JESSICA SIMPSON REGRETS RESTYLANE LIPS

American pop singer and actress Jessica Simpson admits that she regrets having puffed up her lips. The reason for the regret is because she looks like "a blowfish". Simpson was made fun by the U.S. tabloids when it became obvious that she'd had cosmetic work done on her lips last year (07).

But for a change, now it is the singer herself who has admitted that the Restylane lip enhancement was a bad idea. "My lips look fine the way they are," Contactmusic quoted her as having told People magazine. (chinadaily.com.cn/Agencies)

BRUCE WILLIS' GIRLFRIEND STRIPS OFF FOR LINGERIE CAMPAIGN

Bruce Willis is already a die hard fan, now girlfriend Emma Heming is putting her car-crash curves on show for all the world to see. The model has just been named the new face of La Senza and stars in the lingerie firm's racy new ad campaign.

It's not the 29-year-old's first attempt at stardom - she has also made attempts at breaking into acting, with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in Entourage in 2006. Still, Emma, who was born in Britain and raised in north London and California, managed to capture the attention of Willis, 53, six months ago, and the pair have been dating since.

Some observers have noted Emma appears to be Demi Moore 2.0 - a younger version of his ex wife, complete with flowing brunette tresses, neat facial features and of course, a knock-out body.

"Bruce has fallen for Emma big time," a source has said.
"He is in it for the long-term with her."
"He has enjoyed the bachelor lifestyle for a good few years but thinks the time is right to settle down," the source added.

Willis' daughters Tallulah Belle, 14, Scout, 16, and Rumer, 19, have embraced his new girlfriend into their family and Demi, 45, has too - last month she invited the model to a premiere of her film Flawless in New York. Of course, it was Willis who set the precedent after making a concerted effort to be on friendly terms with Demi's new love, Ashton Kutcher, 30.

He is now so close to the Charlie's Angels star and her husband - they even holiday together.
Despite splitting up in 1998, 11 years after they married, the action star revealed recently: "I love Demi, and I know she loves me." (chinadaily.com.cn/Agencies)

GISELE BUNDCHEN IS TOP EARNING MODEL

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen remains the highest-earning catwalk queen after raking in more than 35 million U.S. dollars last year, Forbes.com revealed on Wednesday.

Bundchen, 27, may have ended her long-standing agreement with Victoria's Secret in 2007, but the blonde beauty still has around 20 contracts and has appeared in ads for Disney, Nivea and Aquascutum.

Bundchen, the former girlfriend of Leonardo DiCaprio and current partner of American football star Tom Brady, earned more than double the second highest paid model on the list, Germany's Heidi Klum.

Klum, 34, earned 14 million dollars through her modelling, media and fashion business interests.

Third on the list was British supermodel Kate Moss. Despite ending campaigns with several high-profile labels, the waif-like icon was able to net around 7.5 million thanks to the success of her fashion line.

Moss also continues to work for Donna Karan, Longchamp, Agent Provocateur, Yves Saint Laurent, Roberto Cavalli and Rimmel, Forbes noted. (chinadaily.com.cn/Agencies)

KATE HUNDSON TOPS LIST OF MOST BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

Kate Hudson has topped the World's Most Beautiful People list in People magazine, landing the cover of the annual beauties issue.

People editors chose Hudson as their cover model for her natural beauty, pointing out that the actress "doesn't owe her famous sun-kissed looks to thousands of hours logged at a spa." Hudson beat Salma Hayek, Mary J. Blige and Bruce Willis and Demi Moore's eldest daughter Rumer Willis, who poses provocatively on a picnic table, wearing a gothic dress and ankle-length dominatrix boots for her People picture.

Also named on the new World's Most Beautiful People list are comedian Sarah Silverman, Christina Applegate, new mom Isla Fisher, the cast of TV phenomenon Gossip Girl and celebrity couples Jessica Alba and Cash Warren and Eva Longoria and Tony Parker.

(Agencies. Photo China Daily)

RARE UNDERWEAR SHOOT OF SEAN CONNERY

Sean Connery in "From Russia With Love." A previously unseen photograph of the 007 star has emerged in which he's wearing nothing but underpants. -

Not many have expected ex-Bond Sean Connery to pose nude for a picture, but now a previously unseen photograph of the 007 star has emerged in which he's wearing nothing but underpants.

The black and white picture was bought from a private collection and shows the legendary star on the set of 1963 Bond flick "From Russia with Love" wearing a skimpy pair of white underpants. The picture in question was bought by Graham Rye, editor of Bond fanzine 007 magazine, from a collector, reports Contactmusic.

Now, Rye is more than happy to share this rare image with the public and has published it for the first time since it was taken. "It's not the sort of picture you would expect to see of him (Connery), even then, and hopefully he will see this again and have a good laugh," he said. (China Daily/Agencies)

MEL B SPICES UP ULTIMO LINGERIE

Spice Girl Mel B has been unleashed as the new face of Ultimo lingerie and if these shots are anything to judge by she's in better shape than ever.

Posing in a daring photo-shoot above the LA skyline, the 32-year-old sparkles dressed in nothing but the company's latest line of racy two-pieces and stilettos in some of the shots. The singer follows in the footsteps of supermodels Helena Christensen, Rachel Hunter and Penny Lancaster but thanks to the Spice Girls' gruelling reunion tour Mel looks just as good as her catwalk-strutting predecessors.

Her honed physique and glowing reputation stateside are reportedly the reasons behind the brand's decision to hire her. When the new appointment was leaked to The Sun earlier this month, a source from the company said: "We were blown away by the great shape she is in and desperate to land her. Mel B has never been bigger."

Mum-of-two Mel said: "I am over the moon to become the Face and Body of Ultimo lingerie. When Michelle Mone asked me, I was ecstatic. I was so excited, but slightly nervous I had never modelled lingerie before.

"The photo-shoot in LA was fantastic. Ultimo lingerie gives you a superb shape and is so comfortable with sexy styles in every collection. I took every set home with me." Meanwhile, Sarah Harding may be smarting at being replaced after just two seasons modelling for the company.

The 26-year-old signed a 100,000 deal with Ultimo in 2007 and was expected to negotiate an even bigger sum in her next contract. Upon being dropped by the label, a source close to her told the People newspaper: "Sarah's a bit upset but she is sure she won't be short of modelling offers - plus she's really busy with the group." (China Daily/Agencies)

BUDAPEST FASHION SHOW

Models present swimsuits during a fashion show in Budapest April 17, 2008.

MISS PHILIPPINES EARTH 2008

Contestants for the upcoming Miss Philippines Earth 2008 pageant hold signs encouraging motorists to cut emissions as they are presented to the media at a hotel in Manila April 29, 2008.

GISELE BUNDCHEN PRESENTS NEW SANDAL COLLECTION

Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen poses for photographers during a photocall to present her new sandals collection in Berlin April 29, 2008

SPITZER'S CALL GIRL SUES "GIRLS GONE WILD" OVER RACY VIDEOS

A call girl linked to former New York governor Eliot Spitzer, who resigned because of sex scandal, sued the founder of the "Girls Gone Wild" series for 10 million U.S. dollars for he exploited her image and name to advertise racy videos, according to media reports on Tuesday.

The call girl, Ashley Alexandra Dupre, more famous as "Kristen," filed a lawsuit Monday in Miami federal court claiming she never gave "Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis permission to use her name and likeness to advertise the videos which were taken in 2003.

Dupre said she was approached by Francis and offered alcoholic drinks when she was vacationing in Miami Beach in 2003. While intoxicated, Dupre was persuaded to expose her breasts and then told to sign a release form, according to a statement from her lawyer, Richard C. Wolfe, who also warned she was only 17 when the video was shot, not 18 as Francis claimed.

In March, Francis made a one-million-dollars offer for Dupre to appear in a "Girls Gone Wild" video and on the company's touring bus. After her archival footage from 2003 surfaced, he rescinded the offer.

Francis said he was surprised by the lawsuit. "But I think it's ironic that she charged Gov. Spitzer 2,000 dollars for sex and she wants to charge me 10 million for taking some naked pictures of her," Francis told media. "I feel like I'm getting a raw deal." (Agencies)

PLANE CRASHES IN GERMAN AIR SHOW

An aerial picture shows the site of an air crash after a propeller plane crashed into a group of people at a snack stand during an air show in Kindel near the eastern Germany city of Eisenach, April 26, 2008. The small airplane came off the runway and rolled into a group of people during take-off, killing a 45-year-old woman and injuring 10 bystanders, three of them seriously, police said on Saturday. (Xinhua/Reuters)

YUMMY MUMMY HURLEY

Not so long ago she declared that she was done with bikinis. Never again, Elizabeth Hurley said, would she sit eating lunch on a boat in a skimpy two-piece. The same went for tripping around the beach in a bikini top and skirt with her midriff showing. But as these pictures indicate, Miss Hurley will relax the rules under certain conditions.

Firstly, it must be in her best business interests, such as helping to launch a series of her own swimwear designs in a diffusion range for the High Street store Mango. And there must - read must - be an airbrush involved. In an interview to accompany these photographs in the Sunday Times Style magazine, the model and businesswoman conceded that "shooting bikinis is now my life".

She said: "I can't think of anything worse in the world than another bikini shoot - and I've got two next month. "It's unbearable and I bring it all on myself. I've got nobody else to blame." But, she revealed, she now relies on "nice photographers" and a little digital enhancement. "I like a certain amount of retouching like anybody," she admitted. Even if they have been airbrushed a little, the photos suggest that Miss Hurley, 42, has made good on her promise to "go to ground and annoy everyone by emerging thinner, sexier and mentally cleansed".

She made that vow in an interview in 2005, at the same time as she spoke of instituting her bikini ban. Miss Hurley, a mother of one, revealed that when she looked in the mirror she saw "a person who eats too much junk food and doesn't exercise. That has sadly become my reality over the past year." Commenting on one of her own designs for Elizabeth Hurley Beach, she said her days of wearing a towelling miniskirt, bikini top and flip-flops were over. "I don't feel comfortable doing that any more," she said. "As the years go by you do feel less confident about your body."

Miss Hurley is not afraid to follow strict diets when she needs to drop weight fast. Her regime after the birth of son Damian, now six, was punishing, she said at the time. "I did it by eating very little breakfast and not too much lunch. "And only boring snacks such as a banana or six raisins. The only meal I have is dinner." She lost four stone, and was back in her trademark white jeans within three months of Damian's birth. (chinadaily.com.cn/Agencies)

MEGAN FOX IS WORLD'S SEXIEST WOMAN

(Photo: chiandaily.com.cn/Agencies)
Megan Fox is seen in the scene of "Transformer." Megan Fox is the sexiest woman in the world at least according to FHM magazine. The "Transformers" co-star tops FHM's annual 100 Sexiest Womenin the World poll of FHM readers. The 21-year-old model-actress beat out the likes of Angelina Jolie(No. 12), Rihanna (No. 14), Kim Kardashian(No. 17), Paris Hilton(No. 77) and last year's champion, Jessica Alba(No. 3).

ANGELINA AS 16-YEAR-OLD SWINSUIT MODEL

The bee-stung lips, bedroom eyes and long dark locks were obviously there from the beginning. But these pictures of Angelina Jolie, taken when she was 16, highlight just what has changed since she became a star.

Though she clearly missed out on puppy fat, the teenage Miss Jolie did have rounded hips and soft fleshy arms. Today, they have gone the same way as those of any other A-lister - to mostly skin and bone. At the same time, interestingly, her chest size has increased. Her unblemished skin is also a distant memory. Miss Jolie, now 32, is understood to have at least 13 tattoos decorating her body, including the geographical co-ordinates of her children's birthplaces etched on to her left shoulder.

Angelina's teens proved a tumultuous time for her - at 14, Angelina was permitted to move in her older boyfriend into her mother Marcheline Bertrand's LA home and later dropped out of acting classes at Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. Estranged from her father, she has since admitted to suffering bouts of depression, but went on to return to theatre studies and graduate from Beverly Hills High School. Of that time, she has said: "I had that problem early on when I couldn't feel a bond with another human being. Mostly it was all about trying to connect."

While the star made her best effort to put her feminine wiles on show during the shoot, the images are positively demure compared to what was to come in the following years. The actress, then keen to make her big break, was shot by photographer Sean. As well as a shock red carpet kiss with her brother James Haven, Angelina had a bisexual relationship with a Calvin Klein model Jenny Shimizu and famously wore a vial of her then husband Billy Bob Thorton's blood around her neck.

However in the last five years and with an Oscar under her belt for Girl Interrupted, Angelina has tamed her wild child ways, successfully transforming herself into a box-office star, UN goodwill ambassador and mother of four. Angelina, who has three adopted children, Maddox, Pax Thien, Zahara and a biological daughter Shiloh, is currently pregnant with another child.

The 32-year-old recently revealed that despite worldwide interest in her and Pitt, her children just see them as very ordinary parents. She said: "I think our kids will look back on all that as being really funny when they get older, because they think of us as being really dorky - in fact, the dorkiest people on the planet!"
(Source: chinadaily.com.cn/Agencies)

ACTOR WESLEY SNIPES JAILED FOR 3 YEARS

Actor Wesley Snipes pumps his fists to his fans while leaving the federal court house in Ocala, Florida April 24, 2008. Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison on Thursday for failing to file his federal income tax returns.

The sentenced was the maximum under the law, which U.S. prosecutors had recommended for the star of the "Blade" movie series. He was found guilty in February of failing to file tax returns for 1999-2001. Attorney Robert O'Neill said Snipes deserved the harshest sentence due to years of "brazen defiance" and "insidious concealment."

PENELOPE CRUZ SET TO BARE ALL IN NEW MOVIE

Hollywood actress Penelope Cruz is set to bare all in her new movie "Elegy." In the film, Cruz stars as curvy student Consuela Castillo, who has an affair with her older professor, played by Sir Ben Kingsley. The 64-year-old veteran actor gets to have screen sex with the 33-year-old actress.

"Penelope has done screen nudity before and isn't shy about showing off her boobs and bum," The Sun quoted a film insider as saying. Anyway, the movie fans are in for a real treat.

'MISS UKRAINE' CROWNED

Iryna Zhuravska, 18, adjusts her crown after winning the "Miss Ukraine" beauty contest in Kiev April 23, 2008. Twenty-six girls from all over Ukraine took part in the contest.

MARILYN SEX TAPE : A PUBLICITY STUNT?

Could the recently-discovered 15-minute "sex tape" starring Hollywood sex siren Marilyn Monroe be a hoax? News reports have just surfaced which bring the validity of the salacious tape into question, as well as the reputation of the man who discovered the long-forgotten footage.

Publicity stunt? The sex tape, which reportedly shows the Some Like It Hot bombshell performing oral sex on an unidentified man, was sold to a New York businessman earlier this month for a whopping US$1.5 million.

Speculation has been rife that the unidentified male sharing the footage with Monroe may have been either John F. Kennedy or his brother Bobby. The truth is, we'll never know. Aside from the fact that the collector who bought the tape says he plans to keep it "locked up", the face of the man on the receiving end Monroe's "advances" is out of shot.

But now website defamer is questioning the existence of the tape, citing that not enough evidence exists to validate that the sale of the footage took place. Furthermore, the website claims that Keya Morgan, the memorabilia collector who came across the footage, has a history of twisting the truth to promote his own work. Defamer says Morgan has refused to disclose the names of either the buyer or seller of the reel, and goes on to describe Morgan as a "press hungry namedropper whose main objective is to promote himself and the Monroe documentary that he is working on".

In the article for the gossip website, a Monroe expert claims: "What Keya Morgan is promoting equates to questionable stories generated simply to sell another book or push another cheesy documentary. In the same article, the writers allege that Morgan claims he has dated none other than Mariah Carey and Renee Zellweger.

"In general Mr. Morgan was a name dropper, especially when it came to those notorious for supporting the conspiracy theories involved with the story of Marilyn Monroe. However, he wove into our conversation his claim that he dated Mariah Carey and Renee Zellweger."

ARBAAZ-MALAIKA FAKED SPLIT

The Arbaaz -Malaika split has turned out to be a flash in the pan. The much-in-love couple revealed that they did it to promote a cosmetic product. Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora Khan proposing to each other on stage, a far cry from the screaming headlines announcing their marriage was over. But all of the drama was a stunt purely for cameras and a cosmetic brand.

All may be fair in Bollywood, but using a divorce as a means to get publicity is a new low. But it just goes to show how desperate Malaika and Arbaaz are for some quick publicity. With a 100 crores invested in their upcoming film 'Shaadi Ke after effects', Malaika and Arbaaz are stooping to new lows to grab the necessary eyeballs. Arbaaz is desperately trying to revive his flagging career with a relaunch and his gorgeous wife decided to play the same charade.

FILM REVIEW - RACE

Review by: Peeyush Khandelwal

Movie – RACE
Locations – South Africa & India

Director : Abbas-Mustan

Cast : Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif, Sameera

Music Director : Pritam

Lyricist : Sameer

Cinematographer : Ravi Yadav

Story Writer : Shiraz

Dialogue Writer : Anurag

Editor : Hussain

Action Director : Allan

Choreographer : Bosco Ceaser, Ganesh

Playback Singer : Neera, Apache Indian, Sunidhi Chauhan, Atif Aslam, Shaan, Kay Kay,

USP – double crossing, murder, thriller and an entertainer
Year of Release : 2008
Release Date : 21 March 2008

Rating : 7/10

Post KHILADI and BAAZIGAR, Abbas-Mustan have really earned the accolades of being the thriller specialists. They have made a series of films post BAAZIGAR and KHILADI but none of them could outdo the earlier ones.

The duo’s latest glam-buster RACE has been released. It seems a complete package of glamour, action, thrill, breathtaking visuals, mesmerizing songs and of course the chic styling of trio Bipasha, Katrina and Sameera Reddy studded with the hit boyz Saif, Akshey Khanna and the old-charmer Anil Kapoor.

But the million dollar question is, does RACE lives up to the expectations? Thankfully, it does. A power-packed thriller in 2008 promises a lot for the viewers. The story will drag you to the edge. Every fifteen minutes it takes a tipsy turn and keeps you glued till the end. The flamboyant, Saif has again made his mark on the screen. Akshay, playing a negative role has again impressed with his casual style. Surely, it seems like an international flick.

Ranvir [Saif Ali Khan] and Rajiv [Akshaye Khanna] are step-brothers who own a huge stud farm in South Africa. They breed horses and are known bookies the horse racing circuit. Ranvir, the elder of the two, plays a very shrewd man. He is very aggressive and is always on the move. Rajiv, on the other hand, is very laidback and a chronic alcoholic.

Sophia [Katrina Kaif] is Ranvir’s personal secretary. She adores her boss and loves him. Ranvir is unaware of her feeling and regards her adoration as her efficiency. Sonia [Bipasha Basu] is an upcoming Indian ramp model in Durban loves Ranvir, but through a twist of fate gets married to Rajiv. When she discovers that Rajiv is a chronic alcoholic, her world is shattered. Ranvir too is disturbed as he has sacrificed his love for his younger brother because Rajiv had promised him that if he gets married to Sonia, he will leave alcohol forever.

After marriage, Rajiv breaks his promise and the story starts getting complicated. In a weak moment, Ranvir and Sonia come very close to each other and an affair starts between the younger brother’s wife and the elder brother. When the younger brother starts suspecting his wife, all hell breaks loose.

A murder is committed, a contract killing is issued, double-crossings become the order of the day. A sharp-tongued investigative officer R.D. [Anil Kapoor] starts an investigation with his brainless assistant Mini [Sameera Reddy].

Director duo Abbas-Mustan seem ot be in complete command everything is so well synchronised that the end-result would lead you awe-struck. Right from the choice of subject, to the choice of actors, to the thrilling moments, music and locations, this thrill-per-minute saga works big time this time.

Writer Shiraz Ahmed’s screenplay has several moments that merit a mention. The best part is, the writing is full of energy and surprises, not once does it take the been-there-seen-that route. One of its brightest USPs is that every character is out to double cross the other, each character has grey shades and the dangerous games they indulge in make it an exhilarating theatre experience. Locations are best selected in Africa and India as well. The stunts and the airy shots seemed awesome and from a Hollywood blockbuster. The car chase shows the budding camerawork is stunning till the end.

Pritam’s music rocks but as most of the thrillers take a backseat on the music and songs scenario this one does not. ‘Allah duhaai hai’ is foot-tapping. ‘Pehli nazar’ is soul-stirring feat by Atif Aslam. Others, filmed and choreographed masterly, are saucy and trendy. The race at the start of the film and again a race at the end seem to make the title fit for the work. The editing part is cited as the best due to its razor’s edge editing and effects.

Every actor in the movie has put the best foot forward with loads of experience and oomph oozing from the Bollywood babes. The beard-look Saif looks awesome and fit as a leading actor. He has come of age with his previous work. Akshey Khanna does a full justice to his complex villain character. He acts like a chameleon and slips into various roles and gears swiftly. Anil Kapor has played a role of a police-inspector. His dialogs are inclined towards the masses.

On the whole, RACE is a complete entertainer and a thriller. It’s not just about style but the substance attached to it as well. Hope the audience give this one a try and enjoy their weekend in style. Most important! The film has got the legs to enjoy a spirited run at the box-office.

FILM REVIEW : JODHAA-AKBAR

Review by: Peeyush Khandelwal

Movie : Jodha-Akbar
Directed by : Ashutosh Gowarikar
*Cast : Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya rai
Music : A R Rehman

Lyricist : Javed Akhtar

Music Director : A R Rahman

Associate / Co-Producer : Deven Khote, Zarina Mehta, Sunita Gowariker

Cinematography : Kiran Deohans

Choreography : Raju Khan, Rekha Chinni Prakash, Ash Kumar

Action : Ravi Dewan

Art : Nitin Desai

Editor : Ballu Saluja

Screenplay : Ashutosh Gowarikar, Haider Ali

Sound : Stephen Gomes

Dialogue : K P Saxena

Costume : Neeta Lulla

Story / Writer : Haider Ali

Line Producer:Lawrence D'Souza
USP – Love story, Politics, Music and Songs, Sets, Designs and Acting

Rating - 8/10

Jodha-Akbar, directed by Oscar nominated director Ashutosh Gowarikar features the love-tale between the two historical character of Jodha and Akbar played here by charming Aishwarya Rai and Hritik Roshan. The film was in the making for over 2 years and the release was postponed a couple of times. It was surrounded by lot of controversies, which raise the level of curiosity among the viewers. This is Aishwarya’s first post-marriage release.

Let us go straight into the review. A magnificent film shot in Rajasthan with a Mughal and Rajputana backdrop. You will well feel that you haven’t seen this for a long time. It takes a lot of grit, determination, money and time to invest in a movie like Jodhaa-Akbar, but Ashutosh has done it perfectly. Earlier this topic was a big no-no in the film industry but the challenge was accepted and the result - A perfect film amidst a lot of controversy is rolled-out.

Once into the film, one is mesmerised into the war-scenes, majestic sets, love-sequences, soul-stirring music, action and lot more. It is just more than a melodrama of young Akbar with Jodhabai. The language in the film is simplified Urdu and the Rajasthani. One doesn’t get bored on the language front. Akbar speaks in Urdu and Jodha speaks in simplified Hindi. It would be difficult and wrong to compare this film with the earlier ones in the same genre.

The music in the film is a mixture of classical and Sufi style. ‘Man mohana’ and ‘Kehne ko jashne baha’ go well to the lips through the film. ‘Khawja mere khwaja’ seems divine and completes the Mughal-era version of divine worship.

The characters played by Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan have come out colourful and true to make you believe that you are watching the hundred year old saga in front of you. The jewellery and costumes designed by Tanishq and Neeta Lulla have completed the hard work put in by the actors. The sets are as magnificent as any Mughal and Rajputana durbar would look-like. The dialogues and lyrics leave a mark for a long time.

Set in the sixteenth century, Jodhaa Akbar is a love story about a marriage of alliance that gave birth to true love between a great Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a Rajput princess, Jodhaa. Little did the young Akbar knew that he would be embarking upon a true love-journey with the Rajput princess. The daughter of King Bharmal of Amer [Kulbhushan Kharbanda], Jodhaa resented being reduced to a mere political pawn in this marriage of alliance, and Akbar’s biggest challenge now did not merely lie in winning battles, but in winning the love of this defiant princess.
One of the prime reasons why Jodhaa Akbar works is because the present-day viewer is unaware of the romance between Akbar and Jodhaa. Sure, we all know of Akbar as a great emperor, but the love story makes for a refreshing subject. And the execution of a number of sequences makes Jodhaa Akbar extremely special.

Many a scenes in the film have cast a spell in the storyline. Several of them are mentioned here. With the war sequence at the very outset, you realise the scale and magnitude of the film at the very beginning. Hrithik taming an out-of-control elephant is hair-raising. The two pre-conditions set by Jodhaa, before her marriage to Akbar raises your interests. Confrontation between Ila Arun and Aishwarya leading to Shahi-Dawaat at Mughal Darbar. Post-interval, Hrithik returning to Aamer, to get Aishwarya back to Agra and the welcome ceremony by his mother-in-law. The sword-fight the next morning between Hrithik and Ash. The Azeem-o-Shaan Shahenshah track, when the entire kingdom hails Hrithik. The fight in the climax at the end remind you of TROY – the fight between Bradd Pitt and Eric Bana.

A.R. Rahman’s music is not the type that you take to instantly, but yes, it gels beautifully with the mood of the film. Azeem-o-Shaan Shahenshah and Jashn-e-Bahara are the best tracks in terms of tune. In terms of choreography, Azeem-o-Shaan Shahenshah is awe-inspiring, while the execution of Khwaja Mere Khwaja is outstanding. Rahman’s background score is simply extra-ordinary.

There is no room for dullness in Haider Ali and Gowariker’s screenplay. The writing is tight, the drama keeps you hooked and the romantic track is wonderful. The film also talks of secularism, an issue so vital in today’s times. K.P. Saxena’s dialogues are amazing. Kiran Deohans’ cinematography matches international standards. The movements of camera at various places, especially in the battlefield are breathtaking. Recreating the bygone era requires not just money, but also the vision and Nitin Chandrakant Desai proves his supremacy yet again. The action scenes by Ravi Dewan have been incredible.

The casting has been perfect. It becomes difficult to imagine anyone other than Hrithik and Aishwarya in the roles of Akbar and Jodhaa. Another success for Hrithik and Aishwarya on the screen seems another tough one for Abhishek Bacchan after Dhoom-2. Hrithik seems born to play this role and he enacts it with such precision, such flourish, such confidence that it leaves you asking for more. a mind-boggling performance without doubt! Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is superb. Oh yes, she looks ethereal — a compliment she has heard a trillion times before. Indeed! a flawless performance.

Jodhaa Akbar promises a host of characters, but the ones whom you carry home, besides Hrithik and Aishwarya are Sonu Sood, Nikitin Dheer, Ila Arun (electrifying; her finest work so far), Punam S. Sinha, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Raza Murad and Rajesh Vivek. Amitabh Bachchan’s rich barritone voice adds lustre to the magnificent background.The length of three hour and twenty minutes, seem to be a bit long.

Overall - it is without a doubt, a brilliant film in all respects. It is a must watch because it takes one himself to discover the outcome after gelling of a variety of masterpieces.