Jodhaa Akbar is based on a 16th century story between the Mughal emperor Akbar, played by Hrithik Roshan and Hindu princess Jodha Bai, played by Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai. The film has been directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and has musical score from A.R. Rahman.

Ashutosh Gowariker express his view on Jodhaa Akbar…

In Akbarnama, Abul Fazal doesn’t mention Jodhaa at all! But we all know that the harem existed, that Jehangir was born out of the alliance. Everything in history is open to interpretation. Some may not agree with the film, but I have tried to be as truthful as possible.

The inevitable comparison is with Mughal-E-Azam … I’m not worrying about this. I just want the audience to accept the film. It cannot be compared with Mughal-E-Azam ; that’s a classic I love, with incredible performances. My focus is different from Mughal-E-Azam , which was about Salim and Anarkali. Here, I have a young Akbar. Mine is a youthful romance, very different.

Hrithik was my first choice for Akbar… Hrithik has the desire to challenge himself. I think he’s a tremendous actor; even in his debut film he did the double role so well. His Rohit in Koi… Mil Gaya amazed me.

I needed a warrior-like actor who looked like he might have come from a Turkish background, with a naturally regal gait. What makes you think he doesn’t? Don’t be so sure!

Aishwarya was also a natural choice… She’s worked very well in different set-ups, from Chokher Bali to Shabd. She has the desire to attempt different roles. And for a film like this, you need a dedicated cast and crew. In this film, she has a great simplicity. We worked to get her look right — she was very pleased at how it turned out.

The film is not four hours long! That’s just a rumour. It’s much less — but it’s as long as the story requires. When you make an epic period drama, it can’t be told in two hours. And I believe duration isn’t as important as content — sometimes a two-hour film can seem four hours long!

Yes, historicals are difficult to attempt… We’ve tried to stick to the period details but the attitude is modern. We’ve stayed on track with the festivals they had then, the court presentation ceremonies. The melodies too have a feel of that era, yet they appeal even today. I just want my film to be liked, for the genre to be successful — only then will more historicals get made, more challenging scripts taken up. We can only do different cinema if everyone tries to be different.

Jodhaa Akbar as an Oscar possibility… Frankly, I don’t make films for festivals or awards — I make it for the audience. If you start looking at awards, they never get made. And if I send Jodhaa Akbar out as a festival entry, it will have to be at the length I make it.

Sources : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

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