Jodhaa Akbar in Telugu
Jodhaa Akbar has had a triumphant release in Telugu. “The film is doing really well in its Telugu version, not that well in the Tamil version. How do we explain that, since the Hindi version was released in both Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu before the regional versions? Distributors say that the Hollywood period film 10,000 B.C. was released in Tamil Nadu alongside Jodhaa Akbar.”
Ashutosh seems unconvinced by that logic. But you can’t argue with the box office. And the box office has been utterly kind to Jodhaa Akbar. “I don’t know the facts and figures,” shrugs Gowariker. “The success of Jodhaa Akbar has given me the freedom to make my next film. That’s what matters for me.” After having pulled itself out of the clutches of the protesters, Jodhaa Akbar seems to be on the way to becoming a big success.
“Frankly it’s a relief. I first had to deal with the film’s uncontrollable length. It isn’t as if I set out to make long films. But Lagaan turned out to be three hours 42 minutes long. Jodhaa Akbar was comparatively shorter. Anyway the length issue has been resolved in the audiences’ mind. Maybe I should make a short and racy thriller next just to prove I can make shorter films. I’m yet to feel a sense of triumph that I should be feeling. But it’s been a long battle. And we’ve managed to get the film extricated in MP and UP. But Rajasthan remains a sore point. I feel the film belongs to Rajasthan. How can it not be released there?” he says.
Tags: aishwarya rai, hrithik roshan