Jodha-Akbar angers Rajputs in Rajasthan

After people in Lucknow took an objection to J.P. Dutta’s Umrao Jaan, it is Ashutosh Gowariker’s JodhaAkbar that has stirred a hornet’s nest with Rajputs in Rajasthan. Sources reveal that the Rajputs are going to request the state government not to allow Gowariker to shoot his film in Rajasthan.

“According to them, Gowariker’s script misrepresents facts and they do not want Rajputs to be shown in poor light,” revealed a source. The Rajput community is planning to take legal action against the filmmaker to stall the film.

If reports are to be believed, Gowariker had a quiet mahurat recently and the lead pair Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan, who play Jodhabai and Akbar respectively, have begun shooting for the film in Rajasthan. Jodha-Akbar tells the story of a love affair that blossomed between the Hindu Rajput princess

Jodhabai and the Mughal emperor Akbar.

Revealing the story of JodhaAkbar, a source close to Gowariker said, “During that period, the Mughal emperor was reigning supreme. He had conquered many places, including some parts of Afghanistan. It was during this time that Akbar also had good relations with the Rajputs and was known to be loyal to them.

Jodha was a Rajput princess known for her fiery nature. In a bid to further strengthen his relationship with the Rajputs, Akbar proposes marriage to Jodha.

It was this political move that Jodha resented. She felt reduced to being a mere pawn in this political game. Akbar had to then prove that his love for her was genuine.” There were also reports that the Rajput princess Jodhabai was a fictitious character. Few know that in K. Asif’s Mughale-Azam, it was actress Durga Khote who enacted the role of Jodhabai while actor Prithviraj Kapoor played emperor Akbar.

Source:PARAG MANIAR