Aishwarya Rai

Young and dynamic director Ashutosh Gowariker, who is ready with Jodhaa-Akbar, says he was fascinated by the relationship that the two historical figures must have shared after marriage.

“I feel if today we make a story about the past, it must be correlated to the present. And ‘Jodhaa-Akbar’ is as relevant to the present as arranged marriages.

Jodha and Akbar shared a perfect arranged marriage. I was fascinated by how their relationship must have grown after marriage,” Gowariker told IANS.

Starring Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan in the lead roles, the film is set to hit the marquee Feb 15. The director is dubbing it in Telugu and Tamil as well.

Excerpts:

After Lagaan, you return to a period film in Jodhaa-Akbar?

You might say that. But I call Lagaan a period film. Jodhaa-Akbar is to me a historical. Anything after 1857 is a period film for me. Anything before that is a historical. Jodhaa-Akbar is certainly not a costume drama. It isn’t set in a never-never land. I’d call Mughal-e-Azam a historical though its focus was different from mine.

I feel if today we make a story about the past, it must be correlated to the present. And Jodhaa-Akbar is as relevant to present times as arranged marriages. Jodha and Akbar shared a perfect arranged marriage.

I was fascinated by how their relationship must have grown after marriage. There was no reference in any books about what happened between them. I’ve taken extreme care to make sure viewers believe in the relationship.

How much have you stressed the religious difference between Jodha and Akbar?

It’s important but not stressed in my film. Let’s not forget, Akbar’s marriage to Jodhabai was no common occurrence. It had a nationwide reverberation 450 years ago when society was far more conservative. How did their marriage affect those times? That’s a question relevant even today. But I’m not jingoistic in my treatment.

Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan have very contemporary personalities?

That won’t be a problem. The audience will come in and forget everything about Hrithik and Aishwarya. Hrithik-Aishwarya’s pairing is incredible. They’re extremely charismatic and good-looking. They were a huge success in the contemporary Dhoom 2. That can only help my film, not harm it.

What audiences will see in my film are Jodha and Akbar. At least that’s what I’ve tried to ensure through their looks, body language and behaviour. I wanted to make my historical as believable as I’d like to see it being.

Every element big or small, from the texture of the clothes to the sets, dialogues and the protocol, even the incidental sounds of birds and animals, they all had to be just right for me.

I’m tired of filmmakers wondering where those good old days have gone. I wanted to reclaim those days. It took me two years of pre-production before I got into my first shot.