Akshay Shah Reviews "EKLAVYA-The Royal Guard" (Hindi, 2007)

Akshay Shah Reviews “EKLAVYA-The Royal Guard (Hindi, 2007)

Vidhu Vinod Chopra, a name synonymous with quality films right from his classic debut as a director with KHAMOSH to his last release as a producer LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI. EKLAVYA was a subject that Vidhu Vinod Chopra had been wanting to make since 1981 and he has gone on record to say this is his “dream movie”. A gigantic cast with some of the most talented actors we have in India today, a unique and extremely exciting story, outstanding promos which promise technical excellence and above all, the hope that Vidhu Vinod Chopra had indeed made his first classic since PARINDA, so does the movie live upto these enormous expectations? Yes, but only to an extent. The movie does have it’s share of flaws as well, and given I was expecting a outright classic, in some sense I was slightly disappointed and will need to watch the movie a couple more times before giving my final verdict. However the keyword here is “slightly” as without a doubt EKLAVYA is one of the most rich in content, deep in themes, superbly executed, brilliantly acted and above all technically outstanding films I have seen in recent times.




As the titles appear on-screen the movie begins with Eklavya (Amitabh Bachchan) recalling the story of Eklavya from the Mahabharat. This sets the scene for what’s to follow as throughout, the movie directly and figuratively refers to the refers back to the legend.

The movie revolves around a jealous and ungrateful ruler Rana Jayawardhan (Boman Irani) who strangles his dying wife Rani Suhasinidevi (Sharmila Tagore) to death as she is uttering the name of Eklavya-the royal guard (Amitabh Bachchan) in her dying moments. Eklavya is a man who lives in a timewarp, and though times have moved on Eklavya lives only to protect the kingdom, the dynasty and above all the King. His eyes aren’t as strong as they used to be, and physically age has taken a toll on Eklavya however his skills are still unmatched. Eklavya and 9 generations of his family before then have given their whole life to the service of guarding the Royal family as well as their secrets. The death of the queen brings her estranged son and heir to the throne Prince Hashwardhan(Saif Ali Khan) back to India. The prince had been staying abroad in London as he isn’t able to bear the traditions and customs of his land which he finds suffocating. Rana Jawardhans brother Jyotiwardhan(Jackie Shroff) and nephew Udaywardhan(Jimmy Shergill) have their eyes set on the kingdom, however the return of the Prince causes complications in their plans. The Princes childhood sweetheart Rajjo(Vidya Balan) who has been looking after his mentally challenged sister Princess Nandhini(Raima Sen) on the other hand are delighted to see the return of the Prince. However the happiness is shortlived and there is unrest in the kingdom as all is not that meets the eye. Rana Jayawardhan receives a death threat and Inspector Pannalal Chhohar(Sanjay Dutt) is called to investigate the death threat, however things take a drastic turn as Rana Jayawardhan is murdered by a barrage of bullets and Eklavya isn’t able to save the King. Who is behind the murders? What follows next is a dark, brooding, and extremely poetic tale of dharma, honour, respect, family, and revenge as the closely guarded secrets of the Royal family are revealed and the blood starts to flow....



As a writer Vidhu Vinod Chopra owes as much to the Mahabharat as he does to Shakespeare in a story that cleverly fuses the two together in a contemporary thriller. It wouldn’t be far fetched to say that Vidhu Vinod Chopras fusion of the two in a thriller format is one of the most seamless stories ever written. The combination of Mahabharat and Shakespeare is extremely appealing and akin to revisiting your favourite childhood stories. It is evident that this is a story very close to Chopras heart and his passion flows throughout. The screenplay of the movie is great, however given everything all other departments in the movie are outstanding, the flaws do stand out in many places. Writers Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Abhijat Joshi deserve a standing ovation for their work here as the movie breaks the usual filmi traditions and presents the viewer with one of the most flawless narrative techniques in recent times. This is a technique Vidhu Vinod Chopra earlier used to perfection in PARINDA and MISSION: KASHMIR as well. Right from when the opening credits finish rolling the movie throws the viewer right into the middle of the story and letting the characters develop AROUND the story rather than spending time introducing and developing the characters and then moving the story forward. The first 15 minutes of the movie is simply perfect, and the death of the Rani is scene that gets clearly etched into the viewers minds and sets the scene for what’s to follow. The first half keeps the viewer completely mesmerised as the twists and turns keep the proceedings on tenterhooks as well as introduction of characters at the right moments which only “up” the proceedings further. The second half of the story too keeps the viewer on the edge of their seats, and the beauty of the movie is the viewer is compelled to think “what will happen next”? To flow and pace of the music is simply magical to say the least…





Director Vidhu Vinod Choprs returns to his directional roots after a hiatus of 7 years, and frankly the wait has been worth it. He cements the fact that he is without a doubt one of the finest directors and storytellers we have in India today, and the brave director who challenged and broke norms with films like SAZAA-E-MAUT, KHAMOSH and PARINDA is very much still alive in him today. This is easily Vidhu Vinod Chopras best film since PARINDA, and the movie bears the stamp of a “classy” product in every frame. Those expecting a hardcore “masala” film will be disappointed, as the movie falls more into the OMKARA category as a classy film, this however is NOT at the expense of entertainment as Chopra is extremely careful to not alienate the viewer in anyway. Infact, OMKARA had more “masala” in it then EKLAVYA does, though EKLAVYA is more traditional in it’s themes. The themes are larger than life, the story completely indentifiable, and the movie consists of romance, comedy, drama, action and music too, but this has all been merged beautifully into one. Chopras vision is clear from the outset, and given he has allowed the movie 150 minutes, he directs what can only be called one of the tightest thrillers to come out in recent times, though the emphasis here is equally on drama and poetic nuance as well. On a personal level, I did find the movie too short, and I would’ve done with more “mass appealing “scenes i.e more scenes with Sanjay Dutts character however this isn’t something the story needed, but it sure would’ve added more to the entertainment factor.




There are many scenes that are left etched in the viewers minds long after the movie finishes, and these include…

• The death Sharmila Tagore
• The introduction of Sanjay Dutt and the scenes that follow in the palace which is no doubt one of the most crowd-pleasing and mass-appealing scenes in the whole movie.
• The ghungroo sequence with a blindfolded Eklavya separating the ghungroo from the pigeon.
• The death of Boman Irani just before the interval-simply mindblowing.
• The executions of Jimmy Shergill and Jackie Shroff which have been canned to absolute perfection.

Where Vidhu Vinod Chopra deserves the biggest credit is the manner in which he merges style and content into one with such admirable ease and the conviction of the director oozes in each and every frame, and there are times when you get so soaked into the story that it has a almost hypnotic euophoric affect on you.



The movie does have its fair share of flaws as well.

The first flaw I had with the movie was some of the characters haven’t been clearly etched out, and given the short length it was something I had expected. The main one that stands out is the character of Raima Sen, who isn’t given enough footage in the second half given she plays a key part in the movie and her character is vital to the story. Sanjay Dutt too is a glorified cameo here and only appears in the movie three times and though Dutt leaves a unforgettable mark in the scenes he has, I just couldn’t help wishing there was more.



The second flaw, and this one I found more vital, was that the movie finished too quickly for me. Given the large scale and “epic” canvas and story of the movie, I felt Vidhu Vinod Chopra could’ve spent more time in fleshing out his character furthers to evoke a deeper affect. Take for example the scene where the identify of the “killer” is revealed, and the subsequent scenes that follow up to the climax. The climax came too suddenly, and the movie did leave me wanting more, even if it was another 20-25 minutes. I must add the actual climax itself I didn’t have a problem with, as it leaves the viewer with a smile on their face as they leave the cinema halls.

The performances in the movie are no doubt the backbone of the venture, and the talented cast performs their part with absolute perfection and precision leaving a lasting impression…

What can one say about Amitabh Bachchan? The 65 yearold super-star delivers yet another outstanding performance in his illustrious career and this is yet AGAIN one of his finest performances since his comeback. As far as comparisons, I would still rank his performance in AKS, KHAKEE, DEV and VIRRUDH higher than EKLAVYA. He plays the ageing royal guard to absolute perfection and “lives” the role. This is a character which relies more on Bachchans eyes, body language and iconic presence to do the talking, and lets just say Bachchans eyes deliver a thousand words. A deeply emotional character, this is a performance I found slowly grows on you more and more as the film progresses and you don’t quiet realise how much it has grown until the movie is over. Each and every look from Amitabh is simply incredible, and the pain, anguish and anger in his eyes have to be seen to be believed. Just witness the scene he watches Saif flying the kites from far away, the argument with Sanjay Dutt, the murders of Jackie and Jimmy and finally, the scene just before the climax where he comes face to face with Saif.Like I said…What can one say about Amitabh Bachchan? To cite a recent quote I read recently, “one sun, one moon, one Amitabh”!




No doubt Saif Ali Khan is a force to reckon with, and with performances like EK HASINA THI, PARINEETA, BEING CYRUS and OMKARA he has proven that time and time again. The actor again delivers a superlative account of himself in a role that fits in hand-in-glove. Like Bachchan, Saifs character is one that relies heavily on his soulful silence and expressive eyes a LOT to express the emotions of his deeply troubled character, and he comes out with flying colours. He looks every inch the part, and shares superb chemistry with Amitabh Bachchan. The duo share some very refreshing screen chemistry and Saifs biggest compliment would be that he manages to hold his own against the scenes he has with Bachchan. Just witness the scene at the funeral pyre after the funeral or the climax scene. However I must add, with EK HASINA THI, and the recent OMKARA Saif has set the parameter too high for himself, and EKLAVYA doesn’t reach the heights of Karan Rathod or Langda Tyagi.



Sanjay Dutts role consist of 3-4 scenes! Those expecting a outright Sanjay Dutt starrer beware that the movie is NOT by any means a “Sanjay Dutt film” as such. However it wouldn’t be an understatement to say Sanjay Dutt is outstanding in the scenes he has and leaves an unforgettable impression. In a completely mass-appealing and crowd-pleasing performance Dutt shines and EATS the screen with his presence. Right from his walk to his delivery and dialogues he wins the viewer over and leaves us wanting more. His introductory sequence and the subsequent scene with Boman had the viewers and audiences in a barrage of applauses, and once again in the final scene. On the acting front, he excels in the “confrontation” scene with Amitabh. A very iconic performance that fits Sanjay Dutt to a T, and if anything this is closer to Sanjay Dutts performances in DEEWARR-LETS BRING OUR HEROES HOME(though much shorter in length), VIRRUDH and PARINEETA.

Vidya Balan is good in an under-baked role. One wishes that more attention had been paid to her characterisation, especially in the second half. The actress looks simply stunning and excels in the scenes she has with Saif Ali Khan. This is no doubt another winning performance in her amazing track-record.

Boman Irani is simply DELIGHTFUL! The actors range and versatility simply amazes me, and no doubt Irani simply excels in a negative role with a punch, and EKLAVYA offers Irani just that. The movie starts with him reciting lines from Shakespeare which has an eerie effect, and he too holds his own against the mammoth cast and delivers a fine-tuned and deliciously over-the-top performance.

Jimmy Shergill is effective in his part, and plays a somewhat clichéd character with total relish and passion.

After a long time one gets to see Jackie Shroff in a decent role. No this is NOT a PARINDA or a 1942: A LOVE STORY, however it does give the actor a character to sink his teeth into fully and he fleshes it out to perfection. His diction and persona here bears more than a passing resemblance to his wickedly entertaining act in Chopras previous film MISSION: KASHMIR.




Raima Sen leaves her mark with a under-developed character. Sharmila Tagore is wonderful in a cameo, and she looks stunning and classy as ever here as the Queen. Having her play Saifs “reel” life mother infact heightened the impact. Parikshit Sahani appears after gap and plays his part well.

Swanand Kirkires dialogues are some of the best I have heard in recent times since OMKARA! So opulent and absolutely poetic and perfectly in sync with the mood of the story that the dialogues stand out in each and every scene.

Shantanu Moitra has only one song which is merged perfectly with the films narrative and the song is an absolute delight. A lullaby which is a haunting and lilting listen. The background score too is outstanding, and lifts the impact of many scenes a few notches higher.

Technically this is one of THE BEST FILMS I have ever seen, and this is one aspect where I expected EKLAVYA to excel…and it does! The visuals in this movie are some of the most enticing, exciting and picture-perfect I have ever witnessed, and it totally hypnotises the viewer in each and every frame. Each and every shot it like a beautiful painting and I totally bow my head to cinematographer S. Natarajan Subhramanium for his OUTSTANDING work. A film or art student could write pages of praise on the imagery and visuals of EKLAVYA, and quiet frankly, but the movie is worth a watch more than once for the stunning camerawork alone. The majestic palace with all its glory, the mysterious nights, and the vast Rajasthani desert has never looked better. Nitin Desais artwork perfectly compliments Subhramaniums camerawork, and deserves a round of applause. Raghavendra Rathores costumes are authentic to the core and completely in sync with the movie. Tinu Anands action is awe-inspiring to say the least, and the much talked about action sequence with the camels and the trains is every inch worth the discussion as it’s a poetic work of art merged with blistering excitement-heartening to see Tinu Verma back in such great form after a long time.



All up where does that leave EKLAVYA? Well, the movie is no doubt a MUST-SEE on every level, and though the flaws that are there do stand out it’s because the rest of the movie is close to perfection. A majestic and classy effort from the entire team in creating what is one of the most dramatic, involving and exciting thrillers to be made. An exemplary fusion of style and content laced with some superlative performances which marks the welcome return of a truly talented director in excellent form…till next time Mr Vidhu Vinod Chopra, I’ll be waiting!

Overall Rating=8.5/10.0

A.Shah

Pictures courtesy of www.indiafm.com