Cast: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Sonu Sood, Niketan Dheer and Raza Murad.

Director: Ashutosh Gowarikar

With all the controversy surrounding the length and matter of Ashutosh's JA, when we headed to the theatre we really weren't sure what to expect! Before we get into the nitty gritty let's just say make sure you get comfortable seats, lots of food and some good company because this one looooong ride. Not merely because of its length - 3 hours, 33 minutes - but because the storyline at times makes you wish you carried a duvet just so you could take a snooze in between the good parts!

JA revolves around the Mughal history in India coupled with Akbar's married life. It starts from the time Akbar was crowned Mughal emperor by Bairam Khan in the midst of a war against Sikandar Shah at the tender age of 13 and apans over his trials as a ruler, an assertive king and his married life. The first half of the film had us at the edge of the seats - filled with brilliant cinematography and storyline. The battle scenes, Hrithik's taming of an elephant, him practicing with his sword are some of the scenes that are nothing short of brilliant! But just when you think that the buzz of the film being crap start to recede, you find yourself drawn into those parts that leave you yawning - for example the love scene between Akbar and Jodhaa, which leads to them finally consummating their marriage. It went on and on and on and took Hrithik ten minutes to get his lips anywhere close to his wife!!!

All in all it's a film that you can watch if you are a die hard Roshan fan but other than it actually feels like a love story meets history meets fiction kind of mish mash - and there are better ways to spend 3 hrs and 33 mins!

Desi Hits! Rating: 3* out of 5*