Mohenjo Daro

Director: Ashutosh Gowariker

Writer: Ashutosh Gowariker

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Pooja Hegde, Kabir Bedi

Strength:  Story, Action

Weakness: Cast

Runtime: 155 min

Rating: 3.5/5

Plot: The story of a farmer who leads an uprising in the historic city of Mohenjo Daro.

Review: The movie opens with a vast expanse of rocky landscape, where Sharman, played by Hrithik Roshan is seen rowing along a lake with his village acquaintances to find and kill a man-eating alligator. This is where the first shortcoming is spotted as his victory over the alligator gives away his unusual invincibility.

Excluding the stellar performance provided by Hrithik Roshan, the rest of the cast provided a somewhat ordinary display of acting. The role of Maham was portrayed by Kabir Bedi, who is usually good at portraying antagonistic parts, but could not do so effectively in this film.  The portrayal of Chaani by the newcomer Pooja Hegde had lacking in many aspects. Son of the Pradhan, Moonja, had a strong character and was played by Arunoday Singh effectively. Hrithik Roshan managed to hold the film together with his controlled performance, filling in for the shortcomings of the movie. 

Director Ashutosh Gowariker's attempt of literal interpretation of historical artefacts into the story seems unnatural, especially the unicorn that Sarman keeps seeing, and the headdress worn by Chaani that resembles the figurine of Mohenjo Daro's mother goddess. 

There is not a central plot in the film; rather, the movie is filled with sub-plots that range from a love story, a revenge plot or an epic adventure, making it full of possibilities. The movie stretches over 2 hours long and due to the perfect timing of the climax the film manages to retain viewership till the end. Gowariker's creative take on the historical land and a re-imagination of the era is a pleasant experience on the whole.



Reviewed By: Syed Ahnaf Sadeed