traps for troubadours Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Priustan Posts: 2,598	hmmmm . . . IMHO I can't remember a worse AR Rahman score. __________________ Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. Barack Obama lookit me!!!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bijapuri/ Utube fuzzy logic: http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bijapuri&p =r

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Feb 22nd, 2008, 12:53	#31
greerdd Account Closed Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NY Posts: 25	haven't seen it. sounds great

Feb 22nd, 2008, 13:11	#32
the opoponax Maha Guru Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Brooklyn, via New Orleans Posts: 1,054	Apparently the Jodhaa Bai in the film is a portrayal of Jehangir's mother, who is known to more serious history buffs as Mariam-uz-Zamani (whose birth name was probably Hira Kunwari). The name Jodhaa is used because that's the name she's popularly known by in India today. It's kind of like the way that no American film about the John Smith and Pocahontas story (also mostly fiction, by the way!) is going to use any of Pocahontas' real names, such as Matoaka, Amonute, or Rebecca - American history remembers her as Pocahontas, and thus Pocahontas she will always remain. Personally, I don't understand what the fuss is about in terms of historical accuracy. When has any big historical film ever matched up well with someone's doctoral thesis? Every big western costume drama I can think of is wildly inaccurate. If it were accurate, it would be boring and nobody would ever pay to see it. I'm assuming the furor in Rajasthan is primarily over the film's portrayal of a Hindu woman's love for a Muslim man (and in the film, Jodhaa is very clearly shown as being the sexual/romantic initiator - she seduces him!), as well as its main subject matter, which is the conquer of Rajputana by the Mughals. It's this sort of thing that really whips conservative Indians into a frenzy, not "But it should really be called Mariam Jalal-ud-Din!"

Feb 22nd, 2008, 23:53	#34
crvlvr Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hollywood Posts: 4,474	Agreed, some of us know that movies are movies. However, there is some responsibility of the filmaker to inform the public of that when dealing with historical subjects. If they chose to change "Mariam-uz-Zamani" why then use "Akbar" as is? Change that too, and there will not be any issues. Obviosuly, there is some benefit for using real historical characters as it peaks the public's interest. You will not believe the number of people who watch movie like "Kamasutra" and think that's what Kamasutra it is really all about.

Feb 23rd, 2008, 00:32	#35
Indjun Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Miami-Bangalore Posts: 73	Do they bust into song and dance every 15 minutes?... cause if they do I'll go crazy. It seems the only Indian movies I enjoy are the ones by Mira Nair or Deepa Mehta, no song and dance, just good story telling and direction.

Feb 23rd, 2008, 10:00	#37
Cardamom Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: New York, NY Posts: 215	Yay! I finally saw it. I have to say, chugging a pint of beer before the movie DID help Overall, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I expected worse chemistry before Hritik and Aish, but it was alright. The sword fight scene was kinda (insert giggles here). Downside: waaay too long and I hated the dramatic music every time something dramatic was about to happen. I think you could make a drinking game out of it. Anyone else think Sonu Sood looks like a young Amitabh Bachchan? Also, I think half of the cast Lagaan was in the movie! Anyway, I recommend it for diehard Bollywod fans, but not for newcomers. Newcomers? I recommend Krrrish. -C

Feb 23rd, 2008, 13:01	#38
amyl 21st Century Freak Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Singapura.......in Babenhausen, DE for a while Posts: 1,850	Okay....found one link that had 3 parts of it. First part: I happened to charcoal one pizza in the oven. Wine kept us going. Second Half: Left over pizza eaten up. Bottle emptied. Terrible scene with a movie we were actually dragging along. Third Half: I went to bed during the first half of this part. Now I feel glad to have not wasted any money and time going to the cinema hall for it. Hritik does not suit in that role. He looks good in jeans and Ts. I have never liked Aish's acting. This movie did not change my opinion. Oh and that language ....ufff....we were making our own funny dialogs at some points when we understood nothing of whatever the Moguls were speaking. AND that typical music in the background.......hmmm

Feb 23rd, 2008, 13:04	#39
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 4,959	Indjun - thoroughly agree with you re the song and dance routines. This is what spoilt Lagaan for me - they might have got away with it if they had been strictly traditional song and dance appropriate for the period and less of it. I love the music btw - have a tape of it, but incorporated into the film made the film very boring after a while for me.

Mar 3rd, 2008, 19:20	#40
Sailaway Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Connecticut, USA Posts: 78	Finally got to see it and liked it. I love Rajasthan and Sufis, so was happy to see the both. The story wasn't very engaging, but hey, where else can we see Hritik doing swerling dervish?

Mar 4th, 2008, 03:02	#43
HinduHomie Account Closed Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Amrika! Posts: 16	Hello friends my first post her on IndiaMike Hope not to offend anyone but this movie definately whitewashed Akbar's role in the crushing of Rajput/Hindu resistance to Mogul rule. I guess in the name of maintaining communal harmony such discrepancies are necessary.

Mar 4th, 2008, 06:44	#44
NeeliAankhen Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New York, NY USA Posts: 268	Here is a link to an interesting article from Tehelka. http://www.tehelka.com/story_main38....8Betraying.asp I haven't seen this yet. I'd kind of hoped to see it - or part of it - at the Raj Mandir in Jaipur as I was there when it was supposed to open. I'd figured on seeing about an hour of it, and then see it here in the US with subtitles, since my Hindi is much too primitive to let me really follow a movie.

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Mar 4th, 2008, 06:49	#45
crvlvr Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hollywood Posts: 4,474	so from rave initial reviews, it looks like the general opinion i going downhill. i might save my money and just wait for it to appear on DVD. Plus, that FF button can be a lifesaver..