3.5 Stars (out of 4)

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The controversial marriage of 16th-century Mughal emperor Jalaluddin (Hrithik Roshan) to Hindu princess Jodhaa (Aishwarya Rai) exposes the deep division between the Indian populace and its Muslim conquerors. Director Ashutosh Gowariker devotes equal time to the empire’s political intrigue and the love story of Jodhaa and Jalaluddin, justifying the movie’s long run time. Jodhaa Akbar is gorgeous, and hundreds of real actors give its battle scenes more authenticity than today’s CGI-heavy Hollywood epics.

No rating (violence); 193 minutes

This review originally appeared in The Naperville Sun on February 22, 2008