Ekalavya - The Royal Guard

On Saturday, I watched the movie "Ekalavya - The Royal Guard". It's a movie made by a the great Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The visuals are a treat to watch - every frame moves from the pristine lands of Rajasthan to the palatial royal accommodations of the Ranas. Every scene is like a painting - with the story moving across this picturesque piece of art.

The excellence though ends there. The main plot of the movie is very thinly. The premise of the movie is the sacrifice made by Ekalavya. In the Mahabharatha, Ekalavya cuts off his thumbnail and gifts it to his master, Drona. He does not flinch or question this unjust demand made of him. For him, his dharma dictated that he do as he was asked by his teacher, even though he'd never taught him for a day.

The movie seems to question this very concept of the unjust dharma. Ekalavya - the royal guard of the kings has sacrificed everything in his life. He the royal guard entrusted to protect the king and his family. He is not supposed to have any other interest or feelings in life. He is to protect the king, unquestioningly and hunt down anyone who harms the king.

The movie's core question is this unquestioning Dharma. Should somebody be asked to do something just because it his this Dharma? Or is Dharma an abstract concept that is not set in stone, but, is a decision arrived after a rational thought process? The movie wants to prove to the audience that the very definition of Dharma is to identify an action based on this unique ability that only we, the homo sapiens have - the ability to think.

Although the movie raises a very valid question, the plot is too thin and wears down the audience by the clichéd story-telling. It's not really exciting and the scenes are predictable. The redeeming feature is the humorous moments when the correct inspector, played by Sanjay Dutt comes on screen.

Big B lives up to his reputation delivering a class act. Saif look quite convincing as a regal heir (which he is anyway!) Vidya Balan is looking stunningly beautiful in her natural self. Even without much of make-up, she's fabulous. So is Raima Sen. Yet, the only characters who matter are Amitabh and Saif. There's just one song, a soothing lullaby scored by Shantanu Moitra.

On the whole, a nice movie to watch over the weekend. But, don't expect to come out feeling very happy or motivated or depressed or dejected. It's a movie to watch for the visual treat it offers.