Eklavya (एकलव्य)(Hindi, 2007)

In the realm of Indian mythology, there is a constant need to define what "dharma" is or what is the right thing to do. Several instances of sacrifices are quoted where people do senseless, impractical, even wrong things in order to follow some stupid tradition or belief. In Mahabharata, the story of Eklavya, the tribal student who became a master archer just by his dedication to his goal but then sacrifices his thumb to his assumed teacher Dronacharya in the name of his duty, is an episode which very few sensible people have been able to digest.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra has named his protagonist Eklavya (Amitabh Bachchhan). His Eklavya is a guard of a Rajasthani prince Rana Jaywardhan (Boman Irani) and has the same sense of dedication to his duty and goal that his eponymous mythological character has. The movie begins with a disclosure, that Prince Harshawardhan (Saif Ali Khan) is actually Eklavya's son. Rana Jaywardhan plots to kill Eklavya with the help of his brother Rana Jyotiwardhan (Jackie Shroff) and nephew Udaywardhan (Jimmy Shergill); but gets killed himself. Eklavya is bound by his duty to punish the killers of his king, but when he finds out that prince Harshawardhan is involved, will Eklavya again sacrifice what is dear to him in the name of duty or will he realise that "dharma" is not a dead concept bound by traditions, but is defined by what is right in terms of the current context? Rajjo (Vidya Balan) plays Harshawardhan's love interest.

A very beautifully shot film. Cinematography in Rajasthan's forts and desert background is simply amazing. You can see the movie just for that. You can also see the movie for its tight storyline and direction. It is a very short movie, going by Bollywood standards, in that its running length is around 90 minutes. A very effective movie, nonetheless. The performances are also quite good. Vidhu Vinod Chopra has come up with a winner here.

Recommendation - Watch it on big screen. Those scenes of Rajasthan are breathtaking.

Rating - ✔✔✔