Aug 13, 2016 02:50 PM
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Interesting head-gears, yards of draped clothing, modern metal weapons and technology 4, 000 years ago and a rebellious love story, these factors make up the script of Mohenjo Daro. Looks like Director Ashutosh Gowariker is back with his Jodhaa Akbar magic(really missed those palaces and set up). This movie is about an old civilization on verge of getting historically proclaimed for all its modernized techniques and inventions. He has brought the heavily debated story on to big screens.
The love story of hazel-eyed boy Sarman(Hrithik Roshan) and village mascot Chaani(Pooja Hedge), forms the crux of the movie. Chaani, daughter of the priest(Manish Chaudhuri) of Mohenjo Daro, is betrothed to Moonja(Arunodhya Singh), a caveman citizen and son of malevolent Maham(Kabir Bedi). Chaani is mesmerised by Sarman, a farming village hunk. While the romance goes on, the fight to be with each other, the intriguing plot unravels as why is there dam over River Sindhu? Why is Maham trading with Sumer? What will happen to the city with rain and river is combined?
Gowariker has eye for spectacle, the opening sequence between Sarman and crocodile foreshadows Sarman’s future and strength. But the failing of such an enthralling scene is due to poor CGI work. Same for the end sequence when there is great flood threatening Mohenjo Daro, the expenses spared on bringing the Indus Valley Civilization to life, costume teams and production design could have been used for more amazing visual effects, avoiding some scenes that were an eyesore.
Hrithik Roshan has undeniably aged, but still remains easy on eyes and moves like a dream. He conveys Sarman with simplicity, strength, purity and passion. But still there is little glimpses of controlling the superstar panache once that we witnessed in her early career movies. Pooja Hedge, many in line of new heroines that have been introduced by Gowariker opposite idealized and attractive male specimen. Her pearly white, while crackling up with her co-star precedent her acting skills. She is weakly written, just with large feathers and flashes of her legs. This is something opposite to Gowariker’s stronger heroines from Radha in Lagaan to Jodhaa, whose performances powered his plot more. Kabir Bedi’s acting is serviceable, whose mysteriously altered facial muscles now do not show that vigour of his earlier reality.
What mostly counts for is the background score, well, this being one of the major reasons that I skipped, hopped and jumped to watch this movie. Who isn’t AR fan, right?! The songs with harmonious effect and the feel that it brings of the early times, just extravagant. I knew it would be so.
Creating a historical episode, with modern technology and less facts about that civilization, makes everything a little fake in the movie, sometimes. Mohenjo Daro could have had it bigger moments, and something feels amiss. It really brings back few Ten Commandments scenes and little of Amrapali to mind, maybe the era is reason for that.
This movie is must-watch for those who do not get tangled with historic notions. Maybe you can learn few things about history from this flick.
