By Rediff, February 14, 2007 - 09:33 IST
9 of 16 people found this review helpful The film starts with Bachchan sonorously recalling the story of Eklavya, from the Mahabharata. Throughout the film, the legend is invoked obliquely as well as directly by the characters reeling off Sanskrit sayings on what is dharma.
By Indicine, February 16, 2007 - 07:13 IST
7 of 10 people found this review helpful The first half is brilliant while the second half is good. The climax should have been better. At the box office, the movie will have a great first weekend. With good word of mouth, the movie could gross about 45 crores easily.
By Allbollywood, February 17, 2007 - 06:40 IST
2 of 5 people found this review helpful The movie revolves around a jealous and ungrateful ruler Rana Jayawardhan (Boman Irani) who strangles his dying wife Rani Suhasinidevi (Sharmila Tagore) to death as she is uttering the name of Eklavya-the royal guard (Amitabh Bachchan) in her dying moments. Eklavya is a man who lives in a timewarp, and though times have moved on Eklavya lives only to protect the kingdom, the dynasty and above all the King...
By MTV India, February 17, 2007 - 06:43 IST
1 of 3 people found this review helpful EKLAVYA's canvas is much wider than Vinod Chopra's previous films.
Not (just) in terms of the locations, sets and locales, but more in terms of philosophy and depth of the characters. The movie works on a very abstract plane, and you will enjoy it if you can connect to that plane...
By Now Running, February 17, 2007 - 06:45 IST
3 of 5 people found this review helpful There is a bit of everything in the movie and its best said as you get to watch it all in less than 2 hours. Yes you read it right; this is one of the very few movies from Bollywood with a runtime of less than 2 hours. The movie is well worth a watch just for Amitabh Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan.
By Businessofcinema, February 17, 2007 - 06:46 IST
3 of 4 people found this review helpful The movie, in the second half, unfolds with the assassination of the king followed by the murder of his brother (Jackie Shroff) and son (Jimmy Shergil). The story progresses with startling revelations that reasons out the intention behind the murders.
By Indya, February 17, 2007 - 06:47 IST
1 of 3 people found this review helpful Boman is a bit theatrical but good. Jackie has always got the best roles in all Chopra made movies and yet again he is splendid as the vicious brother. Jimmy pleasantly surprises in a negative role. Vidya Balan is nice in a comparatively smaller role. Raima is sweet. The real scene stealer is Sanju baba who entertains playing the irreverent low caste police officer. His dialogues are bound to get ceetees by masses.
By Express India, February 17, 2007 - 06:48 IST
1 of 3 people found this review helpful The 1.5-hour long film has enough twists and turns to keep you tied to your seat. The performances are all worth mentioning.
Amitabh Bachchan, who has brilliantly essayed the role of Eklavya, is outstanding...
By Filmfare / Times of India / Indiatimes, February 17, 2007 - 06:49 IST
1 of 3 people found this review helpful Eklavya too is a throwback on renaissance art in terms of its canvas which has been carefully filled in with the dark colours of a dark world that lies hidden in a time warp.
By Apunkachoice, February 17, 2007 - 06:51 IST
1 of 3 people found this review helpful In 1 hour-50 minutes of the movie’s running time, Vidhu Vinod Chopra tells a complex tale. And he does it with a sense of gravity and urgency. There is a grave and sombre mood throughout the film. To balance it, Chopra makes his movie cinematographically opulent.
By Hindustan Times, February 17, 2007 - 06:52 IST
3 of 4 people found this review helpful Jackie Shroff as the Chaalak Chacha is okay. Parikshat Sahni is unusually restrained. Not surprisingly, it falls upon Bachchan to rescue the proceedings. Amazingly accurate in gliding into the skin of a man for whom honour means more than life, he belts out a performance that is fresh and flawless..you can see that as an actor he could light a fire underwater.
By Ibnlive, February 17, 2007 - 06:54 IST
4 of 5 people found this review helpful Problem is, the screenplay fails miserably in building up this conflict. In fact, the screenplay plods along lazily and wastes too much time on Saif and Vidya Balan's romance.
By Rediff, February 19, 2007 - 11:43 IST
It is a grudge he seems to hold against his son, Harshvardhan (Saif Ali Khan). The princeling arrives by helicopter, embraces old-guard Eklavya, who stands loyally beside him as he faces his father. 'She took your name,' complains the King bitterly, 'only your name.' The son stands in silence, faultlessly reprimanded minutes before his mother's funeral. In those crucial minutes, however, he meets adoring sister Nandini and childhood sweetheart Rajjo (Vidya Balan), and reads a letter from his mother. You know, the kind of letter that changes his life.
By Bollyspice, May 9, 2007 - 10:24 IST
2 of 2 people found this review helpful Sanjay Dutt is given a brief role, but he excels yet again. The role is typical Baba and you can’t see anyone else portray this role. His role will cater to all types of audiences. You would hope to see more of Sanju in the film, as he totally steals the show whenever he is on the screen...
By Bollyspice, May 9, 2007 - 10:25 IST
Sanjay Dutt is given a brief role, but he excels yet again. The role is typical Baba and you can't see anyone else portray this role. His role will cater to all types of audiences. You would hope to see more of Sanju in the film, as he totally steals the show whenever he is on the screen...
