Mohenjo Daro
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Pooja Hegde, Kabir Bedi, Arunoday Singh
Three stars
You know when you see a film that you really want to like but find it hard to muster much enthusiasm because you have seen it all before? Mohenjo Daro is that kind of movie.
The visuals are stunning – which is unsurprising, given that it was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. He clearly spends a lot of time perfecting the details – of the film’s sets, if not the story.
While Mohenjo Daro doesn't quite come match the rustic visual appeal of the Oscar-nominated Lagaan or the grandeur of Jodhaa Akbar, it is still a very good-looking film indeed.
In 2016BC farmer Sarman (Hrithik Roshan) travels from his village to the big city, Mohenjo Daro – in modern-day Sindh, Pakistan – to make his fortune.
On reaching the oddly named city (it translates as Mound of the Dead, though this is not the name the locals of the time used – that original name is lost to time), Sarman discovers that the city is experiencing a terrible recession at the hands of its despotic ruler, Maham (Kabir Bedi).
In the grand fashion of filmi heroes, whichever century they inhabit, Sarman falls in love with Chaani (Pooja Hegde), a woman betrothed to Maham’s son, Moonja (Arunoday Singh). This adds a romantic angle to his attempts to save Mohenjo Daro and its people from Maham and his cronies, their back-breaking taxes and deadly whims.
If you want to get the most enjoyment from the film, my best advice is not to think of it as a historical drama and instead look at it as a run-off-the-mill romance that happens to be set in ancient times.
The historical aspects serve only as narrative device, one that allows characters to wear strange headgear and many styles of dhotis.
On the plus side, the lead pairing of Roshan and Hegde do a better-than-average job. Hegde’s energy complements Roshan’s experienced ease and charm, making for some very watchable on-screen chemistry. Bedi hams it up a little as the villain, but is not utterly objectionable.
And then of course, there are all the loving shots that linger appreciatively on Roshan’s gloriously tanned and muscled form.
If only the story hadn't been so muddled with overly simplistic dialogue and formulaic situations, Mohenjo Daro could have been a great film. As it stands, much of the potential has been squandered.
artslife@thenational.ae
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
%3Cp%3EAl%20Khayma%0D%3Cbr%3EBait%20Maryam%0D%3Cbr%3EBrasserie%20Boulud%0D%3Cbr%3EFi'lia%0D%3Cbr%3Efolly%0D%3Cbr%3EGoldfish%0D%3Cbr%3EIbn%20AlBahr%0D%3Cbr%3EIndya%20by%20Vineet%0D%3Cbr%3EKinoya%0D%3Cbr%3ENinive%0D%3Cbr%3EOrfali%20Bros%0D%3Cbr%3EReif%20Japanese%20Kushiyaki%0D%3Cbr%3EShabestan%0D%3Cbr%3ETeible%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
The%20Kitchen
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EDaniel%20Kaluuya%2C%20Kibwe%20Tavares%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EKane%20Robinson%2C%20Jedaiah%20Bannerman%2C%20Hope%20Ikpoku%20Jnr%2C%20Fiona%20Marr%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
