Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan, Jimmy
Shergill, Boman Irani, Raima Sen
Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Contemporary India. A majestic fort. A royal dynasty that no longer rules. A king without a
kingdom.
Yet Eklavya (Amitabh Bachchan), their royal guard, lives in a time warp. He lives only to protect the fort, the
dynasty and the king. For nine generations Eklavya's family has protected Devigarh, a centuries old citadel
in Rajasthan.
His marksmanships are stuff of legends. His unflinching loyalty inspires ballads.
Eklavya has spent his entire life serving the royals and closely guarding their secrets but now he's getting
old and increasingly blind.
Unable to cope with the suffocating customs of his land, the heir, Prince Harshwardhan (Saif Ali Khan), has
stayed away in London. But the sudden demise of the queen, Rani Suhasinidevi (Sharmila Tagore), forces
the Prince back to the kingdom he had left behind.
The Prince's return brings a rush of joy into the moribund fort. His mentally challenged twin sister, Princes
Nandini (Raima Sen) and his childhood love Rajjo (Vidya Balan) are delighted to see him. But the joy of
reunion is short-lived.
There is unrest in the kingdom: Farmers are being stripped of their lands. The king, Rana Jayawardhan
(Boman Irani), influenced by his brother, Rana Jyotiwardhan (Jackie Shroff), supports the atrocities being
forced upon the helpless peasants. The king receives a death threat over the phone.
An irreverent
police officer, Pannalal Chohar (Sanjay Dutt), is called into investigate. But he might be too late. The fragile
peace of the land is suddenly shattered by a barrage of bullets. And amidst the mayhem, the safety
guarded secrets of the fort are unveiled.
What follows is a contemporary, edge-of-the-seat dramatic action thriller with a stellar ensemble cast -
Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan, Boman Irani, Jackie Shroff, Jimmy Shergil,
Raima Sen and Sharmila Tagore. The film marks the return of Vidhu Vinod Chopra who directs after a hiatus
of seven years.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007 16:52 IST