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Eklavya ***

 
Eklavya is a fascinating film -one of those films you watch for sheer visual pleasure. Set in contemporary Rajasthan, the story of Eklavya unravels within the majestic palace of the royal family of the Ranas who no longer rule in these times of democracy but still follow a lifestyle inherited from royal lineage. It's the story of Eklavya, the royal guard, who is responsible for the safety of a family that is riddled with intrigue and secrets. And Eklavya has moments of perfect artistry, like when murders are plotted in the midst of a speeding train and a herd of dusty camel hooves. Every grain of sand glistening in the blinding rays of the hot desert sun is magnificent. These moments continue and keep you riveted to the screen throughout the film
 
Unfortunately the characters in Eklavya fall secondary in importance to the imagery. Amitabh has a lot of screen presence and certainly lives up to it but he too falls prey to the backdrop. The rest are cast in an extremely compromising position. Saif Ali Khan as the humble, English speaking Nawab mourning the death of his mother, brings forth no originality or surprise. He is given a role that merely stems off from his real life and his character in Parineeta. The same goes for Vidya Balan who is so ineffective that she becomes pathetic in the shadow of Lolita (again, Parineeta). It would have been simpler to have done without her as she provides nothing concrete to the plot except for a letter that could have been handed to any other confidant.
 
Sanjay Dutt makes a mighty appearance and arrives with high impact, but his role is too brief and too sketchy to rise with the merit he deserves. Unfortunately that seems to be the rule of thumb for most characters in Eklavya. Sharmila Tagore enters and exits in no time and Boman Irani delivers a good performance but again, is not given the opportunity to evolve. Jackie Shroff and Jimmy Shergill are no different. They die as inconsequently as they live. Raima Sen, the mentally challenged daughter, does prove essential to the plot but her importance is short lived. It seems that Vidhu Vinod Chopra, having established a certain level of professional comfort with most of these actors in Parineeta, simply displaces the actors from one film to another, concentrating on how to make the backdrop picture perfect in the meanwhile.
 
But boy, is it picture perfect. The cinematography alone makes Eklavya well worth a watch. Having said that, a lot more could have been achieved in the refreshingly short movie (it runs under 2 hours) that has only one song to its musical credit. Vidhu Vinod Chopra seems to be borrowing the concepts of this films from contemporary "film formulas" including Shakespearean interpretations, the visual grandeur of India and storylines that attempt to juxtapose the glorious past with the modern day grandeur, thus making the final concoction much more palatable for a foreign audience. Will Eklavya make it to the Oscars as India's official entry next year ?
– Aamna Haider Isani
 
*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME