By Dale Bhagwagar
There are all kinds of makers… big and small. There are makers who make blockbusters.
There are makers who make quickies. There are makers who concentrate on the scripts.
There are makers who concentrate on the treatment. And then, there are makers who not
only think creatively but also think very 'big'. Makers like
Boney Kapoor,
Subhash Ghai,
Yash Chopra,
J.P.Dutta… and now
Akbar Khan.
Yes! With the making of the magnum epic '
Taj Mahal - An Eternal Love Story',
Khan's name can surely be added to the list of those who live their dreams. One visit
on the sets of the colossal historical and you'll believe what I'm saying. In my round
to Jodhpur recently, I got the opportunity to see the magnanimous sets of 'Taj Mahal…'
built at the grand Mehrangarh Fort, which Khan has leased out for a year. The
carvings, the art, with all its intricate details and then the grandeur around strikes
one so hard that it leaves a dazed feeling for a long time after the visit. To add to
it is Khan's apt handling of the subject, the punches in his dramatic screenplay, Anna
Singh's breathtakingly awesome costumes and last but not the least, the dedication of
all of Khan's artistes including
Kabir Bedi (playing the senior Shahjahan),
Manisha Koirala (Jahanara),
Pooja Batra (Noorjahan),
Arbaaz Khan
(Aurengzeb),
Kim Sharma (Laadili Begum) and
Arbaaz Ali (Jehangir). Only
if we have more such makers who think the way Akbar Khan thinks (and with so much
conviction and detail), we sure can give tough competition to the best of the films in
the world.