Will Akbar outshine son Salim?

More than four decades ago, K. Asif picked up Akbar's son Salim from the pages of history and cast his love story in celluloid.

The magnum opus, Mughal-e-Azam, based on the tragic romance between Salim and Anarkali, was a sheer spectacle in terms of grandeur, colour, drama and music. It remains a hit till date.

So now the question is, will Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodhaa-Akbar - starring Indian superhero Hrithik Roshan and beauty queen Aishwarya Rai - weave the same magic?

"People will come to the theatres out of curiosity but the magic of Mughal-e-Azam will always linger. Jodhaa-Akbar is not a love story in the true sense, it was more of a marriage of convenience; hence a bigger challenge for Gowariker to make it in to a convincing love story," Debdatta Mukherjee, a leading model said.

Mughal-e-Azam, say old-timers in Bollywood, was based on a "documented" love story, whereas there "are very few details available about Jodhabai and Akbar. Jodha still remains a mystery. Many historians believe that she was a Rajput princess from Rajasthan and according to some, Raja Mansingh's sister.

"There is no drama associated with their courtship," said an industry veteran.

Gowariker risked making Lagaan in 2001, a period film set in colonial India, and hit the jackpot. And now he is gambling once again by daring to narrate the not-so-familiar love story of Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Akbar and Rajput princess Jodhabai in Jodhaa-Akbar releasing Valentine's Day week.

Releasing February 15, it's a rather unusual Valentine romance - between a Mughal emperor and a Hindu woman who was the emperor's arranged match. Love grew after marriage and also saw the birth of the heir to the Mughal throne, Jahangir.

While Asif's Mughal-e-Azam was a doomed love story starring Dilip Kumar and "beauty queen of the era" Madhubala, Gowariker's 16th century tale is about prince Salims's parents who were brought together by a marriage of alliance.

"Jodha and Akbar shared a perfect arranged marriage. I was fascinated by how their relationship must have grown after marriage," Gowariker was quoted as saying.

Earlier, Hrithik and Aishwarya had scorched the screen in the slick flick Dhoom 2, but the director says that their previous image is not going to harm his film.

Ashutosh said, "Their contemporary image won't be a problem. They were a huge success in Dhoom 2. That can only help my film, not harm it. The audience will come in and forget everything about Hrithik and Aishwarya. What audiences will see in my film are Jodha and Akbar. At least, that's what I've tried to ensure through their looks, body language and behaviour."

Produced at a cost of Rs.15 million, Mughal-e-Azam was the costliest film of the era. It took Asif 14 years to realise his dream because of casting, financial and technical obstacles. Once completed, the epic love story was premiered simultaneously in 1960 in 150 theatres across the country and turned out to be a gold spinner.

Gowariker finished the film in a year's time. He used over 80 elephants, 100 horses and 55 camels in the movie. Initially, the film's budget was of Rs.400 million, apparently it overshot the whip.

Another high point of Mughal-e-Azam was Naushad's superb musical score, especially the song Jab pyar kiya to darna kya, which has a timeless appeal.

In a song titled Ae mohabbat zindabad, a chorus of 100 singers were used and in a song titled Azeem O Shan, Shahenshah in Jodhaa-Akbar, the director roped in 1,000 dancers in traditional costumes, wielding swords and shields.

A.R. Rahman's music for Jodhaa-Akbar too has been appreciated. The songs have an epic feel to it.

Courtesy: Ndtvmovies.com