Zulfi Syed, Arbaaz Khan, Kabir Bedi, Manisha Koirala, Sonya Jehan, Kim Sharma, Pooja Batra
Music:
Naushad Ali
Lyrics:
Syed Gulrez & Naqsh Layallpuri
The two stars are for the magnificenct and authentic looking sets. Honestly speaking why would anyone want to watch a historical film in the present times? Add to this the lack of stars and a set of bad actors! You've got your answer.
We are talking about Akbar Khan's magnum opus, 'Taj Mahal'. But we have to add that the era has been recreated very well by him. The sets are lavish and look authentic. The battlefield sequences are very well shot. R.M. Rao's cinematography is brilliant. But the down side of this film is the screenplay and it's pace.
It will make you restless in many places. Even the background music and songs (Naushad, and Uttam Singh) fail to create the desired impact. No wonder 'Mughal-E-Azam' stil lingers in people's memories.
'Taj Mahal' begins with with an old Shahjahan (Kabir Bedi) being held captive by his son Aurangzeb (Arbaaz Khan). After killing his two brothers, Aurangzeb keeps his father and sister, Jahan Ara (a beautiful looking Manisha Koirala), in house-arrest. From now on, the film goes into flashback mode.