'Jodhaa Akbar' - a tale of romance, marriage and grandeur

New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS) An experimental filmmaker at heart, Ashutosh Gowariker in his latest film "Jodhaa Akbar" experiments with the romantic genre. Touching new levels of lavishness and grandeur, the magnum opus releasing Friday has a dream cast - Hrithik Roshan as Akbar and Aishwarya Rai as Jodha.

Set in the 16th century, the epic love story explores a marriage alliance entered between two cultures and religions for political gain.

When Hindu King Bharmal of Amer decided to give his daughter Jodha's hand to Mughal emperor Akbar, little did the emperor know that in his efforts to strengthen relations with the Rajputs, he in turn would be embarking on a new journey - that of true love.

Using his imagination and creativity, Gowariker has tried to portray this political alliance as a romantic tale.

From the battlefield where the young Akbar was crowned the emperor, through the conquests that won him the title of 'Akbar the Great', to winning the love of the beautiful Jodha, the film traces the impressive graph of Akbar and his romance with a defiant princess.

Produced by UTV, the film is made on a budget of Rs.400 million ($10 million). It will have a world premiere and be showcased in more than 115 theatres in the US alone.

The risk factors are also very high for Gowariker, whose last film "Swades" got critical acclaim, but wasn't a frontrunner at the box office. Also, earlier historical sagas like Akbar Khan's "Taj Mahal" and J.P. Dutta's "Umrao Jaan" have failed to generate curiosity and lure the audience.

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Jodhaa Akbar