Director: A.R. Murugadoss
Producer: Allu Arvind, Madhu Varma
Story / Writer: A.R. Murugadoss
Screenplay: A.R. Murugadoss
Music Director: A R Rahman
Star cast: Aamir Khan, Asin, Jiah Khan, Pradeep Rawat, Khalid Siddiqui
In The Name Of the Villain
A remake of the Tamil film of the same name Ghajini (both versions directed by Murugadoss) finally hit the cinema screens on Wednesday. A much awaited film, it was launched with great fanfare, in several multiplexes and single screen cinemas, across the country. The small screen as well as the print media went berserk with Aamir Khan’s mug shots and interviews, as he is all out to promote his film. While both his heroines are kept under wraps Mr. Khan himself is on a media blitzkrieg. Ghajini haircuts for the ushers in movie theatres and the media shy Aamir talking incessantly to the press and life size Aamir figures that catch you by surprise as you walk inside the lobby of several multiplexes, have contributed to the film raking in the highest ever advance booking collections in recent times.
The basic plot of the film is lifted straight from the Christopher Nolan film Memento, where the protagonist (Guy Pearce) is hit on his head in a scuffle to save his wife who is raped and then killed. As a result, he suffers from a short time memory loss, medically termed as Anterograde amnesia. He cannot recall events which have occurred even fifteen minutes ago. As he chooses to avenge his wife’s death, he has to remind himself about his mission all the time. To do this, he keeps making notes, taking pictures and has tattooed important information and phone numbers all over his body. This is what Ghajini is all about.
Aamir plays the role of Sanjay, who is the owner of a leading cell phone company and a suave businessman, who falls for a small time chatterbox, good Samaritan model, Kalpana (Asin) and proposes to her. She accepts him as the struggling model that he poses to be. Before they can enjoy even being in love, Kalpana, in one of her do- good missions, gets entangled with some big time criminals who intend to murder her. She is eventually killed and Sanjay, who is gravely injured (which leads to his memory loss), is out to get Ghajini - the man behind the killing.
The huge USP of the film is Aamir’s look in the role of Sanjay Singhania and once that is revealed, you want the film to catch pace.
Since one is exposed to the plot early on, the wait for the events to unfold at times gets tedious. The sequences between Kalpana and Sanjay are endearing and Asin scores with her decent performance and pretty looks. Aamir’s power packed body and his looks are a completely different from his earlier hit Taare Zameen Par. He is a conscientious actor and his efforts show in his performance. But the role of Sunita (a medical student) essayed by Jiah Khan, leaves you confused. Her intentions are not clear, and by the end of the film you are left to figure out, what she was supposed to do in the first place. The villain, Ghajini, is the Bollywood prototype (right down to his white attire and white shoes) with his maar dalo...mita dalo dialogues - boring as hell.
In spite of the hype and hoopla surrounding the film, the thought that enters your mind while watching it is that, again, like most other films, Ghajini is nothing different. The very fact, that it takes such a long time to get drawn to the film’s events, and feel involved, makes the viewer uneasy. By the time things unfold, you are hoping it will end soon. The length of the film is a major issue.
Only the 'Guzaarish' song stays with you after the film ends.
Ghajini is yet another glossy, average, masala Bollywood fare.
Vineeta Sinha
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