Vidhu Vinod Chopra's violent family saga "Eklavya - The Royal Guard" has managed a U-certificate with no cuts from the censor board.

The film, which marks Chopra's return to direction after "Mission Kashmir" seven years ago, has Amitabh Bachchan playing the title role. It also stars Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan, Jackie Shroff, Boman Irani, Jimmy Shergill, Raima Sen and Sharmila Tagore.

The music is by Shantanu Moitra, who once again provides an eclectic score after the resounding success of "Parineeta" and "Lage Raho Munna Bhai".

A contemporary dramatic action thriller, the film revolves around Eklavya (Amitabh), the loyal guardian of a royal dynasty whose duty is to protect the erstwhile royal family in Devigarh, Rajasthan.

The cast of characters also includes Prince Harshwardhan (Saif), an irreverent police inspector (Sanjay), the king's scheming brother (Jackie), his son (Jimmy) and the prince's childhood love (Vidya).

What follows is a story of deceit, revenge, drama and action.

Set in present day India, the film has a special resonance for today's world, beleaguered by hate and violence borne of fanatic belief.

"Eklavya" promises to give its audiences a visual treat whilst showcasing brilliant performances with edge of the seat action sequences shot in never before seen locations on celluloid.

A multistarrer with non-stop action, drama, thrills and song, "Eklavya" is slated for Feb 16 release.

Will it go the way of Chopra's other critically acclaimed successes like "1942 A Love Story", "Munnabhai M.B.B.S", "Parineeta" and "Lage Raho Munna Bhai"?