Eklavya: Love, family, murder. And some awesomely gorgeous colors
The movie I am most looking forward to in the next couple of months is not a Hollywood one. Nor is it an Asian one *gasp*
What is it? It is the Bollywood movie Eklavya, starring Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan and Amitabh Bachchan. By the same people (and with a lot of the same actors) who made my favorite Bollywood movie of 2005, Parineeta. And the couple in that one, Saif/Vidya, are also a couple in this one, and I am in heaven.
For nine generations his family has protected the Kings of Devigarh, a centuries old citadel in Rajasthan. Eklavya (Amitabh Bachchan) trains everyday, from sunrise to sunset, with one steadfast goal in mind: protect the king. In an independent, democratic modern India, the King (Boman Irani) is a mere figurehead, an archaic relic of the past. But this does not alter Eklavya's zeal toward his duty. Eklavya remains in a self-imposed time wrap. With the passage of time, his marksmanship becomes the stuff of legends, and his unflinching loyalty inspires ballads. The arrival of Prince Harshwardhan (Saif Ali Khan), for the deceased Queen's (Sharmila Tagore) funeral rites brings solace to Eklavya. Harshwardhan is barely tolerant towards the suffocating customs of his land but he feels a strange affection for the aging bodyguard and his eccentricities. But the fragile peace of the land is shattered by bullets. The bloodshed, which ensues, engulfs the life of both Eklavya and the Prince. What follows is a contemporary edge-of-the-seat thriller with characters such as the irreverent police officer Pannalal Chauhar (Sanjay Dutt), the king's wily younger brother (Jackie Shroff), his murderous son (Jimmy Sheirgill), the mentally challenged princess (Rimi Sen) and the prince's first love, Rajjo (Vidya Balan).
What is it? It is the Bollywood movie Eklavya, starring Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan and Amitabh Bachchan. By the same people (and with a lot of the same actors) who made my favorite Bollywood movie of 2005, Parineeta. And the couple in that one, Saif/Vidya, are also a couple in this one, and I am in heaven.
For nine generations his family has protected the Kings of Devigarh, a centuries old citadel in Rajasthan. Eklavya (Amitabh Bachchan) trains everyday, from sunrise to sunset, with one steadfast goal in mind: protect the king. In an independent, democratic modern India, the King (Boman Irani) is a mere figurehead, an archaic relic of the past. But this does not alter Eklavya's zeal toward his duty. Eklavya remains in a self-imposed time wrap. With the passage of time, his marksmanship becomes the stuff of legends, and his unflinching loyalty inspires ballads. The arrival of Prince Harshwardhan (Saif Ali Khan), for the deceased Queen's (Sharmila Tagore) funeral rites brings solace to Eklavya. Harshwardhan is barely tolerant towards the suffocating customs of his land but he feels a strange affection for the aging bodyguard and his eccentricities. But the fragile peace of the land is shattered by bullets. The bloodshed, which ensues, engulfs the life of both Eklavya and the Prince. What follows is a contemporary edge-of-the-seat thriller with characters such as the irreverent police officer Pannalal Chauhar (Sanjay Dutt), the king's wily younger brother (Jackie Shroff), his murderous son (Jimmy Sheirgill), the mentally challenged princess (Rimi Sen) and the prince's first love, Rajjo (Vidya Balan).