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Eklavya ***
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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 |
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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.
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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. |
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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 |
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*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME
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