Jodhaa Akhbar….

this ain’t a film review of sorts, but more of a post movie hypnotism blabbering that left me stunned….and for once i was actually looking forward to watching a 4 hour movie again….alas…the cinema, on the other hand, decided that it needed a break for the day, and so, i will continue my screening rendezvous with the film again some other time.

the movie itself was one that many purists and fans alike of the cast and the director and the music were looking out for, imagining how it would turn out to be. the music has received, still is, and still will continue to receive numerous plaudits, setting it aside from the other soundtracks that are churned by the rest of the Bollywood (and even the Tamil ones, whom to some, may think that the more the albums, the better, its like trash…the more, the smellier???).

I, for one, was hooked to the music the very first time i had it blessing my ears. Mana mohana, was indeed, a truly enthralling experience. and this was indeed, my favourite song in the movie. you should see the faces of the Mughals when that songe reverberated in their court during one of the scenes…this is like a Hindu bhajan sung at a predominantly Muslim court, in the presence of their Supreme leader himself…although it was just a visual enactment in the movie, but the impact it would have caused in real life, that i leave it to you to imagine. but what shed a tear in me was the events that followed that scene. Akbar racing towards the voice, and standing in front of the altar, then, not enjoying the sight of his beautiful betrothed, but gasping in awe at the sheer splendour of devotion. that’s my view of it. certainly, a highlight to watch.

then came the wide smile on my face at the end of the 4 hour epic (it came with a 3 minute break…an intermission!!!!!). at the end, Akhbar makes his point clear. Religion, and administration does not mix along. treat it as a separate entity, and pour devotion and love into both. and to see the same in the eyes of people of different religions and beliefs, to see the common goal in us all that we seek the same Divine in different names, and to serve the land that feeds you with the same humility and respect we have for ourselves. phew…that kicked me in. and this, coming from Akhbar, which, historians agree, that was what that made Jallaludin Mohammed worthy of his title, Akhbar.

and then came hope. as Akhbar finished his message, he finished it as a prayer, and uttered the sacred Amin. that very word was repeated by a boy, no more aged between 4-6, not even knowwing what he heard and how powerful it means. it gave me a hope. that some day, we will all live as humans, and not as people of different religions. that we will live in hope, and in joy, and in utter selfless service towards all. as one.  and that boy, in his innocence, said it all.

i knew Gus was speaking to me that day, never knew it came to me through that boy.

watch the movie. get loads of makan, or eat before you go in. and remember, they say its a 3 minute break, but it ended in 2. i counted the time…kekekekekeke

ciao, veio!

-bullet joe-