After a long wait, Mohenjo Daro is finally with us. As a Hrithik Roshan
fan, I have been glued to every piece of news that unfolded about this film in
the last 1.5 years since it was announced that the dream team of Gowariker-Rahman-Roshan
were coming together once more. The last few months were very exciting as the
teasers, posters, trailers and songs were slowly released. The last few days
have seen epic anticipation in the Hrithik fanworld as we tweeted, trended, counted-down,
and more or less self-combusted with excitement at finally seeing our favorite
on the big screen once more.
I thoroughly enjoyed the film. It delivers what it promises – ENTERTAINMENT.
It is a deeply symbolic, fantasy adventure that shows the coming-of-age of an
innocent farmer as he embarks upon a journey of self-discovery, finding both
love and himself in the process, and taking on some scary bad guys along the
way. This all unfolds against the backdrop of wonderfully recreated sets, haunting music and spectacular
special effects. The storyline is a classic good versus evil tale often
repeated in many genres of movies and books in both the East and the West. For
me, Mohenjo Daro adds its own special take on this storyline by various
ingredients: (1) the fascinating time period in which it is set (2) the breathtaking
music of AR Rahman and (3) the suave and swag of the one and only Mr. Hrithik Roshan.
Coming from another part of the world, I had never heard of Mohenjo Daro. As a history buff, I started reading about
the site with interest when I learned about the movie. What really got my
research going were the many accusations of historical inaccuracy levelled
against the movie once the posters and trailer were released. What I discovered
was that the movie seemed to be paying remarkable attention to historical
detail in several fronts; this was the subject of my earlier blogpost "Mohenjo Daro's Tribute to Authenticity". There are many subtle historical tributes in the film that connect the movie with the archeological finds from the actual site of Mohenjo Daro. Being able to recognize
these very much enriched my movie experience.
The music of AR Rahman helps to transform a great movie into an epic
one. I had already heard and loved the soundtrack; the background music is on a
whole other level. It breathtakingly frames every scene, and intensely evokes
all of the right emotions in the viewer. The video songs are adorable, with the
song sequences beautifully filmed and choreographed, and very much a part of
the story rather than an obligatory song-and-dance break. I admit that I was
disappointed that the Sarsariya song sequence was deleted from the film – it
was a lovely moment that developed the romance between the two, added some
depth to Chaani’s character, and beautifully showed the city’s backstreets, its
citizens, and something of the Mohenjo Daro way of life. However, the movie did
flow just as well without it.
No one could have done a better job of Sarman than Hrithik Roshan.
He seems to have a particular talent for portraying a kind-hearted,
sweet character – as the greed, lust and injustices of Mohenjo Daro become
apparent to him, Sarman’s wide-eyed hurt more than once reminded me of Rohit
Mehra in Koi Mil Gaya. For me, Hrithik Roshan as Sarman the leader is more
convincing than Hrithik Roshan as Sarman the village boy; I think that the
actor himself has developed a confidence and maturity that makes him now more
suited to roles of responsibility, command and leadership and less to roles of
youth and innocence. Notwithstanding this, Hrithik delivers an immense and powerful
performance in bringing to life Sarman’s transformation from a naïve boy to a
commanding, resolute and just leader. Indeed, Sarman’s nobility as Hrithik portrays it is something to
which we should all aspire.
The first scenes of the movie are my favorite: Sarman squares off against a freakish crocodile that seems to have come straight from The Island of Doctor Moreau, and in the battle we see the hint of the fighter and leader that Sarman is destined to become. The arena battle is a standout moment, for both the character of Sarman as well as the film itself. As someone extremely sensitive to violence, I was thrilled that all of the action in these (and other) scenes are done with taste and without the bloodfests that seem to have become the norm in today’s entertainment. For better or worse, Hrithik’s clothes stay squarely on his frame for the entire movie. I admit that part of me hoped that, during the arena fighting, Bakar or Zokar would have inadvertently undone the flimsy ties of Sarman’s shirt! However, Hrithik Roshan needs no body scenes to be forever pleasing to the eyes. For me, no Hrithik Roshan movie is complete without a little flexing of that unexplored yet incredible comedic talent that he possesses. The comedic moments in this film are few but terrific – in particular his expressions and out-of-time swaying in Tu Hai are golden.
The first scenes of the movie are my favorite: Sarman squares off against a freakish crocodile that seems to have come straight from The Island of Doctor Moreau, and in the battle we see the hint of the fighter and leader that Sarman is destined to become. The arena battle is a standout moment, for both the character of Sarman as well as the film itself. As someone extremely sensitive to violence, I was thrilled that all of the action in these (and other) scenes are done with taste and without the bloodfests that seem to have become the norm in today’s entertainment. For better or worse, Hrithik’s clothes stay squarely on his frame for the entire movie. I admit that part of me hoped that, during the arena fighting, Bakar or Zokar would have inadvertently undone the flimsy ties of Sarman’s shirt! However, Hrithik Roshan needs no body scenes to be forever pleasing to the eyes. For me, no Hrithik Roshan movie is complete without a little flexing of that unexplored yet incredible comedic talent that he possesses. The comedic moments in this film are few but terrific – in particular his expressions and out-of-time swaying in Tu Hai are golden.
I very much enjoyed the performance of Pooja Hegde. It is nice to see a
new face on the Bollywood movie scene. She has beauty and grace, and nicely portrays the innocence and girlishness of Chaani. She has expressed in interviews that
she was nervous to dance alongside the mighty Hrithik, but in some of their
shared dancing scenes, she is so incredibly elegant that she can even draw attention away from him for a moment (insert gasp here). Though there is not a sizzling,
exploding chemistry between Sarman and Chaani, there is a sweetness between
them that makes the romance believable and endearing. Kabir Bedi gives a standout
performance as the evil Maham. I would have enjoyed seeing more of his back
story, and also more of the minor characters, but this would clearly have come
at the cost of a longer film. Although, as a huge fan of both Hrithik and
Ashutosh, I would have welcomed a longer film, I fully understand and respect the
decision to keep it short, as this is of importance in appealing to
wider audiences. The created sets and the visual effects are impressive; Ashutosh Gowariker effectively
transports the audience into an ancient world. This is so skillfully done that
it seems almost effortless! Such is the hand of a master filmmaker.
I absolutely loved Mohenjo Daro and I salute Ashutosh Gowariker, Hrithik Roshan and all involved for having the courage to make it. Mohenjo Daro is a worthy addition to Hrithik’s collection of movies, and as a Hrithik fan I am very proud that he has done this film. One movie can never please a diversity of tastes, and many people will voice their criticisms. However, as someone relatively new to the world of Bollywood movies, what appalls me is the savagery with which Mohenjo Daro, and Hrithik Roshan, are being attacked by critics. In an industry where a fixed formula generally seems to work, any effort to move outside of the norm should be applauded, not scorned. Despite the rich historical tapestry that comes with an ancient heritage, the historical genre in Bollywood is relatively unexplored; given the ongoing, vicious reactions to Mohenjo Daro, I can understand why. If filmmakers like Ashutosh Gowariker and actors like Hrithik Roshan stopped trying different recipes and took the easier and less criticized route of formula films, what an immeasurable loss this would be. Films like these are not only valuable to Bollywood, they act as Bollywood’s ambassadors to the wider world. Bollywood, and India, should be immensely proud to have artists of this calibre who are willing to devote their time and talents to this kind of film. Mohenjo Daro is a MASTERPIECE, and not just of Indian cinema: it is a masterpiece of cinema.
I absolutely loved Mohenjo Daro and I salute Ashutosh Gowariker, Hrithik Roshan and all involved for having the courage to make it. Mohenjo Daro is a worthy addition to Hrithik’s collection of movies, and as a Hrithik fan I am very proud that he has done this film. One movie can never please a diversity of tastes, and many people will voice their criticisms. However, as someone relatively new to the world of Bollywood movies, what appalls me is the savagery with which Mohenjo Daro, and Hrithik Roshan, are being attacked by critics. In an industry where a fixed formula generally seems to work, any effort to move outside of the norm should be applauded, not scorned. Despite the rich historical tapestry that comes with an ancient heritage, the historical genre in Bollywood is relatively unexplored; given the ongoing, vicious reactions to Mohenjo Daro, I can understand why. If filmmakers like Ashutosh Gowariker and actors like Hrithik Roshan stopped trying different recipes and took the easier and less criticized route of formula films, what an immeasurable loss this would be. Films like these are not only valuable to Bollywood, they act as Bollywood’s ambassadors to the wider world. Bollywood, and India, should be immensely proud to have artists of this calibre who are willing to devote their time and talents to this kind of film. Mohenjo Daro is a MASTERPIECE, and not just of Indian cinema: it is a masterpiece of cinema.
