Mohenjo Daro review: Except for Hrithik Roshan, rest of the film belongs to a bygone era

Film: Mohenjo Daro 
Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Pooja Hegde, Kabir Bedi, Arunoday Singh
Directed by: Ashutosh Gowariker

WHAT'S IT ABOUT: 
Attempting a period film is never an easy task. But for some reason, director Ashutosh Gowariker chooses the genre time and again - sometimes hitting the mark and at other times, not so much. In his latest offering, Gowariker chooses a subject that actually has very little references, which makes his job even more difficult. Sarman (Hrithik) is a young farmer who dreams (literally) of going to the much popular land of Mohenjo Daro. When he eventually lands there, he's far more enchanted by the local pujari's daughter Chaani (Pooja). Soon enough, love happens but obstacles follow mainly from the evil ruler Maham (Kabir) who wants the girl to be married to his son (Arunoday). In the battle for love that follows, Sarman discovers his hidden past that connects him to Mohenjo Daro. How love and courage triumphs over evil forms the rest of the story.

WHAT'S HOT: 
By no standards is a film based on Mohenjo Daro easy to handle. In spite of that, Gowariker adds all the essential elements to make the film as much mass-appealing as possible. The music by A.R. Rahman is one of the highlights - it livens up the pace when you're just about feeling restless. Gowariker also manages to get some effective performances from his lead pair. Newcomer Pooja Hegde exudes charm and has a striking screen presence. She makes the character of Chaani endearing. Hrithik Roshan holds the screen ably all through. His committed performance salvages the film.

WHAT'S NOT: 
When you choose a backdrop like Mohenjo Daro, the primary thing is to ensure it looks convincing. The problem with the film is that the love story has nothing new to offer. The novelty was the backdrop but that's amateurishly presented. In terms of look and feel, the film is shoddy. The scale is poor and the VFX even worse. There's not a single 'wow' moment in the entire movie. Even in terms of screenplay, the Sarman-Chaani love story doesn't evolve after a point. The pace is slow to the point of annoying. Production values are below par and that is shocking considering we're in the times of Baahubali and we've witnessed to what level period films in India have advanced to. Even the cinematography by the otherwise dependable C.K. Muraleedharan is disappointing.

WHAT TO DO: 
Watch it if you're a Hrithik Roshan fan. The rest of Mohenjo Daro belongs to a bygone era.

Rating: **1/2 (Two and half stars)