By then, we're so exhausted that we let the waters of Sindhu Ma float over us, and wait for things to get over. And just in case we were missing something, Sarman does a Noah, launches a massive rescue op, and saves scores of humans and animals, to swelling background music. Gowariker also filches from the many Hollywood epics which dump their heroes into an arena and have them fight for their lives: Hrithik faces off with two iron-chested cannibals (Bedi terms them, helpfully, 'narbhakshi') who grunt and growl. In Mohenjo Daro too, along comes the demand for more 'kar-vasooli'. Just when you think the plot is shifting just a fraction, out pops yet another item number, complete with whirling dervishes (remember Jodhaa Akbar?) and belly dancers: how can you have a Hrithik film without getting him on the floor, even if it is daubed in mud?In Lagaan, there were the evil Brits who wanted more tax from the poor 'gaon-waalon'. That is where, he is convinced, lie his fate and fortune, and an animal with one horn.Right from the build-up, featuring what is meant to be a thrilling boat ride and a fight with a fake-looking crocodile, all the better to show off Hrithik's rippling chest and ripping valour, Mohenjo Daro is a plod, and a heavily borrowed one to boot: the entry into a forbidden town (which strongly reminds us of Baahubali), the romance with a pretty stranger, the rivalry with a muscle-bound fellow, the unravelling of dark secrets, the saving of a town from a beastly ruler-we've seen so many versions of it before.It beats me how so much time and effort can be spent on creating something meant to be jaw-dropping, but which leaves you sighing at the sheer waste of it all. And lest you thought they were not accessorised to the hilt in 2016 BC, perish it: the villainous chief wears a headgear of horns (the happily hamming Kabir Bedi, who carries it off with a raffish air) to an alarmingly tall crown of what looks like feathers, coins and shells sported by the leading lady (the debutant Pooja Hegde, who looks much better without, and may fare better in her next).In between is leading man Hrithik Roshan as poor indigo farmer Sarman, a resident of village Samri of the Sindh province, who has set his heart on going to neighbouring big town Mohenjo-daro.
The sepia tone of the earth and the dwellings is balanced by an array of costumery: everyone looks like they have been handed out unstructured earth-toned garments, which follow the latest fashion du jour. Mohenjo Daro, set in Mohenjo-daro of the Indus Valley civilisation, is bigger but certainly not better than these two Gowariker's earlier outings. Instead of a few hundred years, you would go back a couple of thousands, ditching the merely old for the seriously antique.
The current location of the historical Mohenjo Daro ruins is in the Sindh province of Pakistan.Ģ.If you had to recreate an ancient civilisation, what would you do? If you are Ashutosh Gowariker, and have had lots of experience in excavating the past (Lagaan, Jodhaa Akbar), you would scale it up. Hrithik Roshan took martial arts training and talked with archaeologists to prepare for his role.ģ. Hrithik Roshan was paid Rs 68 crore for the film, the highest amount any actor in Bollywood had charged upfront till that date.Ĥ. This is Ashutosh Gowariker's second film with Hrithik Roshan after Jodhaa Akbar (2008).ĥ. Nitish Bharadwaj's first film in 22 years.Ħ. Selected as the Closing Film of the 69th Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland.ħ.
Ashutosh Gowariker was first inspired to someday make a film set in the ancient Indus Valley civilization way back when he was in Bhuj, Gujarat, scouting locations for his then-upcoming Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001), and stumbled across the massive excavations in progress at the ruins of Dholavira.Ĩ.
Director Ashutosh Gowariker's first film in 6 years after the consecutive flops of What's Your Raashee? (2009) and Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey (2010).ĩ. Ashutosh Gowariker took three years to research and piece together a plot of the entire civilization through various cities and weave a love story into it. He met as many as seven archaeologists who are closely involved in excavating sites and studying the Indus Valley Civilization and came up with a 300-page script which he then reduced to 80 pages to get Hrithik Roshan to accept the lead role.ġ0. Professor Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, widely considered as one of the world's leading experts on the ancient Indus Valley civilization, visited Bhuj to inspect and approve the sets and props built by the filmmakers.ġ1. Watch your favourite movies online in all languages and genres like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Action, Romance, Comedy and more. Ashutosh Gowarikar and A.R Rahman's fourth collaboration after Lagaan, Swades, and Jodhaa Akbar.ġ2.