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By Faridoon Shahryar, August 22, 2008 - 15:29 IST
"Apni nazar apne shikaar par rakhiye," says Jodhaa. "Wahin toh hai," winks Akbar longingly gazing at his mesmerizingly beautiful wife. This engaging sequence is part of a deleted scene from Jodhaa Akbar that you get to see in the DVD of the film released by UTV Home Entertainment. The nine deleted scenes are the highlight of the royally packaged DVD of one of the modern day classics of Indian cinema. Another big highlight is the presence of subtitles in Arabic (apart from English by Nasreen Munni Kabeer) which will introduce the film in the Arab world as well.
Packaging
Smartly packed in a hard cover where Hrithik-Aishwarya's sword-sharp love-image stares in your eyes. Two DVDs carry the first and second halves of the film while the third one is loaded with several interesting bonus features. A surprise favourite is a demurely enclosed set of 12 postcards with plush quality images chronicling notable scenes.
What's so special
- Deleted Scenes: As mentioned earlier, the deleted scenes are a major attraction. At least a few of them are powerful enough to inject goose-pimples. For example in 'Death of Maham Anga', Ila Arun's frail voice reeks of powerful honesty. Her cinematic death is so realistic that it leaves you open mouthed, wondering why this giant of an actress isn't seen on celluloid often.
Another notable deleted scene is 'Mahesh Das is also known as…?' This introduces you to the supremely clever Birbal. In fact you don't get to see his famous wit in the film at all. The conscientious commoner makes Akbar aware about the practice of bribery prevalent in the kingdom. But the clownish minister in the 'durbar' could have been done away with, as it merely adds to the stereotype.
- Ashutosh Gowariker's Interview: Jodhaa Akbar director is grilled by a noted journalist who's known for his bang-on rapid-fire-reviews on a prominent news channel. Gowariker answers questions on how he got the backing for a big budget extravaganza like Jodhaa Akbar in spite of the commercial failure of Swades, were there pressures because of the long time that the period drama took in making, the alleged historical inaccuracies in the film and why he makes long films. It's good to see all the tough questions being answered sportingly by a director who likes to take huge risks and comes out a winner most of the time.
- The Cast and Crew speak on Jodhaa Akbar: Thoughts, ideas and experiences of Hrithik, Aishwarya, Ashutosh Gowariker, Ronnie Screwvala, writer Hyder Ali and Javed Akhtar are interwoven as if a stream of subconscious detailing the process of filmmaking. But the most attention-grabbing aspects are disclosed by Sunita Gowariker, the Executive Producer of the film. She strived at ensuring that the project remained economically viable and narrated interesting anecdotes of how Aishwarya was happy in a remote Rajasthan hotel as long as there was a geyser in her room. Also, there was a unanimous conclusion that Jodhaa Akbar is more about the Romance between two royals rather than being a pitchfork battlefield of politics.
Other Special Features
1) Historical References: Various books are cited for establishing the authenticity of the love affair between Akbar and a Rajput princess who many referred to as Jodhaa.
2) Cast & Crew
3) Sing along with the lyrics
4) Theatrical Trailer
5) Television Promos
What's missing?
- Battle Lines Drawn: The battlefield sequences in Jodhaa Akbar are some of the finest choreographed shots in the world of cinema. The DVD of the film was a perfect opportunity to detail the troubles taken in canning the shots. How the massive canvass was created and what troubles were taken by cinematographer Kiran Deohans in getting a deluge of soldiers in the frame at the same time would have been very interesting stuff for the viewers. By not showcasing behind the scenes of the battle war cry, the makers have lost out on a glorious opportunity. Maybe the future edition of the DVD shall have some more dope on the same.
- On The 'Sets': Rarely in the history of Indian or maybe world cinema have such monumental sets been created for a film. The process of making Akbar's palace at ND Studios by Nitin Desai and what kind of detailing went into making all the sets in general would have been an extremely engaging visual document which is missing. It would have added a huge value to this DVD if certain behind the scenes of the architectural genius were incorporated.
Technical Details
- 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen format
- Running time: 209 minutes
- Dolby Digital 5.1
Why Jodhaa Akbar is a landmark film?
There may be endless debates about the historical inaccuracies in Jodhaa Akbar and yes at a certain level the story is incredulously simplistic but one shouldn't overlook the genuine attempt at harmonizing the various cultures in the unique context of India. In today's times when there's a widespread distrust amongst communities, the message of love and togetherness that wafts out from this film is extremely important. Moreover, the precise care with which each frame has been painted (especially the buildup and culmination of the romance between Hrithik and Aishwarya) displays heightened aesthetic sensibilities that ought to be lauded.
Final Verdict
Jodhaa Akbar DVD is a chance for you to bring historical grandeur to the comfort of your living room. Let the magic begin...
  
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