Jodha Akbar, probably the most awaited film of recent times. The film, which was supposed to be the modern day answer to Mughal-e-Azam. Though it's unfair to compare anything to Mughal-e-Azam. Jodha Akbar is not Mughal-e-Azam. But the comparisons are somehow inevitable.

The film tries to put aside all the controversies in the beginning itself by declaring that the name of Akbar's wife is debatable, and Jodha is most common name referring to her. Amitabh Bachchan lends his voice for strong opening narration, and film opens on promising note with a decently (not grand) pasteurized war sequence. The film tightens the grip by the end of first half and leaves you expecting a better half to come. But the second half fails to fulfill the promise with a rather slow and lackluster end. Film could do with some crops in the reel. The narration slackens, especially in the second half it's dragging at places.

Performances of almost all actors are high grade. Surprisingly biggest disappointment is Hrithik Roshan. He tries hard but could not deliver the commanding performance that one expects from Akbar's character. The sharp build, short hair, thin mustache and a very modern accent naah not the Akbar material you were looking for. Longer hair, denser mustache and deeper voice could have made things better. Aishwarya as Jodha is immaculate. She has never looked and acted better. One good thing is every character has a clear Hindi pronunciation and neat Urdu diction. Almost everyone dots their I and crosses the T clearly.

The biggest draw of the film is the grandeur and the majestic art direction. Art Director Nitin Desai almost rebuilds the Mughal monuments with élan. The palaces and forts have the royal feel that was needed. Art direction though astounding overall is tacky at places with some details. Costumes also reflect the riches of the time. Music is a major let down. Khwaja and Merhabaa are ill choreographed. Khwaja is almost comic.

Direction of Ashutosh Gowarikar lacks the finer details and impeccable grip shown in his earlier ventures. Though overall direction is impressive. Story has nothing special in it about Jodha and Akbar. It's just a simple love story of a man (incidentally named Akbar) and a woman (coincidentally named Jodha).

Final verdict: A genuine attempt but Mughal-e-Azam still remains unanswered.