Mohenjo Daro Review Roundup : Slow, yet action packed – what a dichotomy!

Leave a Comment / By

Alright then, so the period drama specialist Ashutosh Govarikar has delivered another one – and this time, he has one of the most mystical civilizations within his crosshairs. Playing the lead in Mohenjo Daro is Hrithik Roshan, who is often termed a Greek God himself owing to his sculpted physique. This isn’t a mythological tale, though, and required extensive research to portray the world of those largely mysterious times. The Indus Valley (or Harappan) script has not been deciphered till date, so even with all our supercomputers and satellites we have not been able to know much those people and what exactly led to the momentous fall of their legendary civilization.

Cast : Hrithik Roshan, Pooja Hegde, Kabir Bedi, Arunoday Singh, Suhasini Mulay, Nitish Bharadwaj, Sharad Kelkar

To start with, the lavish sets and dramatised environs made a lot of historians laugh away the possibility of this movie being factually correct. However, Ashutosh never promised us a documentary in the first place and he has offered a disclaimer before the movie to dispel any such expectations right at the outset.

Mohanjo daro movie fight

In any case, the movie is out, and by the time we write this, has been reviewed by almost every reputable publication. Here’s a review roundup of the movie, including some thoughts from the everyday movie going populace to help you decide better. Let’s get going.

Firstpost : Average

Firstpost has appreciated the performance of Hrithik Roshan, his energy and his ability to dazzle.  However, the publication faults the special effects, the storytelling and the choppy script. “What Gowariker lacks in story and SFX, he makes up for with scale and action” they assert. The title of the review “Hrithik Roshan’s energy keeps this ambitious film afloat” sums up their take on the movie pretty well.

Times Of India : 3.5 / 5.0 star

Times of India have given the movie a slightly above average rating, but their verdict can be taken with a pinch of salt, as most mainstream movies, however bad, manage to get a decent rating by the publication. What’s a bit more reassuring, however, is a readers’ rating of 3.8 / 5 on their public rating system. Unlike Firstpost, TOI have praised the special effects of the movie in certain scenes, and they are appreciative of the movie’s pace and the ability to deliver on thrills in the second half.

Mohanjo daro movie image

The Hindu : Slightly negative

The primary contention of the review at The Hindu is with the director’s affinity to portraying a leader who brings together a community for a cause, as seen earlier in Lagaan and Swades. The review approves of Gowarikar’s sincerity, but doesn’t have much love for his vision.

“Gowariker puts in all the hard work and sincerity in the canvas and the mounting, in the seals and the statues but refuses to take the necessary leap of imagination to give us something fresh, something worth taking note of. Mohenjo Daro is a case of seen it all, many a times before,” the review asserts

NDTV : Negative

NDTV has mostly trashed the movie, lamenting it for its bad CGI, lack of authenticity and its stale formula. The review is also critical of the performances by both Hrithik and Pooja – the male and female leads in the movie. Here’s what the review piece says about the two

“The lead actor is a handsome hunk and no mean dancer, but his gym-toned biceps do not look right at all for the prehistoric era that the film is set in.

Pooja Hegde (in her first Bollywood film), despite the centrality of her role, resembles a inert relic trapped in an ill-advised piece of cinematic artifice.”

To conclude, according to the author “Mohenjo Daro is a fantasy that has nothing fresh to offer. It banks on the same old brew of love, jealousy and violence, served up in an over-ambitious package that never assumes convincing proportions.”

Mohanjo daro movie

Hindustan Times 1.5 / 5

The rating says it all. The review is critical of the movie and calls it a ‘mess’ in the opening line itself. The review appreciates the hard work that has gone into the movie, but doesn’t think it’s been put to good use. The fight scenes have been admired by the author, as they have been by others too, and so has been the music. Hrithik Roshan has been applauded for his hard work, but apparently that’s not enough to lift the film.

“The burden of carrying this leaden, cartoon-like narrative proves too much even for his (Hrithik’s) Herculean shoulders. At best, the film works as unintentional comedy”, should sum up HT’s perspective for you.

Live Mint : Average

This one has given in to the fact that an Ashutosh Gowarikar movie has to be languidly paced, even if it’s his shortest movie ever. The review mentions and mildly disapproves of his over indulgence, but overall presents a decent image of the film. Hrithik Roshan has been praised for his work and his suitability for the role.

“… Mohenjo Daro manages to stay afloat. This is in large part due to Roshan, who is the ideal actor for a film like this. In fact, this may be the only sort of role he’s naturally suited for” is the word.

In addition to expert reviews, here we have a bunch of tweets from filmgoers about what they think about the film

This guy is in awe of Pooja Hegde

This guy thinks otherwise though

And here is some sarcasm

Some people have already pronounced the movie as doomed

Even the audience is showering accolades for the fight scenes though

And if you need a comparison with the international productions..

In a nutshell, the reviews and reactions suggest that the movie is overall a tad slow, and over dramatized. Though the second half has almost uniformly been appreciated by most. The action and fight scenes are apparently the highlight here, and if you are a sucker for such stuff, you should probably book your tickets in advance. Don’t forget sharing this piece with friends and family through social channels or Whatsapp to help them save or invest their time and money, based, of course on their preferences.

Must Read

Leave a Comment