Hrithik Roshan And Aishwarya Rai As JODHAA AKBAR

Aishwarya and Hrithik wow at 'Jodhaa Akbar' music launch: Photos

2008-01-19T23:00:00.000-08:00

Aishwarya and Hrithik wow at 'Jodhaa Akbar' music launch: Photos
Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 (EST)
Music for producer director Ashutosh Gowarikar's 'Jodhaa Akbar', starring Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan, was launched at Grand Hyatt, Kalina, Mumbai late Wednesday evening, January 9.

Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan at Jodhaa Akbar music launch at the Grand, Hyatt, Kalina, Mumbai on 9th Jan 2008. Photo Credit: Sawf News

10 January 2008 (Sawf News) - Music for producer director Ashutosh Gowarikar's Jodhaa Akbar, starring Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan, was launched at Grand Hyatt, Kalina, Mumbai late Wednesday evening, January 9.

Maharani Padmini Devi, who is a direct descendant of Princess Jodhaa of Amer was present on the stage, as were Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Javed Akhtar, Ashutosh Gowarikar and AR Rahman.

(L to R) Ashutosh Gowarikar, AR Rahman, Javed Akhtar, Aishwarya Rai,Rani Padmini and Hrithik Roshan at Jodhaa Akbar music launch at the Grand Hyatt, Kalina, Mumbai on 9th Jan 2008. Photo Credit: Sawf News

The musical score for the period dram has been composed by AR Rahman and is being released under the newly launched UTV Music label. It consists of five songs that capture the essence and opulence of the Mughall era.

Gowarikar denies two songs were cut from the film to keep its length under 3 hours.

"No. We recorded five songs and we've retained them all. I treasure every song that I record and wouldn't dream of cutting them for length."

Aishwarya Rai at Jodhaa Akbar music launch at the Grand Hyatt, Kalina, Mumbai on 9th Jan 2008. Photo Credit: Sawf News

The joint appearance by Aishwarya and Hrithik at the event put to rest rumors of a rift between the co-stars who wowed viewers as an on screen couple in Dhoom 2.

Dismissing tabloid speculation that the two have not been getting along lately Gowarikar says:
"Absolutely untrue! Aishwarya and Hrithik get along really well. Even at the wrap-up party they were fine with each other. There was no rivalry between them."

Fans can expect to see the two make more joint appearances during the lead up to the release of the film.
“We now have a publicity plan for them,” Gowarikar adds.

"The music of Jodhaa-Akbar can't be bhangra and hip-hop. Just because the film has Aishwarya, please don't expect an introductory song-and-dance. It's not a star vehicle. It's about the characters. I'm showcasing Jodhaa and Akbar," says Gowarikar.
Gowarikar also confirmed that the film will be released on February 15, refuting reports that there may be yet another delay.

Amitabh in Jodhaa Akbar!

2008-01-18T23:30:00.000-08:00

If you think Jodhaa Akbar just belongs to the Bachchan bahu and Hrithik you are wrong! The film also has reel life Jodhaa's real life father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan in it!

You will not see him but hear him in the film as he is all set to give a voice-over to the film, the way he did for Ashu's Oscar nominated Lagaan .

"Ashu included me in the cast and crew of Jodhaa in his speech. This is a little unfair for others as I am just giving a voice-over to the film. My association with Ashu goes back to Lagaan where I did the same. Lagaan did very well and I am sure Jodhaa Akbar will repeat its success. My work in Jodhaa hasn't started as yet", said Amitabh.

We are sure Ashu now definitely has BIG hopes from Jodhaa Akbar now that Big B is in it!

'Jodhaa-Akbar' as relevant as arranged marriage: Gowarikar

2008-01-18T06:21:00.000-08:00

MUMBAI: Young and dynamic director Ashutosh Gowariker, who is ready with 'Jodhaa-Akbar', says he was fascinated by the relationship that the two historical figures must have shared after marriage.

"I feel if today we make a story about the past, it must be correlated to the present. And 'Jodhaa-Akbar' is as relevant to the present as arranged marriages. Jodha and Akbar shared a perfect arranged marriage. I was fascinated by how their relationship must have grown after marriage," Gowariker said.

Keeping the young generation in mind, the director has avoided a heavy dose of Urdu.

"As for youngsters, I had one rule of connectivity in my range of vision. Any word or dialogue that I didn't understand in Urdu I kept out. I've no interest in impressing audiences with my knowledge of Urdu, Hindi or even literature."

Starring Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan in the lead roles, the film is set to hit the marquee Feb 15. The director is dubbing it in Telugu and Tamil as well.

Excerpts:

Q: After 'Lagaan', you return to a period film in 'Jodhaa-Akbar'?

A: You might say that. But I call 'Lagaan' a period film. 'Jodhaa-Akbar' is to me a historical. Anything after 1857 is a period film for me. Anything before that is a historical. 'Jodhaa-Akbar' is certainly not a costume drama. It isn't set in a never-never land. I'd call 'Mughal-e-Azam' a historical though its focus was different from mine.

I feel if today we make a story about the past, it must be correlated to the present. And 'Jodhaa-Akbar' is as relevant to present times as arranged marriages. Jodha and Akbar shared a perfect arranged marriage. I was fascinated by how their relationship must have grown after marriage. There was no reference in any books about what happened between them. I've taken extreme care to make sure viewers believe in the relationship.

Q: How much have you stressed the religious difference between Jodha and Akbar?

A: It's important but not stressed in my film. Let's not forget, Akbar's marriage to Jodhabai was no common occurrence. It had a nationwide reverberation 450 years ago when society was far more conservative. How did their marriage affect those times? That's a question relevant even today. But I'm not jingoistic in my treatment.

Q: Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan have very contemporary personalities?

A: That won't be a problem. The audience will come in and forget everything about Hrithik and Aishwarya. Hrithik-Aishwarya's pairing is incredible. They're extremely charismatic and good-looking. They were a huge success in the contemporary 'Dhoom 2'. That can only help my film, not harm it.

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. I wanted to make my historical as believable as I'd like to see it being. Every element big or small, from the texture of the clothes to the sets, décor, dialogues and the protocol, even the incidental sounds of birds and animals, they all had to be just right for me. I'm tired of filmmakers wondering where those good old days have gone. I wanted to reclaim those days. It took me two years of pre-production before I got into my first shot.

Q: Film analysts feel history has no relevance for today's average youngster?

A: I agree. Even as a child myself historical films never interested me. But when I saw 'Mughal-e-Azam' on TV, I connected to it because it was a story of lovers separated by parental opposition. That the parents were historical figures was incidental.

I feel the story has to be connectable to the audience. Hyder Ali, who wrote 'Jodhaa-Abkar', told me, 'In 'Mughal-e-Azam' the focus was so much on Salim and Anarkali, nobody asked a fundamental question. How did Akbar come to marry Jodhabai in spite of their religious and cultural divide? I immediately reacted to their alliance. I saw an interesting story there that needed to be told.

As for the youngsters, I had one rule of connectivity in my range of vision. Any word or dialogue that I didn't understand in Urdu I kept out. I've no interest in impressing audiences with my knowledge of Urdu, Hindi or even literature. I feel literature is for the books, and that's where it should stay. I needed to reach out to the masses.

Q: So is 'Jodhaa-Akbar' kitsch?

A: No. I've referred to literature and academia. But the Akbarnama was in Pharsi. It doesn't mean I'd use Pharsi in my film. I want Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Bengal to understand the film. I'm dubbing the film into Telugu and Tamil. Each language has its own regality and I'm going by the individual regality of the province. I had one vision before me when I started making this film. It was the world of the Amar Chitra Katha. I've grown up on that world.

Q: Are you happy with the end product?

A: Oh! it has been tremendously enriching. So far the Mughal period was part of textbooks. I always wondered about the battles and the durbar intrigue. The Mughal period was known for its lavishness, so much so that studio bosses in Hollywood from the golden period were not called movie czars or movie nawabs. They were called movie moguls.

Jodhaa Akbar

2008-01-18T06:09:00.000-08:00

Jodhaa-Akbar (Hindi: जोधा अक्बर, Urdu: اکب جودھا) is a forthcoming film, to be released in 2008. It is being directed and produced by Ashutosh Gowariker, the director of Oscar-nominated Lagaan. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in lead roles. This film also represents the debut of newcomer Abir Abrar. Extensive research has gone into the making of this film which begun shooting recently.

The film centers around the romance between the Mughal Emperor Akbar, the founder of Din-i-Ilahi, played by Hrithik Roshan and his Hindu wife, Jodhabai, played by Aishwarya Rai. The music will be composed by acclaimed music composer A. R. Rahman. This movie is scheduled for release on Jan 25, 2008.

Synopsis
Jodhaa Akbar is a sixteenth century[citation needed] love story about a marriage of alliance that gave birth to true love between a great Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a Rajput princess, Jodhaa.

Politically, success knew no bounds for Emperor Akbar (Hrithik Roshan). After having secured the Hindu Kush, he furthered his realm by conquest until his empire extended from Afghanistan to the Bay of Bengal, and from the Himalayas to the Godavari River. Through a shrewd blend of tolerance, generosity, and force, Akbar won the allegiance of the Rajputs, the most belligerent Hindus. But little did Akbar know that when he married Jodhaa (Aishwarya Rai), a fiery Rajput princess, in order to further strengthen his relations with the Rajputs, he would in turn be embarking upon a new journey – the journey of true love.

The daughter of King Bharmal of Amer, Jodhaa resented being reduced to a mere political pawn in this marriage of alliance, and Akbar’s biggest challenge now did not merely lie in winning battles, but in winning the love of Jodhaa – a love hidden deep below resentment and extreme prejudice. Jodhaa-Akbar is their untold love story.

Cast
Hrithik Roshan … Emperor Akbar
Aishwarya Rai … Jodhaa Bai
Abir Abrar …
Kulbushan Kharbanda …
Sonu Sood …
Suhasini Mulay …
Vishwa Badola …
Yuri …
Digvijay Purohit …

Exclusive picture of Ash, Hritik as Jodhaa Akbar

2008-01-17T06:26:00.000-08:00

As we know by now, Hrithik Roshan plays the legendary Mughal Emperor, Akbar, in the film while Aishwarya Bachchan is the Rajput Princess, Jodhaa. The film is about one of the historic love stories which will be told for the first time through a film.

In Jodhaa Akbar, Hrithik plays a young Akbar. This will be Hrithik’s first period film. As seen in the image above, this is the first time that Hrithik sports a moustache throughout the film. The poster shows Hrithik as a warrior, clad in armor suit.

Aishwarya on the other hand, plays the young Rajput Princess, Jodhaa. Ash is luxuriously dressed in a Red Sari. This Rajput Princess is wholly garlanded with gold jewellery

The posters however, do not reveal the faces of Hrithik and Ash. This definitely increases our curiosity levels.

Jodhaa Akbar is directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar and is produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Ashutosh Gowarikar.

Hrithik to refrain from action scenes

2008-01-15T05:58:00.000-08:00

Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan, who has just recovered from a serious knee injury, says he will avoid doing stunts for some time.

"I need to be very careful for a while. No serious stunts and action scenes for a while. My body has served its warning rather effectively. I had no choice but to obey the warning signals. It would be some time before I get back into full-on action scenes," Hrithik, who turned 34 last week, told IANS.

"I pretend it's not a special day. But it never turns out that way," laughed Hrithik.
Apparently, Hrithik gets the maximum birthday greetings in Bollywood.

"I wouldn't know. But, yes, the quantity of love that I receive on this day is overwhelming," laughed Hrithik shyly.

He was up and about from early in the morning.
"I wanted to make sure I answered each one of the greetings personally before Hrehaan gets up."
Alas, Hrithik proposes, Hrehaan disposes. The scion of the Roshan family was up and about claiming Papa's attentions. And Hrithik was happy to give it all.
"The last year I've really had no time for the family. The injury has given me a chance to be at home and spend time with my wife and son."
And how was the birthday celebrated this year?
"Every year I like to do something associated with my work on my birthday. As luck would have it, on the evening before my birthday, it was the launch of my Jodhaa-Akbar music. I loved that.
"It was one of the most well-organised music functions of my career. After that it was friend Ambika Hinduja's engagement party. So we went for that. Then we were home for the rest of the evening."
So where was the cake and the rest of the birthday trappings?
"Oh! All that happened. Suzanne always makes sure my birthdays are special."

STORY JODHAA AKBAR

2008-01-13T07:01:00.000-08:00

Jodhaa Akbar is a sixteenth century love story about a marriage of alliance that gave birth to true love between a great Mughal Emperor, Akbar and a Rajput princess, Jodhaa. Politically, success knew no bounds for Emperor Akbar, After having secured the Hindu Kush, he furthered his realm by conquest until his empire extended from Afghanistan to the Bay of Bengal, and from the Himalayas to the Godhavari River. Through a shrewed blend of tolerence, generosity and force, Akbar won the allegiance of the Rajputs, the most belligerent Hindus. But little did Akbar know that when he married Jodhaa, a fiery Rajput princess, in order to further strengthen his relations with the Rajputs, he would in turn be embarking upon a new journey - the journey of true love. The daughter of King Bharmal of Amer, Jodhaa resented being reduced to a mere political pawn in this marriage of alliance, and Akbar’s biggest challenge now did not merely lie in winning battles, but in winning the love of Jodhaa - a love hidden deep below resentment and extreme prejudice. Jodhaa Akbar is their untold love story.

MOVIE ON 25TH JANUARY 2008

2008-01-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

After an excruciating wait, we finally get a glimpse ofHrithik and Aishwarya In Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Jodhaa Akbar. The couple doesindeed look like every bit of royalty and keep watching this space for the videotrailer in coming days. Jodhaa Akbar Release Date Confirmed As 25thJanuary, 2008 Ashutosh Gowariker and UTV have finally (stress onfinally) have decided on a release date for JODHAA AKBAR. Expect the epic movieto hit the theaters on 15th January, 2008.

“The change of release date is due tothe fact that JODHAA AKBAR has an extremely demanding post-production schedule,”the statement adds. Jodhaa-Akbar is garnering a lot of critical acclaim at theCannes Film festival, which doesn’t surprise me ,considering it’s directed bythe brilliant Ashutosh Gowariker. In fact Ashutosh Gowariker also made it toVariety’s list of the 60 most important people to watch out at Cannes ’07.

The film has been produced UTV and Ashutosh GowarikerProductions and they were overwhelmed by the response generated by the 2-minutepromo showcases at Cannes. Says Sunita Gowariker, “The reactions were amazing.Buyers for Germany, France and South Africa were very excited. Representativesfrom Venice and Rome were keen that JODHAA-AKBAR be showcased at theirfestivals.” Bollywood continues its new found love affair with the CannesFestival! UTV has confirmed that the highly anticipated Jodha Akbar and the notso highly anticipated Goal will be showcased in Cannes first!

Says UTV marketing and sales vice president Siddharth RoyKapur, "Indian films have always raised the curiosity factor in the west. Thenew wave of Indian cinema has been widely acknowledged and welcomed across theglobe, which is a great positive for us. This year, we would unveiling two ofour movies, both of which have been positioned as international projects with auniversal appeal." Other films to be showcased include; Swades, Pradeep Sarkar'sParineeta, Mahesh Manjrekar's Viruddh, Priyadarshan's Chup Chup Ke, FarhanAkhtar's Don, Vishal Bharadwaj's Blue Umbrella and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra'sRang De Basanti. Now that is an impressive list and as usual we salute UTV forgoing an extra mile to promote Good Hindi Cinema!