Vidhu Vinod Chopra - A well known name in film industry and for all good things. Vinod is a Director, Producer, Writer. Started his career in 1977(my birth year) as a director with movie called "Murder at Monkey Hills"( I have not seen this movie) and grabbed the National Award for the same for Best Short Experimental Film. Vindo also got Guru Dutt Memorial Award for the same film as Best Student Film.
It took Vinod another four movies to prove his mettle in mainstream hindi cinema. It was Parinda. One of the very first movies on underworld. The movie, which proved that Jackie Shroff can also act. It was a movie in which the background score was better than the main soundtrack. It was a movie which gave Nana Patekar to Hindi maintream cinema. This was in 1989. I am a fan of Vinod Chopra since then.
Then came, 1942 - A Love Story. Probably the last movie of Late RD as musin director. The most melodious music composed by him. One of the best performances from everybody. Manish Koirala never looked so beautiful in any other movie. Anil Kapur, Jackie, Anupam Kher and Danny gave their 100%. Inspite of having some minor flaws in script and Vinod took some cinematic liberty(as they call it in industry), this was one of the best love stories & patriotic movie at the same time with a superb music and larger than life canvas.
Why am I writing all this in the review of Eklavya?
Well, I am doing the same as a lawyer narrates and put forward the credentials of his star witness just before his testimony infront of Jury.
The expectations from Vindo Chopra are immense. As a Director Vinod gave us 2 movies before Eklavya, and 3 movies as non-Director.(Read Producer & etc, etc). If we can forget Kareeb, which was a disaster both on Box Office and on acting, story, screenplay etc etc, AND Mission Kashmir, which did well on Box Office, (thanks to Hrithik’s successful debut) other 3 movies were a Big Success on Box Office as well as in terms of Story, Screenplay and Direction. The other 3 were Munnabhai MBBS, Parineeta & Lagey Raho Munnabhai.
So after year 2000, Vinod didn’t direct a movie for 6 years and gave us Eklavya in 2007.
I personally was expecting a lot from it. Lets see what we have got from Vinod.
Eklavya - The Royal Guard
The Story -
Eklavya’s (Amitabh Bachchhan) family has protected the Ranas of Devigarh for nine generations. The Ranas used to rule Devigarh, a centuries old citadel in Rajasthan but the Royal Dynasty no longer rules.
Eklavya still protects the Royal Family but becoming old and blind.
The sudeen demise of the Queen (Sharmila Tagore) forces her only son Prince Harshvardhan (Saif Ali Khan) to come back from London. His mentally challanged sister(Raima Sen) and his childhood love Rajjo (Vidya Balan) are delighted to see him. Harshavardhan’s love blossoms while taking care of his sister. After his arrival, Harshvardhan comes to know the safely guarded secrets of the Royal family. He also comes to know the crucial role Eklavya is playing in the family. He comes to know the atrocities done by his father Rana Jaivardhana (Boman Irani) influenced by his uncle Rana Jyotivardhana(Jackie Shroff). The Rana receives the death threat. An insolent Cop (Sanjay Dutt) is called in for investigation. The Rana gets killed. Eklavya is blamed for the killing by other family members. AND The fight of Dharma & Adharma starts.
Does Eklavya take the revenge of the killing of Rana? Do real killers get caught? What is that secret which causes so much of violence? Eklavya(The Movie) answers all these questions.
How does it sound? Interesting?
A saga of romance, emotions, royalty, action, thrill etc etc.
Well, I also thought so when I saw the trailer for the first time. Unfortunately, there is something missing. Somewhere Vinod missed the pace and action of the movie. The movie which could have been like flawless batting of Vivian Richards or Garry Sobbers looks like an innings by Jef Boycott.(Mind you, All 3 of them are great batsment of their times).
The movie lacks the pace. It lacks the thrill. It also lacks explosive scenes inspite of having such a superb cast. Vinod tried to capture intense emotional scenes from Amitabh and Saif and to an extent is succesful in doing that but those scenes do not make any impact. The dilema of Eklavya, the anger of Eklavya somehow dont leave any impressions behind. And its not fault of the actors. They have done their Job superbly but somehow, something is missing. Something is definitely missing.
Some people have said the Vinod Chopra is a poet. He has made this movie as a poet. I would say that more than a poet, he is a painter. On a 70 mm canvas, he has painted this movie. The cinematography of N Natarajan is too good. The costumes by Raghavenndra Rathore show the Rajasthan culture and tradition. The sets of Nitin Desai will make you tour the Rajasthan Royal Family Forts. Vinod has used all these colours but still the painting is not that appealing.
Acting -
Amitabh Bachchhan & Saif Ali Khan have put themselves totally into the character. not for a second, you feel that they are not Eklavya and Harshavardhan respectively.
Sanjay Dutt has 3-4 scenes in the movie but he also leaves an impact.
The Rana is well played by Boman Irani.
Raima Sen, Vidya Balan, Jackie Shroff, Jimmy Shergil fitted very well in their respective characters.
Everything is good but still SOMETHING IS MISSING. Some Pace, some impactful scenes, something, something, something. can’t figure out what but something.
Vinod, If you come to know what did you miss, please let me know.
~ Lochaa