Interview: Ash, Hrithik on Jodhaa Akbar | Row hits Delhi

MAKING OF AN EPIC: Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai speak on how the film grew from an idea to reality.

                    

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It has been more than 45 years since we last saw a grandiose production of the Mughal empire featuring Hindi cinema’s leading stars. In 1960 it was Dilip Kumar and Madhubala in K Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam. In 2008 it is Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Jodhaa Akbar.

On a special show on CNN-IBN, Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand tries to find out how one of the most eagerly awaited films of this year grew from just an idea to reality. Meet the core team of the film – Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai and Ashutosh Gowarikar.

Rajeev Masand: Let me begin with Ashutosh. The idea of this film has been with you for four years, from the time you wanted to tell the story to the release of the film. How has it been?

Ashutosh Gowarikar: The story first came to me way back in 2002 but when I heard it I realised it needs a lot of preparation. So, I thought let me finish Swades and then Haider Ali (the writer of the Jodhaa Akbar) and I worked on the movie.

Rajeev Masand: What was it about the story that made you say yes to it?

Hrithik Roshan: That is an interesting story by itself. The drama was told to me as if it was a contemporary corporate world empire and alliance kind of film. So, that was the way he (Ashutosh) sold it to me. And he did that to make sure that I react to the drama and content of the film. He didn’t want me to get enticed by the decorative aspects of a period film.

Aishwarya Rai: It wasn’t about what the film was going to be set against – not about costume, jewellery and palaces.

Rajeev Masand: For someone who is a veteran in period films. Was it a challenge to make this a different film?

Aishwarya Rai: That is just in the visual styling like how we would see Jodhaa look physically as opposed to how characters were in the past. In that sense this was definitely a first for me.

Rajeev Masand: I read something in which you once said: In life it is all about the women and it was no different for Akbar.

Hrithik Roshan: Luckily this story was about Akbar’s first step towards that direction. There is only one woman in his life during the movie. Eventually he had a lot of fun but… Luckily we stopped the film at the right juncture.

Call in question - Aneesha, Columbus: I saw your earlier interview with Rajeev Masand in which said that the love story between Jodhaa and Akbar was not documented. So, is this fiction or do you have historical proof that a love story existed in reality?

Aishwarya Rai: Obviously there would have been a love story between a husband and wife. The reason we are referring to this as a romantic epic and not a historical saga is because it is not a documented history piece. The story of Jodhaa and Akbar has not been written anywhere, so we don’t know what really transpired in their emotional equation with each other.