Eklavya (2007)

Eklavya: The Royal Guard is set in contemporary India depicting a princely state of Rajasthan caught in a time wrap. The old Rana of Devigarh  is weak with no control, the heir apparent has stayed away from the family in London  unable to bear the suffocating customs of the  land,  conspiracy is in the air as the Rana’s younger brother wants things under his control.

Under all these tumultuous circumstances one person who remains unfazed is Eklavya the royal guard. Eklavya, a Royal Guardsman and an expert marksman lives only to protect the the king, fort and the dynasty at all costs. His loyalty is unprecedented and has become part of the folklore. Eklavya`s family has protected Rajasthan`s centuries-old citadel, for nine generations. However Eklavya is now getting old and is not the force he used to be.

The crown Prince Harshwardhan who had willed to stay away is prompted to return to Devigarh after the death of his mother Rani Suhasinidevi. The Prince returns to the gloomy Fort for the funeral welcomed only by his mentally challenged twin sister Princess Nandini and Rajjo a village belly and his childhood love.  The joy is not for long as there is unrest all around. The farmers who till the land are subjected to atrocity by the Rana Jaywardhan on the advice of his brother Rana Jyotiwardhan. 

Simultaneously there are 2 plots hatched. One is to kill Eklavya this is a plot by Jaywardhan. The second is the plot to kill the Rana by a jealous brother Jyotiwardhan (Jackie Shroff) and his son Udaywardhan.

 Amidst all these drama the Rana receives a death threat by a phone call. A Police officer with no particular love or respect for the royalty comes in to investigate. The King gets murdered in the presence of a helpless Eklavya.

 Towards the end various mysteries unfold. Rani Suhasini was actually strangulated by the Rana as she called for Eklavya whom the Rana hated. This hatred is because the Rana was impotent and his two children were actually fathered by Eklavya. Also the assailants of the Rana who Eklavya managed to kill were actually hired by his own son Harshwardhan.

 Inspite of some good performances and a strong star cast spearheaded by Amitabh Bachchan the film failed to put Box office on fire. Other than Amitabh(Eklavya) and Saif as Harshwardhan others were reduced to play inconsequential roles. This includes Bomman Irani as the ageing Rana, Jackie Shroff as the Rana’s brother or the three ladies – Sharmila Tagore(Rani Suhasinii), Vidya Bala( Rajjo) and Raima sen as Princess Nandini.

Devigarh

Nestled amongst the Aravalli hills the 18th century Devi Garh palace, now a popular Heritage hotel provided the perfect setting for the shooting of Eklavya. The fort palace is situated in the village of Delwara, just 28 Km from Udaipur. Most of the exterior shots were caned here. Remember the yellow hued palace with giant royal Darwaza, the sprawling canopy where Saif joined in kite flying with Raima and Vidya.

Jaipur

Many parts of the film especially the interior shots were caned inside the premises of the Jaipur Palace. These include some portions inside the living quarters of Jaipur Royals. 

 Gajner

The desert sequences were shot in Gajner near Bikaner.