The long awaited epic adventure drama, Mohenjo-Daro released at multiplexes and single-screen cinemas this week on 12th August 2016. The film stars the handsome Hrithik Roshan and the gorgeous Pooja Hegde who made her Hindi cinema debut with this epic drama. Veteran actors Kabir Bedi and Suhasini Mulay give them company in some important roles in the film.
The film is a period film and has been ably directed by Ashutosh Gowariker who has given us many hit films like Lagaan, Jodhaa Akbar and Swades amongst others. The film has a rousing musical score by A.R. Rehman, though there are not too many opportunities for a song sequence in the film. It has been proclaimed as the first cinematic presentation that has depicted the Indus Valley civilization and its iconic city, Mohenjo-Daro (Mound of the Dead).
Box Office Collection – Mohenjo Daro
| Day | Box Office Collection |
|---|---|
| Day 1 (12-Aug-2016, Friday) | 8.87 crores |
| Day 2 (13-Aug-2016, Saturday) | 9.60 crores |
| Day 3 (14-Aug-2016, Monday) | 12.07 crores |
| Total as on 15 Aug 2016 | 30.54 crores |
Cast and Crew
- Hrithik Roshan as Sarman
- Pooja Hegde as Chaani
- Kabir Bedi as Maham
- Arunoday Singh as Moonja
- Suhasini Mulay as Laashi
- Nitish Bharadwaj as Durjan
- Kishori Shahane
- Sharad Kelkar as Surjan
- Manish Choudhary as The Priest
- Narendra Jha
- Casey Frank
- Diganta Hazarika as Lothar
The film is set in the year 2016 BC when the Indus Valley civilization was at its peak. It depicts the story of a farmer named Sarman (Hrithik Roshan) from Sindh who travels to Mohenjo-Daro. During a daring rescue attempt on the streets, he meets Chaani (Pooja Hegde) a beautiful woman and “The Chosen One” for Sindhu Ma, who represents the river Sindhu.
He falls in love with her but comes across Maham (Kabir Bedi) and his son Moonja (Arunoday Singh) who are in quest of ruling the city and want to seize power. Sarman has to fight these powerful forces in order to win his lady-love and save the kingdom from the hands of these evil forces. He has to rally forces with the people of Mohenjo-Daro who treat him as an outsider earlier but soon realize his mission and join him.
The film has some high-octane action scenes involving Hrithik Roshan and they are a huge treat to watch as they have been brilliantly directed and efficiently enacted by all those involved. The fight scenes remind us of Gowariker’s earlier period drama Jodhaa Akbar at times.
Hrithik has worked extremely hard in this film and his effort shows in every scene, be it the elaborate dance sequence (Do we need to further endorse his dancing skills), his action scenes and the romantic ones too. Pooja Hegde as Chaani is good too and plays her role with confidence and poise. She has the background of Tamil and Telugu films behind her and has utilized it effectively.
The movie is getting mix repose from the audience. The occupancy of 1st day morning show was 25% only but increase upto 40% later in the day. This movie is released over 2500 screens which is far more than Rustom which is clashing with it on box office.
The film was made with a budget of Rs 115 crore and is expected to recover its cost and earn profits due to the big names involved in its making. The film has been released on an extended weekend as 15th August is a national holiday and this is expected to give the film a huge advantage.
However, the film is pitted against the Akshay Kumar starrer “Rustom” which also released on the same day as Mohenjo-Daro. The box office verdict will be crucial for both Hrithik and Ashutosh Gowariker and it’s important for the movie to do well. Our best wishes with the film-makers and kudos for making a sincere attempt at making a movie that depicts an era we have heard about in history books.