Qalandar
I promise somewhat irregular posts on (in no particular order) Indian politics, cinema, and anything else that catches my fancy... Why "Qalandar"? So-called "liminal" religious traditions are a particular interest of mine, and "qalandar" is the sort of untranslatable, ambiguous, yet enormously evocative word that for me touches upon and articulates the experience of the sub-continent's "little" traditions in a particularly memorable way...not to mention the fact that in popular lingo the word has more than a merely religious/spiritual connotation, and can mean a bunch of other things, including a smart alec, wannabe, what-have-you...
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NyKavi - you are right that producers most of the times compensates for the underperformance of big movies ... more ...
Ach, why doesnt some sane site calculate profit for movies as being = [Worldwide Nett + Profit from other sources(egDVD+music+satellite) ...
Kites with 3I like fig should easily be in profit zone(with 55% and 65% distribution shares)dont know what reservations you ...
Nykavi,
Completely agree with you on this.
"Wrt MFH, the issue should not be whether he wrongly depicted idols. Its rather ...
Yeah Dear MANOJ,I am TECHNOHOLIC PERSON. In other words,I can say that -" MY NAME IS ALI AND I AM ...
Som 27 July 2009
08:36:13 pm
So you finally got to see Jodha Akbar!
An extremely well written piece here.
I liked the film quite a bit.Gowarikar could have done a lot better in terms of the narrative, intertwining the love story with the political turmoil of that period somehow came as morbid,too simplistic,too clichéd.And the sub plots did not help the narrative either.Characterization was another thing which could have been worked on.As you have rightly pointed out some of the characters were hardly well sketched, they seemed to have indifferently put together.Moreover I was terribly disappointed with the final one-on-one combat,it was just way too bland to even expect from Gowarikar.
What Gowarikar did pull off was the love story between Akbar and Jodha. Much credit should also go to both lead actors for bringing certain level of conviction to their characters. The film would have been better off had Gowarikar just made it as a simple love story.
However the highlight of the film to me was the Khwaja Mere Khwaja moment. I had written a small post on this gem from Rahman.
Qalandar 27 July 2009
08:57:51 pm
Thanks som, much appreciated.
From the shoutbox:
TheSkeptic: Q, many thanks for the review. Your take on the film was highly anticipated in many quarters, more than the film itself in some cases, and, sure enough, you deliver the goods with one of your most exhaustive pieces ever. I don’t think there is anything left to be said about the film after this. While I agree with almost everything that you say, your evaluation of Hrithik’s performance seems a tad over-effusive. Dilip Kumar as Salim was not playing a commanding warrior-king, but a relatively sheltered romantic, in line with the artistic conception of that film and character. Despite this, his deep eyes, effortless fluency of language and secure thespian-gravitas eclipse Hrithik’s model-strut. There simply is no comparison. This would be the case even if Hrithik had not not botched up his expressions in a few shots, as he in fact does. Some of his thundering orations and declamations feel fairly affected, while I can watch Dilip’s speeches know that I am in the hands of a master.
TheSkeptic: While I consider his effort to be a great leap forward from Krrish or KMG, he cannot be compared to Dilip Kumar, leave alone placed ahead.
TheSkeptic: Also, I fullly agree with your nuanced appraisal of Aishwarya’s performance – directorial strictures and all. One thing that evidently did not exasperate you as much as it did me was the deployment of that venerable plot-device: delayed-consummation. Is there any cinematic juice left in it still? Clearly, the answer is yes for all those sections of the audience that made the film a success, but it rendered a large portion of the film into a dead-zone for me. Since their eventual ecstatic union is a foregone conclusion, the sheer amount of time being spent on it – when this is the first “historical’ film in decades, and your expectations are primed for some, er, actual history – is dramatically inert.
ACHILLES 27 July 2009
09:47:31 pm
A comprehensive review – understands the ambition of the makers, rates it for what it is … and also laments about what could have been.
Bravo!
julie 27 July 2009
11:35:59 pm
A very well written piece indeed. I am really pleased that you liked this one Q (the technical flaws notwithstanding). I have watched the film on a few occassions on DVD recently, but the audio visual treat that Jodhaa Akbar is, is best captivated on the big screens.
rks 27 July 2009
11:47:21 pm
Members’ Views
Som 27 July 2009
11:54:32 pm
Philip Lutgendorf’s take on Jodha Akbar
neelu 27 July 2009
11:58:27 pm
Who is this guy? I she like some Roger Ebert or Gene Siskel type?
Som 28 July 2009
12:03:14 am
This the same guy whose review of Om Shanti Om was appreciated by you. We both had a discussion on SB. Don’t you remember? He is known to be a connoisseur of Bollywood films.
neelu 28 July 2009
12:05:09 am
But who is he? I can appreciate any review that matches my taste, but what is his credibility in the eyes of the general public – other than that sometimes his taste matches mine?
Som 28 July 2009
12:11:10 am
General Public hardly reads reviews or follows the likes of Rangan or Rosenbaum or Kael unlike some of us here do.I posted the link as I thought It was a nice comprehensive piece on Jodha Akbar.Whether we agree or disagree on his views is a different thing altogether.
neelu 28 July 2009
12:12:24 am
Are you saying he is like a Rangan or Rosenbaum or Kael?
rks 28 July 2009
12:12:48 am
Lagtaa hai JA ke gadde murde phir se nikalenge
Gorilla 28 July 2009
12:15:22 am
Good review Q.
Waiting to read your review of other oldies.
Som 28 July 2009
12:15:23 am
I am not saying he is.His piece came across as something worth reading to me.It is absolutely fine if you don’t think highly of this piece.
Rocky 28 July 2009
09:10:46 am
I am still waiting for UTV to release the Blue Ray for this movie !
rks 28 July 2009
09:29:56 am
Rocky – I think it is available. Shows currently OOS
Link
Rocky 28 July 2009
09:36:14 am
RKS-it is available only in Europe. They have not released it in the American Market.
Som 28 July 2009
10:49:42 am
On TheSkeptic’s concern over Hrithik’s performance in Jodha Akbar, I would just say it won’t be fair to compare him with Dillip Kumar who had a strong command over language, Hrithik on the other hand seemed to have worked a lot on his Urdu diction which showed on screen even if on few occasions it came as bit labored.What I really liked in Hrithik’s performance was his body language, as Q has correctly said not many contemporary Hindi actors would carry off the clothes as effortlessly as Hrithik did.
Som 28 July 2009
10:53:55 am
But seriously Q,after reading this piece 4 times,I would admit your review along with Satyam’s have been the most insightful ones on Jodha Akbar.
Som 28 July 2009
11:37:57 am
On Gowarikar, his intentions are always noble but some how the narrative in both Swades and Jodha Akbar have not really matched up to his intentions/ambitions,,though Swades still remains a very moving film and a personal favorite of mine.
Som 28 July 2009
11:41:39 am
Enchanting tales of Jodha-Akbar
Qalandar 28 July 2009
12:25:57 pm
Thanks all — much appreciated; if you were less kind the reviews might be shorter!
manoj16_391 29 July 2009
03:24:58 am
Both the review and movie have a thing in common.Both are long but engrossing
manoj16_391 29 July 2009
03:55:17 am
“Hrithik Roshan is a worthy challenger to Prithviraj Kapoor’s older Akbar ”
Fully agree.Really liked his dialogue delivery and the way he carried himself throughtout the movie.A very consistent performance.
There are a couple of his scenes with Birbal which were equally outstanding.Wish they were a part of the movie.
Agree on your take on Dilip Kumar as well.
julie 29 July 2009
06:45:38 am
On a reread I must confess that this is the most enlightening, illuminating and insightful take on Jodhaa Akbar that I have read to date. I paid a hurried glance (and a hurried compliment
) yesterday but the author (Qalandar) here has given us an immense insight into the historical characters, backdrop and culture that one so unwittingly ignores while watching a film of JA’s character and stature.
Q – Your take on Aishwarya’s persona and characterization is bang on. Hrithik for me was simply magical and it will be tough for Ash and Hrithik to replicate the same level of chemistry, poise and charm.
Hrithik as young Akbar was charming and effective and I do agree to a large extent with you on Dilip Kumar’s essaying of Shehzada Salim’s character in Moghal-e-Aazam. I may be the odd one out in this observation but I felt that this was not amongst the thespian’s great and memorable perfromances. There are occassions that the body language wsa just not right or effective. I recall a moment when the song Jab Pyaar Kiya to Drana Kya was being picturised and while Madhubala exhibited every bit of the langusihing lover whose love was throttled by the wicked emperor / father, Dilip had an odd look of contemptuous satisfaction on his face. He did not for once wince at the pain that Anarkali was going through. This was one odd little scene and I replayed it several times to discern his expressin but alas…This was one particular moment and there are others that I cannot distinctly recall.
On the contrary I cannot think of a moment in JA where Hrithik’s expressions were a misfire. I will also give Hrithik full marks for attempting a very difficult Urdu diction.
ACHILLES 29 July 2009
07:17:29 am
On the narrative, it is obviously slow … but then its trademark Ashutosh style – be it Lagaan or Swades or JA, his films have slow narrative and are lengthy.
He likes to have a realistic backdrop and make a fable, set on that backdrop – all his 3 films conform to this.
Also his style suits his ambitions – he doesnt aim for much in the first place. JA is fictionalized history – in the same vain as hollywood’s gladiator, 300, braveheart, kingdom of heaven, etc. It in fact deals with mythical aspects of history – about jodhaa-akbar alliance much like rohin-hood folklore.
JA is essentially a romance punched with usual bollywood family drama, a message about secularism and the story of a young Akbar growing up as an emperor – to all these aspects, ashutosh does justice to his ambitions.
Comparison between Dilip Kumar playing a sterile Akbar and Hrithik playing a warrior emperor is absurd … both are good in different aspects … it took time for MEZ to gain its legendary status (mainly due to lack of success in this genre) … JA will have a similar fate unless we get more hits in such genre in future.
As for Hrithik, he was consistent with his expressions, body language, voice modulation and diction … he did more than justice to Gowarikar’s take on the subject.
Rahman’s music is slow, but very well used and very soothing, which bonded well with the movie.
Qalandar 29 July 2009
05:23:26 pm
Julie, you have been far too kind, I am blushing…
On the diction, I can’t help but give some credit to a Bandra boy who has clearly worked very hard on his diction. Dilip’s Urdu is obviously Dilip’s Urdu — but it is also his mother tongue in a way that is not true for any of the younger actors of later generations (with the exception of a Rishi Kapoor), especially the Bombay- or Delhi-based ones, be it aamir, srk, akki, sanju, whoever. Not just Urdu: these chaps mostly cannot match the Hindi diction or intonation of a Manoj Bajpai, Madhavan, Ravi Kishen, Raghuvir Yadav. Shahid Kapoor is an exception — he has superb diction.
Angels and Belds 29 July 2009
07:43:02 pm
>>Dilip had an odd look of contemptuous satisfaction on his face. He did not for once wince at the pain that Anarkali was going through. This was one odd little scene and I replayed it several times to discern his expressin but alas…
I bow to thee Jules! i have to admit the only hindi scene that I replayed many times is the ‘Dhak Dhak karne laga’ song from mads
q – if i may say so – for a lawyer – ur one hell of a romantic. great stuff
Rocky 30 July 2009
08:35:08 am
Re.-i have to admit the only hindi scene that I replayed many times is the ‘Dhak Dhak karne laga’ song from mads
I have played/replayed/paused the Dimple’s Topless (microsecond) scene in the movie “Saagar” many times back in the VCR days. LOL !!
rks 30 July 2009
08:38:45 am
Rocky – Ab youtube hai
Som 30 July 2009
08:50:21 am
LOL Rocky! I was never aware of such a scene in Saagar until one of my friend told me and I quickly made an effort to see the film. But hey! the scene did not live up to the hype.