And he did that to make sure that I react to the drama and content of the film. So, that was the way he (Ashutosh) sold it to me. The drama was told to me as if it was a contemporary corporate world empire and alliance kind of film. Hrithik Roshan: That is an interesting story by itself. Rajeev Masand: What was it about the story that made you say yes to it? So, I thought let me finish Swades and then Haider Ali (the writer of the Jodhaa Akbar) and I worked on the movie. How has it been?Īshutosh Gowarikar: The story first came to me way back in 2002 but when I heard it I realised it needs a lot of preparation. The idea of this film has been with you for four years, from the time you wanted to tell the story to the release of the film. Rajeev Masand: Let me begin with Ashutosh. Meet the core team of the film – Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai and Ashutosh Gowarikar. On a special show on CNN-IBN, Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand tries to find out how one of the most eagerly awaited films of this year grew from just an idea to reality. In 2008 it is Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Jodhaa Akbar. In 1960 it was Dilip Kumar and Madhubala in K Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam. It has been more than 45 years since we last saw a grandiose production of the Mughal empire featuring Hindi cinema’s leading stars.