‘Mohenjo Daro’ movie review: A magnificent piece of cinematic art

Directed by: Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced by: Siddharth Roy Kapur, Sunita Gowariker
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pooja Hegde, Kabir Bedi, Arunoday Singh
Duration: 2 hours 30 minute
Bollywood Bubble Rating: 3.5/5

A period drama is always a risky genre to attempt. But the marvel named Ashutosh Gowarikar is known to put his hands on this genre, and often come out successful. This time however, it was a bit different for him. ‘Mohenjo Daro’ is set in one of the earliest civilizations that the history has witnessed, the Indus Valley Civilization. With only a little information in hand about the era, let’s see whether Ashutosh along with his leading man, Hrithik Roshan, and debutant Pooja Hegde has managed to impress us or not.

The movie starts in the prehistoric Indus Valley, where the emperor of Mohenjo Daro, Maham (Kabir Bedi), is about to destroy one of the oldest cities in the ancient world for his greed of gold. A young indigo farmer, Sarman, comes in the city to sell indigo where he meets Chaani, the daughter of the Priest. Chaani is predicted to be the origin of a new society and is about to get married to Maham’s son (Arunoday Singh). Sarman falls for Chaani and also discovers his past in the city. How will Sarman save the city from Maham’s evil mind? This is what forms the rest of the story.

The movie had intrigued us ever since the trailer hit the screens, and the film sure stands true to our expectations. Ashutosh is known to do his homework quite well when it comes to his films. While there were risks of the film being factually incorrect, the filmmaker has taken care of even the slightest of details including, the seals, the internal and international trade details, the streets, and houses, the language used in the era to the costumes and the exquisite weights and measures system. He takes the viewers back to their history books. Ashutosh’s imagination certainly deserves an applaud here.

Speaking of performances, Hrithik Roshan is a delight in every scene. No one could have portrayed the role of Sarman better than the actor. From his action sequences to his expressions and dialogue delivery, you will instantly fall for him. Kabir Bedi and Arunoday Singh are perfect in their parts and their evil selves will give you the chills. Considering her first film, Pooja Hegde is beautiful and has done a wonderful job. She however has to work on her expressions in emotional sequences.

The cinematography is very beautiful and picturesque, and captures the opulence. Just like all of Ashutosh’s films, the production designing and the sets are magnificent. The editing is kept quite crisp, and the VFX deserves a special mention. While the film excels in the technical department, the director lacks a bit in the story department. The first half is rather slow paced, with a mundane script, but it is the second half that captures our interest. It is kept crisp and nail biting. The editing is tight and though maestro A.R. Rahman’s music in the film is not the type that will lure you instantly, but it totally gels in with the mood of the film.

The movie has some edge of the seat moments including the opening sequence of Sarman’s encounter with a crocodile to his fight sequence in the second half. The climax is gripping.

On a whole, this is not the kind of film that regular movie goers may be looking for, but ‘Mohenjo Daro’ is a great piece of cinematic art and is worth a watch.

Check out the trailer here: