"I was immediately hooked," Gowarikar says, as he chats over the phone in between mixing the music for the film. "It was a story of a strange and intriguing alliance between some Hindus and a Muslim king. The times were very orthodox then, much more than the times today. And yet, the alliance flourished.

"Over the centuries, we have taken many things for granted about Jodha and Akbar, without really trying to know what kind of chemistry existed between them, and what kind of conflict could have arisen between the two from time to time," he continues. "We know more about Akbar, Salim and Anarkali than Jodhaa and Akbar."

Gowarikar adds that the fifth film he has directed -- after Pehla Nasha, Baazi, Lagaan and Swades -- should resonate with the audiences. "I will value the audience acceptance much more than I value awards and the box office," says the director.

The film will be released on February 15, on his birthday.

Gowarikar was born in 1968 and acted in several television shows and movies before stepping behind the camera in 1993.

"I knew how tough making this film was going to be," he says. "I knew that the battle scenes will be challenging. But the biggest challenge was to make a touching and entertaining film and make it so believable that the audiences would feel -- for about three hours -- that they have lived in a very different time, and witnessed at close hand a unique love story."

Also see: Romance in Jodhaa Akbar

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