Cast: Aamir Khan, Asin. Direction: A. R. Murugadoss
After all the hype about the eight packs, six looks, Aamir’s physique, remake talk, court orders and more, I finally saw IT. What a waste? A thrilling premise and Aamir Khan shortchanged for a senseless action flick is what Ghajini is all about. The movie is, to use the most used term in India, OK and the sad part is, it could have been much better.
Spoiler: The premise of the movie is fantastic. Sanjay Singhania (Aamir), a rich business man suffers from a rare condition – a severe form of Anterograde Amnesia or short term memory loss. This essentially means that he forgets anything he does, or anyone he meets within 15 minutes or so. He moves around carrying a Polaroid camera which beeps every 15 minutes reminding him to take pictures of things or people that he wants to remember. This bunch of pictures and a few note pads in his pocket become his only memories which he keeps retrieving and browsing through whenever he needs to do something. In this condition, there is just one thing that he wants to do. Find and kill Ghajini to avenge the death of his girl friend Kalpana (Asin).
This plot in itself looks very promising. Sadly, the movie doesn’t dwell too much on the trials faced by the protagonist or the intricate workings of his brain and how that deeply affects his life but instead makes his eight packs and bulging muscles the focal point of the movie. There is a short scene wherein Aamir returns to a his flat and tries recognizing it. There is on one of the walls, a large city map which is plastered with pictures of landmarks taken by his Polaroid with notations and instructions all over the map. This is his collection of memories/places and since his brain is incapable of storing it, he has used his wall. He keeps all his belongings in separate shelves which have been marked as “Wallet”, “House Keys”, “Camera” etc. This short scene of around a minute or two captures the essence of his condition. It explains the gravity of the situation that he is living in. But the director doesn’t focus on what could have been a scintillating angle to this movie. This scene just fades away as an inconsequential shot in a chain of high voltage action scenes. There is no effort to explain how he reaches his nemesis Ghajini. You just have to take what the director throws at you and thank God that the bad guy’s name was Ghajini and not Suresh, Ramesh or Arun. Just imagine, how many people would Aamir have to kill otherwise.
Surprisingly, the most interesting parts of this action movie are the comical ones. About an hour of the movie is dedicated to a sweet love story between Sanjay and Kalpana. And when I say sweet, I’m just understating it. This is a lovely romance between an aspiring TV model and a business tycoon pretending to be another struggling model. Asin shines in her bubbly character who bowls Aamir over and along with him, the audience as well. And that’s what makes Aamir’s grief all the more believable on losing her.
Aamir on the other hand exudes raw anger and beastality. He has obviously worked hard on his physique to project this image of a tattooed maniac driven by vengeance. His blank look superbly portrays the state of his mind whenever he gets this bout of amnesia. Even as this rich businessman in love, he appears very cute. But surprisingly, Asin steals the show there or maybe that was her character. The much hyped six look song wasn’t actually that special.
The basic principle however, of any movie is that the hero is only as good as the bad guy is bad. I mean, Mr. India wouldn’t be as popular if it wasn’t Mogambo he was fighting. In this context, Pradeep Rawat who plays Ghajini doesn’t live up to all this hype. He seems to be just a regular thug who roams around with a gang of shabby henchmen who are incapable of laying even a single blow on Aamir. The only scene where he appears ruthless is when he kills Asin. Apart from that, his character or mannerisms do not exude any awe or terror.
Jiah Khan – well the less said the better. Her character is the most appropriate – (studying neurology in a medical school) because she doesn’t seem to have any brains of her own. Her acting skills and her looks perfectly match her dim witted character who goes on revealing everything first to the bad guy and then to Aamir and then again as Aamir enters the bad guy’s den, she follows him as if Aamir has a Hutch cell-phone and she is the cute pug.
A.R. Murugadoss has done a descent job of remaking the movie replacing Surya with Aamir but the problem is we’ve become so used to the perfectionist Aamir Khan that such sidestepping of glaring inconsistencies in the script is very unlike an AK movie. It is quite evident that Aamir who usually has a heavy influence even as an actor wasn’t quite able to influence Murugadoos too much, maybe because he didn’t understand Hindi and Aamir doesn’t know Tamil or maybe because Aamir was busy pumping weight for the next shot. The South Indian influence is very evident in the direction, especially the action sequences. There’s an action scene wherein Aamir kills the bad guy by stabbing a tap into his stomach. Familiar with the South Indian influence, I was almost expecting Aamir to twist open the tap and let blood flow out of it.
All said and done, there is a certain amount of unbridled aggression in Aamir’s acting and there is an hour of a sweet love story with Asin doing the honors here. Apart from this, there isn’t really much to root for. This could have been a brilliant psycho-thriller but for the weak script. At best could be termed ‘Average with its moments’ but the fact that this is an Aamir Khan movie makes it all the more disappointing.
Sorry Rakesh, I haven’t read ur review. I hateee spoilers 😛
I’ll see the film and get bac to this post 🙂
btw, I think the film is a rip off of MEMENTO??
😦 I am having second thoughts about seeing this one now 😦 I do not want to waste my precious bucks to watch a useless movie 😦 Had refrained from watching the telugu and tamil ones so that I enjoy the Hindi one 😦
OK…contradict myself…Aamir Khan after all..I sat through a torturous Mangal Pandey.. how bad could this one be? 😛 Will surely watch it once for Aamir
P.S Lol at the Jiah Khan comparison to a pug…that was real funny..couldnt stop laughing 😀
P.P.S Replied to your comment on my blog 😛
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Hey Buddy!
In your flow of criticising, you actually forgot to highlight the intensity in Aamir’s acting. Well, I do agree with all the other facts that it could have been a wonderful movie otherwise, but just talking -ve about it takes away the hardwork put in by Aamir. He fits in so perfectly into the shoes of a tycoon and again switches exceptionally well into his brutal character who knows nothing else but REVENGE!
When the magazines were all over talking about SK’s 6 packs for over a year, I think Aamir’s workout deserves atleast a strong mention because that is the only thing drawing in audiences (sad but true); and yet I believe that he’s really done it to PERFECTION.
Now don’t get demotivated by criticism. Keep writing. You are not that bad after all you know; sort of “Average” with some good pun like comparing Jia Khan to the Pug or waiting for Aamir to open the tap to let the blood flow.
🙂
@Swats: Yeah, even I never read a review before watching the movie and writing my own review. Yup, it is supposed to be a remake of Memento and a bad one at that. I’ve gotta see Memento now.
@Smriti: You know, Aamir (and his workout) is the only reason this movie is that hyped. And sure, watch it once just to see how brilliant it could’ve been.
Btw, I didn’t find Mangal Pandey torturous. It was fine, not bad.
@Anon: The only reason why I didn’t rip this movie apart is Aamir Khan. So you see, I’ve given him the credit.
And as far as criticism is concerned, I really love hate mail… reminds me of reality television 🙂
Replying to your question that you put up on my blog..
I “WAS” pursuing CA. As a CA yourself, You know how much hard work and toil goes into it. I had always wanted to go into journalism..the print media…but Could never persuade my parents to let me go ahead with it. With a family full of CAs and Bankers, basically commerce background, I chose the same “path-to-success”. Had the most horrendous time finishing my CA INTER and then 2 Years of Articleship just killed me. Giving up everything I loved…writing, reading books…it was just unbearable and I went into a deep slump emotionally. Sat down with my parents in September this year and told them I cannot do this for the rest of my life, coz how can I do something I have zero passion for?? After being possibly the saddest person in my house at least (:P) and a lot of filmy rona dhona later, they finally gave in and I decided to call it quits.
Why not go up to final?? Well I could have done that…have a “CA” in front of my name in probably another year or two…but I swear I could not take it another day after I made my decision. Phew. Life has been a million times better ever since, I am getting back to knowing the person I was…basically I am much happier getting a job in advertising for the time being, before I start off journalism school next yr. Bored you?? 😛
That is how I am getting such a lot of time to read…Picked up 8 books this month…and I am going book hunting again tomorrow 😛
Ok I promise I wont write another true life story here again 🙂 Cheers!! 🙂 🙂
I luv Aamir! 🙂
Happy New Year to ya Rakesh!
I’ll explain the LOOK in my pic soon lol!
TC hv fun!
Keshi.
Hey Smriti, not at all bored. Why do you think we blog and read blogs? Coz. we have a damning interest in other people’s lives. he he.
I agree that you should be doing what you love. Glad that you had that realisation. A lot of people wake up too late to realise this. I mean, we had scores of girls in our college all pursuing CA but didn’t know what to do with the qualification once they got it. I wish I was a pretty girl coz. then I’d just marry a wealthy NRI and wouldn’t have to worry where the next paycheck was coming from and would have all the time in the world to read, swim, dive, trek etc. etc…. he he.
Take care and keep having fun. Hope eye is better. Happy New Year !
Hey Keshi,
Thanks ! May this new year bring new opportunities for you. Wish you a brilliant year and life ahead…
And ya that LOOK is really something…
Take care.
The best part is the stuf written on Aamir’s bare chest. Kalpana was killed/ Who is Ghajini. This stuff is enough to make me fall into the trap of watching it..even if it turns out to be poor 😉
But anyway..Em gonna wait wait and wait till I see the movie..and then go and read the reviews about it..all over blogville.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
@Crystal: Yeah thats the right thing to do. Never read a review if you intend to watch the movie. Actually, the setting of the movie is fantastic. Aamir’s physique is really good. I mean, he’s sooo bloody chiseled, looks like computer graphics.
Could not agree more with you. After the first 15 minutes into the movie, I was rooting for a change of director (No offence to sir Murugadoss)
As you said, the action intervenes at a lot of wrong places. As for the villian, I think a wild elephant only would have looked scarier n deadlier.
Have you watched the Hollywood flick 50 First Dates?
@Urv: Yeah, thats what I thought, there was too much South Indian masala for my liking. Wild elephant he he. right.
No haven’t watched 50 First dates but know that it’s based on the same condition, just that her memories last for a day before fading away.
Yes.. But its a romantic story.. And just a romance story.. so the emotions have been focussed on more.. its simple n sweet.. 🙂
The tamil version was better i think