But even if you discount all the arguments being trotted out by angry historians, and Rajputs — some claiming Jodha was theirs, some saying that she didn’t exist — you can't get over the fact that Jodhaa Akbar, at nearly three-and-a-half hours, is much too long. The editing is bland, and the pace so slack in so many places that you drift off. Till the next time Aish and Hrithik come near each other, resplendent in their industrial strength jewelry and glittering costumes.

Neither Hrithik nor Aishwarya, despite the best efforts of the stylists, look like they belonged back then: he is pure eye candy, stripped down to his bronzed skin; she sports a stunning makeup-less appearance, which doubtless takes longer than pancake to put in place. Except for Raza Murad, whose Urdu diction is pitch perfect, everyone else struggles: muaaff kar dijiye, they go, and it's hard to keep from laughing. Of the ensemble, Ila Arun, with her raccoon eyes (she plays the evil dai-ma who tries to come between the lovers), and Sonu Sood (he is Jodhaa's bhai-saa, who teaches her the fine art of duelling with swords), fill out their roles.

Watch Jodhaa Akbar for its beguiling moments of amour. The rest is window dressing.

shubhra.gupta@ expressindia.com