Eklavya: The Royal Guard is a film that can be either loved, or hated. As for me, I was on the borderline somewhere in the middle. The film adreses key issues but shrugs them to the side. Nonetheless the feeling I got from the film was something terribly nostalgic (in a good way)

Good Points: For those of us who remember that genius man by the name of David Lean, this film will be a trip back to golden age of British Filmmaking. VIdhu Vinod Chopra is a proven director and a director who knows what is expected of him. He does not try to mesmerize people like Yash Chopra, he does not try to make people think like Deepa Metha, but what he does do is make those of us Indian who live in America or elsewhere get a chilling feeling of nostalgia whenever we see his films, and Eklavya does exactly that. Reviewers have compared Eklavya to the likes of "Lawrence of Arabia" and a "Passage to India" I wouldnt go that far, but I would never call Eklavya a bad film... it is a misunderstood film.
Saif Ali Khan shows the same poise and maturity he showed in Parineeta, Sanjay Dutt is reserved well, Amitabh is also reserved, and Jimmy Shergill and Jackie Schroff provide good counters. Vidya Balan also shows cute charm... I completely fell in love with her in this movie. Chopra knows how to direct... evey scene so perfectly framed, the essence is so vividly captured, that my spine was tingling and I kept thinking, man if David Lean had directed this film, It would win Best Picture at the Oscars. Shantanu Moitra's score is so sutble and nostalgic "the moon song" made me dream of India and all its magic!

Bad Points: The downfall of the film (and its a huge one) comes in the ending... the films ending is so mistraught and hanging that I felt like Chopra took me to the edge of the cliff, and them just shoved me off of it. A good director/writer keeps you at the edge wondering what will happen next for eternity, or brings you back a few steps from the edge and relieves you. Vidhu pushes us off. And thats not a good thing! The story was so well though up, but when it came time to wrap it up in a brilliant fashion, everything fell apart, and I was appalled at how a great film could go so wrong in a matter of... 10 minutes. Had the ending been more satisfying, this film can justify its place as Indias Official Oscar Entry of 2007. Until then, It will always be doomed as a big mistake.

Bottom Line: This film will make you miss India... It will make you (only if you are a fan of British films and David Lean) wonder what possibilities and potential this film had before they began shooting. Watch the film for its marvelous sense of style... but beware, the story may leave you disappointed.

The movie raised quite a few eyebrows being nominated as India's entry to the Oscars. I don't think it is in any way the right choice. First of all the story line and the title do not do justice to each other. Eklavya's story was of ultimate devotion and sacrifice for a guru he never had. How does that fit into the character of Amitabh Bachchan is completely inconspicuous.

Vidya Balan and Saif fail to rekindle the passion and on-screen fire they had in Parineeta. Fortunately the movie is short and not littered with too many irrelevant songs...