Jodhaa Akbar
(Jodhaa Akbar)

The Bollywood blockbuster Jodhaa Akbar tells the story of an arranged marriage, which was nothing out of the ordinary in 16^th– century India. Fearing that his authority over Rajasthan would be crushed by the expansion of the Mughal Empire ruled by the belligerent but wise Jalaludin Akbar, the Rajah of Amber offers him his daughter Jodhaa Bai in marriage. This political union between the Muslim sovereign and the Hindu Rajput princess turns into love when, after a series of trials, Jodhaa discovers the just and magnanimous character of her husband. But if Akbar is to make her his own, he still needs to win over the heart of the people. The film found disfavour with the Hindu extremists who, casting an evil eye, condemned this inter-faith romance between the charismatic Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai. The film was banned from many Indian screens. Jérôme Baron