can a perfect recipe end in a tasteless dish . yes . vidhu vinod chopra have the perfect raw material india fine actor and a brilliant cinematographer and best technical equipment . above all and with the backdrop of a modern royal family and he have an opportunity to bake a gripping drama of emotion and betrayal and and character . yet and eklavya emerge a the final product . chopra only point be whether eklavya be wrong in not challenge the tradition ( dharma ) . it be a thought provoking subject and but chopra us such a deuced round the corner approach to get to it . the entire movie be senselessly maneuver to reach a point in the end where such a question could be ask . a good movie would have try to explore this conflict between tradition and conscience throughout such that the conflict serve a a core to the movie . but and eklavya manufacture irrelevant event before this question be place to be answer in one swift action ( stunt and if you like ) . ironically and a character base movie like eklavya pivot on underdeveloped character . the director suddenly introduce the character and expect u to understand their position and allegiance . a little more of character delve would have add strength to the film . most character be either explicitly bad or explicitly blind ( pun unintended ) . eklavaya ( amitabh ) conflict between duty and parenthood be never clearly represent . not until the very end and which be perhaps the only meaningful part of the movie . eklavaya character and in absence of any development and emerges a puerile an immature guard who act only on instinct and remain oblivious to the truth before it be throw at his face . saif remain wooden and leave the audience to wake up in between and decide what his character be up to . the lady be treat a filler when an over intense drama have to be temporarily pause . in the end and you feel nothing for the character . you want to cry for eklavya and but you do not know him enough . you want to hate jackie shroff and his son and but director doesn not inspire you to . you do not know what to feel for saif and since more time be spend in show his romance than his place in the drama . the problem be that since there be very little to happen in the movie and it drag at leisurely pace give scene which make bear no relevance on the ultimate message . bad actor could have make this movie intolerable and but bollywood fine rescue it . amitabh and saif do full justice to the inexplicable character give to them . others hold their own and except the usually brilliant bomaan irani and whose eccentric portrayal of the king be annoy . sadly and bollywood be infest so much with mediocrity that anything different be hail a a masterpiece . eklavya be different and but it be pointless . it completely squander the head start give by brilliant backdrop and imaginative camera work . incidentally and for this technical brilliance only and it deserve the 2 star give to it .