silvan-desouza Now this film promos shouted classic from the top of the roof but sadly the film comes only half The film starts off well, Sharmila's death scene is well handled and the drama thickens The film keeps you involved but sadly we expected much more The pigeons part was not well integrated in the plot and also the second half gets predictable and we know the actual killerEven the Saif-Vidya romance track and the climax is half bakedDirection by VVC is excellent in parts only Camera-work deserves 5/5Amongst actors Bachchan proves yet again he is an institution His body lang, dialogue delivery, expressions all are flawless even if he is just standing behind some lead actors he makes a maximum impact One of his best works Saif too does a great job,showing his growth as an actor Sanju is full of fun in his role and is brilliant in serious scenes His look and role is similar to THANEDAAR but he does a great job Vidya is mechanical Boman Irani excels in his part, Jimmy too excels in a negative role while Jackie is perfect

irisstrings Directed and written by: Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Boman Irani. Enter a royal mansion of Rajasthan, India that is filled with secrets. The royal guard Eklavya (Amitabh Bachchan) is humble, sincere and ruthless. He is guarding the king Rana Jayawardhan (Boman Irani). Like one of the characters Eklavya from the epic Mahabharata, who cut his thumb off as a gesture of respect when his Archery teacher asks him to as fees for the teaching, this royal guard is also determined to protect his king so as to consider this job as his only Religion. What secrets this mansion is hiding? What happens when one tries to blow off the lid off these secrets? Will Eklavya be able to follow his religion? Well the questions are answered, except for one which you will see at the end. After giving Khamosh (1985), Parinda (1989) and 1942-A love story (1993) Vidhu Vinod Chopra comes back with his own screenplay and his own vision blended in a big screen art piece. Like those other films he still has his cutting knife as sharp as it was before. Little rugged tip though. Mr Chopra has created a dark sequence that can only be understood from voices in the background. He has created a scene where camera is panning over the entire entrance way towards the mansion that reminds Kubrick and Fincher's fluid-track camera. He has created a thrilling sequence involving a car standing close to a running train along with sprinting camels in one of the deserts of Rajasthan. He has created a dark and glooming atmosphere throughout the entire movie which will keep you glued to your seat. He has a vision and he has stick to it all the way almost till the last 10 minutes of the movie. Actually he did give a sign of a grand finale with Harshwardhan's (Saif Ali Khan) gesture which if Mr Chopra has stayed with then this tale would have made sense and fit to all of the character's intentions. But unfortunately Mr Chopra goes a little further which will steer away this car ride out on a gravel road where the scenery is hazy due to the dust. At this point perhaps he could not decide if he can still continue to be an artist or rather make money out of this? Its upto you how hard you take those 10 minutes. Personally Mr Chhopra was already impressive enough to give an exhilarating experience through his quality cinema. Mr Bachchan as the royal guard has a style and attitude that would take his character where you believe him completely. When he stands next to the bed where queen Suhasini devi (Sharmila Tagore) is lying, he has the eyes that will negate the possibilities of any words from the screenplay. The sequence of chopping off the bells tied to a flying dove's feet is at first seems little cheesy but sometime later helps you understand how unique his talent is. Though his expressions are not new but still he performs with utter honesty. Saif Ali Khan as the prince charming lights the screen with his persona. His performance is the second memorable followed by Boman Irani as the king and Vidya Balan as Harshwardhan's lover Rajjo. Jackie Shroff makes a comeback to commercial cinema after quite a while. Seems like Mr Chopra wanted to bring Shubhankar from 1942-A love story. He is little more older, tired and less believable. Sanjay Dutt and Raima Sen contribute a little to the story. Cinematography by Nataraja Subramanian is quite stunning which requires an auditorium viewing. Eklavya asks a question that how far can you go to be RELIGIOUS? This movie is a great attempt which deserves applause. My rating: 7/10.

peace-dove Robert L. Friedman, the former President of Columbia Pictures and AMC Theaters applauded it as one of the great foreign films to have graced Hollywood in recent years. He further added, "The caring and most talented direction by Vidhu Vinod Chopra is worthy of maximum praise and awards. Mr. Chopra has created a masterpiece via this film, thanks to his genuine insight and love for his film vehicle. 'Eklavya' is a movie that transcends all geographical boundaries - a movie for all people, everywhere, it represents the very best that India's great film-making community has to offer." Lionel Wigram, Producer of the Harry Potter films, said "It's a masterpiece and I can safely say that it stands an excellent chance of winning India a much awaited Oscar in the foreign film category."Jeffery Silver, Producer of the film 300, found it to be "a thriller that elevates to the level of art." The critics have also been unanimous in their praise:"Vidhu Vinod Chopra's propulsive 'Eklavya: The Royal Guard' has epic sweep." - Los Angeles Times "Maybe it's the trains. Maybe it's the camels. Maybe it's the intermission. No matter: Something about "Eklavya: The Royal Guard" suggests a lost film by David Lean." - Los Angeles Times"...clearly has a heart for the classics" - New York Times "A Shakespearean tragedy" - Variety Int'l"Vidhu Vinod Chopra is a poet on celluloid" - The Times of India "Eklavya unites the best of Bollywood past and present" - LA Weekly "This is robust storytelling, with blood and thunder pumping through its veins, and real whiskers on its face." - LA Weekly"Far from typical. Very strong and very Shakespearean" - The Sunday Telegraph, UK"Polished and energetic" - The Sunday Times, UK"It's strikingly shot, elegantly plotted Shakespearean drama of palace intrigue and revenge." - The Independent, UK"robustly unassuming and entertaining" - The Guardian, UK"... Gives any House of Flying Daggers set piece a run for its money." - Metro, UK"Film-maker Vidhu Vinod Chopra's mature, confident pacing, gifted eye for composition and impressive talent for choreography raises the bar" - Metro, UK "Engaging Indian drama" - The Daily Telegraph, UK"Put your hands together for one of the finest films to come out of the Hindi film industry!" - indiafm.com"Masterpiece" - Rediff.com "A Must-Watch" - Rediff.com, USA"Eklavya is visually stunning. The performances are even more impressive. But the theme itself is the star." - Bombay Times, Times of India"Eklavya indeed marks the revival of Indian cinema" - Business of Cinema"Eklavya - The Royal Treat" - Glamsham.com "The aesthetics - exemplary; the almost song-less grand illusion - world class." - Mumbai Mirror"Brilliantly written scenes lift the script and enthrall your senses" - Mid-Day

momo-mirza Eklavya: The Royal Guard is certainly getting a lot of mixed reviews. Some people love it, others hate it and even more others don't know what to make of it. This is probably because the film has a lot of potential in its storyline, its cast, and its setting. My problem with it is that it doesn't live up to its entire potential.In the director's haste to make the movie short, it actually takes away from "what could have been". There is not enough background information and display of the relationships between the characters. There are also some boring scenes and some parts become annoyingly repetitive. The best part about this movie is the acting. Amitabh and Saif especially show to the world once again why they are such great actors. The cinematography is also fantastic.Again, the potential for this story is so much more than what is displayed. Nonetheless it is worth watching for some of the VERY gripping scenes. These few scenes make the movie what it is. If the whole movie was compiled with the same conviction that is in these scenes it would be good enough for an Oscar nomination! (You will know what scenes they are once you watch the film.)