Love and politics in a Rs 75 crore spectacle

TAJ MAHAL

Director: Akbar Khan Cast: Zulfikar Syed, Sonya Jehan, Kabir Bedi, Manisha Koirala, Pooja Batra, Arbaaz Khan, Kim Sharma

7/10

When you hear the title, Taj Mahal, you either think of past glory--grandeur revisited or cliched cultural stereotype reinforced. Akbar Khan’s mega-saga of regal Mughals caters to both notions equally with pomp and aplomb. And justifies its price tag as “most expensive Hindi movie ever” (at Rs 75 crore) with unabashed opulence and extravagance in constructing a film of huge scale and production value. Expansive locations, grand sets, luxurious decor, dazzling costumes and period jewellery ? thanks partly to current trend of retro-fashion in Bollywood. And hordes of junior artistes ? people, elephants, horses. Though sometimes the excess appears gaudily cosmetic. Like stylistic kitsch Jatra (folk theatre) or Amar Chitrakatha (vernacular comic book).

There’s exciting fusion of medieval history, ancient mythology (deer-hunter prince catches gazelle-like maiden a la Shakuntala) and modern technology (extensive blue-screen superimposition). With fantasy, fact and fiction clearly blurring and taking dynastic epic to realm of Arabian Nights (harem sequences), Ben-Hur (battle scenes) and Romeo and Juliet (Mumtaz’s death). Indian Mughal-e-Azam goes Hollywood period-spectacle! And this Hollywoodisation ironically makes one’s own cultural milieu seem exotic ? from some faraway land. Where romance set against turbulent times heightens danger passion and drama. Love and politics. And politics of love caught in power intrigue and vested-interest machination.

The film shows old Shah Jehan (Kabir Bedi) being overthrown by son Aurangzeb (Arbaaz Khan) and kept prisoner at Agra Fort. From here, across dark waters of river Yamuna, ex-emperor gazes at Taj Mahal gleaming in moonlit night. And he relates to co-captive daughter Jehan Ara (Manisha Koirala), his youth as crown prince Khurram (Zulfikar Syed) and courtship with beloved Mumtaz (Sonya Jehan), amid vehement opposition from stepmother empress Noor Jehan (Pooja Batra) who wants daughter Laadli Begum (Kim Sharma) to be queen. Taj Mahal borrows generously from Mughal-e-Azam (father-son confrontation/romantic moments). But unlike K. Asif’s lyrical magnum opus, this is cinematically speaking no poetry in motion picture. But it does create old-world charm through filmcraft of veteran masters. Not contemporary slick, but traditional classical. Like ace cinematographer R.M.Rao’s spectacular visuals or Naushad’s melodious raga-based music ? especially the haunting theme song, Mumtaz tujhe dekha,/Jab Taj Mahal dekha. And it’s a feat achieved by the director. At a time of excess of thematic and technological access in filmmaking, he takes an archaic monumental edifice symbolising both eternal love and formidable cultural legacy. And rebuilds around it an all-too-familiar tale with refreshing passion, and makes it work ? convincingly.

Anyone who loves history, legends and legendary love or a feeling of being transported to another time would love Taj Mahal. And that’s most people!

Mandira Mitra

Royal fraud job

ek khiladi ek haseena

Director: Suparn Verma Cast: Fardeen Khan, Koena Mitra, Feroz Khan, Gulshan Grover, Kay Kay Menon, Rohit Roy

4.5/10

So, who’s conning whom? Fardeen cheats mobster Feroz, Koena swindles Gulshan and, above all, director Suparn Verma does the royal fraud job on the audience ? holding back all the missing clues till almost the final jumpcut.

But, then, the downside is that the plot is too smart for its own good, with too many loose ends. But by then the audience is too high on the slick editing and fluid item numbers to really bother. There is a revenge theme. Fardeen’s world of smalltime conjobs is ripped apart when his best friend Rohit (in a short and sweet cameo) is killed after the two of them dupe the wrong guys ? the dreaded Gulshan’s men, actually. Our hero puts his gang together to get his revenge ? and to make a fast buck, if possible.

Fardeen fits the role of suave scamster (almost in the Danny Ocean mould from Ocean’s Eleven) tailormade to fit his innocent ladykiller good looks Feroz Khan ? with kohl-lined eyes and unlit cheroot ? is a riot. Obviously, Koena is there for the oomph. Kay Kay as the cool supari killer is expectedly the pick of the lot.

Satadru Ojha