My Review of Jodha Akbar!

Albeit the historical inaccuracies in this motion picture, the film is multifaceted gem nevertheless.

Do not go to the movie expecting to learn about Mughal history as the love story of the princess of Amber and the great Mughal emperor Jalal ud Din Akbar is one that is missing from the annals of recorded history. Nevertheless, one is given clues about the historically accurate story of the Rajput princess that was married off to the powerful mughal but rose to the ranks of the Malika-e-Aaliyah also known as Maharani Jodha Bai, the paternal grandmother of Shah Jahan.

The cinematography is visually stunning, the costumes for the most part historically accurate as known to us from Sixteenth Century Rajput paintings and the miniature painting treasures of AkbarNamah showing various scenes from his life. The attention to detail is meticulous and the set architecture of Amber Fort near Jaipur is also historically accurate depiction of Rajput palatial architecture with carved lotus columns and peacock arches.

One of the architectural inadequacies,I noticed was that they created architectural sets of Agra fort as built by Jahangir and Shah Jahan but Akbar actually lived in three cities during his reign that being Delhi, Fateh Pur Sikri and Lahore. The mahal occupied by Rani Jodha Bai in Fateh Pur Sikri is called Panch Mahal, and is architecturally quite distinct looking from the queen's quarters as reflected in the film. As it may be, the architecture of the Queen's bedchamber is historically accurate although the nearest example to that kind of intricate decoration and colors is seen in Lahore's Wazir Khan Masjid that was built by one of the governors of Lahore during Shah Jahan's reign.

Were the sets visually breathtaking?

Definitely.

Rani Jodha Bai's wardrobe is also historically accurate although there are no examples of jewelery like that for that period. I guess, it was created with this mistaken notion that bigger is better but, Rajputs and Mughals both were conoisseurs of refined taste in clothing as well as gemstones as evident by the royal jewelery collections at the Royal Albert in London and the Al-Sabah collection of Mughal Jewels.

The cinematography and the sets are the crowning glory of this film and yes, Hritik looks absolutely gorgeous. We know from portraits of Akbar that he wasnt so good looking and buff but hey, one does have to sell movie tickets.

Aishwariya Rai looks virginal, innocent yet determined and very regal. Her acting was superb for the most part except in the last half hour of the film where you go, WHY? OH WHY? did you have to ruin it now with all the dramtic arts, although the credit for the stupidity does go to the director.