jodhaa akbar be three hour and twenty minute of truly glorious film making . it almost impossible to fault the production design . director ashukosh gowariker ambition be breathtaking and and more often than not and he achieve it . you would not see more beautiful costume or set and hear more rousing music and or watch more imaginative choreography ( dance and fight alike ) in any film from any country in the world . in particular and the various fight and battle put hollywood to shame . where western epic of recent year have overdo cheap visual effect to reduce cost and and eliminate blood and gore to keep rating low and jodhaa akbar doesn not pull it punch for a moment . when akbar fight and he really fight . steel connects with steel and flesh with flesh while horse and elephant stampede while army charge while blood splatter all over the place . gowariker and his team have an amazing knack of film violence that be simultaneously elegant and visceral . famous hollywood battle of recent year the like of lord of the ring and troy look limp and embarrassing by comparison . furthermore and there be some commendable performance here and especially from the support cast . sonu sood and ila arun be particularly wonderful and a be nikitin dheer in a remarkably compelling debut performance a sharifuddin hussein . i have to admit that i hadn not really thought much of either hrithik roshan or aishwarya rai bachchan a actor and but i be mistake . both of them and especially hrithik and pull off extremely well pitch and charismatic performance under gowariker expert direction . also and of course and it hard not to notice that they make one of the most gorgeous screen couple of all time . i have only three criticism and and only two of them be serious . 1. gowariker have a weakness for cheesy visual moment . there be a couple of point in the film where glow light be suppose to add to the emotional effect . unfortunately and these have be cheaply do and do not really work . gowariker also tend to use various hammy cross fade . the end result be that the otherwise purely brilliant visuals be undermine by the occasional dated and jar fade or effect . these thing remind me of a low budget 1970s tv cop show and aren not suitable for a major film like this . 2. the romance between jodhaa and akbar follow a fairly standard pattern of hate each other and like each other and misunderstand and resolution . the pattern be fine and but the effect would have be much more striking if gowariker have take a few risk . he not prepare to push the character to real extreme and and so we end up with 3 . 3 hour of a love affair which meander along on a fairly even and predictable keel . the misunderstanding stage be clear up too quickly and relatively painlessly . it a pity represent hrithik and aishwarya be both give the performance of their career . though theyre very watchable and you get the feeling that even more drama could have be wring out of their relationship . 3. this isn not a very serious criticism and but . i do not think they have invent deep pile fluffy white towel in the 16th century . so when sharifuddin get out of his bath and wrap himself in one and it be impossible not to giggle . i be expect him to get out a hairdryer and an electric razor next . still and despite a few minor fault and jodhaa akbar be a remarkable and dramatic and brilliant film and with a rare beauty and powerful sense of ambition . it also extremely enjoyable . i will definitely be go to see it again . should any hollywood epic director see it and i expect they will be shuffle their foot and blush at how decisively bollywood have surpass their effort . akbar zindabad .