EKLAVYA - THE ROYAL GUARD : Story,Cast,Location,.. Review on Eklavya: The Royal Guard

*EKLAVYA - THE ROYAL GUARD

(THE FACT IS THAT THE FILM WAS EARLIER TITLED **'YAGNA')

*STORY:

*EKLAVYA  THEIR ROYAL GUARD, LIVES IN A TIME WARP. HIS MOTTO FOR LIVING WAS ONLY TO PROTECT THE FORT, THE DYNASTY & THE KING.

EKLAVYA - THE ROYAL GUARD IS THE STORY OF A GUARD WHO IS PROTECTING THE SECRETS OF A MAJESTIC FORT OF DEVIGARH IN RAJASTHAN FOR MANY GENERATIONS.

*EKLAVYA  WHO COMES FROM THE LONG LINE OF ROYAL BODYGUARDS.

About Eklavya:*

FOR NINE GENERATIONS, EKLAVYA's FAMILY HAS PROTECTED DEVIGARH, A CENTURY OLD CITADEL IN RAJASTHAN. BALLADS ARE SUNG IN HIS FATHER's PRAISE, FOR HE SACRIFICED HIS LIFE TRYING TO SAVE KING. ON HIS FATHER's DEATH, HIS MOTHER NAMED HIM - EKLAVA & ENTRUSTS HIM WITH HIS FATHER's DAGGER.

HIS MARKSMANSHIP IS STUFF OF LEGENDS. HIS UNFLINCHING LOYALTY INSPIRES BALLADS. EKLAVYA HAS SPENT HIS ENTIRE LIFE SERVING THE ROYALS & CLOSELY GUARDING THEIR SECRETS, BUT NOW HE's GETTING OLD & BLIND.

EKLAVYA WAS NOW UNABLE TO COPE WITH SUFFOCATING CUSTOMS OF HIS LAND. AGAIN THE HEIR, **PRINCE HARSHWARDHAN, A MODERN PRINCE WHO CHOOSES LIFE ABROAD TO ESCAPE THE SUFFOCATING RITUALS & PRACTICES OF DEVIGARH FORT.

*HE IS THE ANTITHESIS OF HIS FATHER, THE KING, WHO IS BLIND TO THE MODERN STRIDES OF DEMOCRATIC INDIA HAS STAYED AWAY IN LONDON.

THE QUEEN RANI SUHASINIDEVI(SHARMILA TAGORE) DIES UNEXPECTEDLY.

THE QUEEN's FINAL LETTER REVEALS HER DYING WISH WHICH HER SON - Prince Harshwardhan MUST FULFILL. SO THE SUDDEN DEMISE OF RANI SUHASINIDEVI FORCED THE PRINCE TO COME BACK.

BUT THE JOY OF REUNION & COMEBACK OF PRINCE IS SHORT-LIVED.

SECONDLY, THERE IS UNREST IN THE KINGDOM. FARMERS ARE BEING STRIPPED OF THEIR LANDS. **THE KING, RANA JAYWARDHAN INFLUENCED BY HIS BROTHER, RANA JYOTIWARDHAN, SUPPORTS THE ATROCITIES BEING FORCED UPON THE HELPLESS PEASANTS.

THE KING RECEIVES A DEATH THREAT OVER THE PHONE. AN IRREVERENT POLICE OFFICER, PANNALAL CHOHAR IS CALLED IN TO INVESTIGATE.

BUT HE MIGHT BE TOO LATE TO CATCH THE CRIME BECAUSE WHAT BEGINS AS ROUTINE INVESTIGATION SOON DRAWS HIM INTO A VORTEX OF LIES, DECEIT, BETRAYAL & MURDER.  THE FRAGILE PEACE OF THE LAND IS SUDDENLY SHATTERED BY A BARRAGE OF BULLETS.  AND AMIDST THE MAYHEM, THE SAFELY GUARDED SECRETS OF THE FORT ARE UNVEILED.

-.

THE MOVIE COMBINES CONTEMPORARY, EDGE-OF-THE-SEAT DRAMATIC ACTION THRILLER WITH GOOD CINEMATOGRAPHY WITH A STELLAR ENSEMBLE STAR CAST.

THE FILM IS ABOUT CONTEPORARY INDIA, A MAJESTIC FORT, A ROYAL DYNASTY THAT NO LONGER RULES. A KING WITHOUT A KINGDOM.

THE FILM MARKS THE RETURN OF VIDHU VINOD CHOPRA WHO DIRECTS AFTER A GAP OF 7 YEARS.

CAST (with brief character sketch) :

1) EKLAVYA                                  : AMITABH BACHCHAN

2) RANA JAYWARDHAN           : BOMAN IRANI

3) RANI SUHASINIDEVI              : SHARMILA TAGORE, the gracious Queen who is the moral nucleus of the fort. Her untimely and mysterious death plunges the fort into darkness and sets off a maelstrom of chaos and confusion.(From here the mystery starts).

4) RANA JYOTIWARDHAN         : JACKIE SHROFF, younger brother of boman irani.

5) PRINCE HARSHWARDHAN : SAIF ALI KHAN, son of Jaywardhan.

6) PRINCESS NANDINI                 : RAIMA SEN, mentally challenged sister of Saif Ali Khan.The innocence of her wild imagination is marredwhen she witnesses a brutal murder.

7) RAJJO                                           : VIDYA BALAN - the royal chauffeur’s daughter & childhood love of Prince Harshwardhan. Despite her humble status, Rajjo has been the Queen’s confidante and nurtures a secret love for Prince Harshwardhan.

8) PANNALAL CHOHAR              : SANJAY DUTT, DSP Pannalal Chohar, who though belongs to a low caste family, but through sheer will and hard work has overcome prejudice and society’s biases to reach the top ranks of the police force.police officer.

9) RANA UDAYWARDHAN          : JIMMY SHERGILL. Jyotiwardhan’s son who plots the King’s downfall with his father. He hates Prince Harshwardhan(Saif Ali Khan), is deeply jealous of him and hates his own status as the minor royal.

*LOCATION:

*RAJASTHAN

MEHBOOB STUDIO.

*MUSIC:

*SHANTANU MOITRA

*CINEMATOGRAPHY:

*S NATRAJAN SUBRAMANIAM

*ACTION:

*TINU VERMA

*RELEASE DATE:

*16-02-2007

PRODUCER / DIRECTOR:

VIDHU VINOD CHOPRA