A.R. Rahman's music is top notch. At least three numbers have the unmistakable
stamp of a genius -- 'Guzarish', 'Behka' and 'Kaise Mujhe'. Ravi Chandran's
cinematography is stunning. The film bears a stylish look all through. The
action sequences are brilliantly executed. The Hindi moviegoers haven't seen
such scenes ever.
-------------------
The wait is finally over! An Aamir Khan film is nothing short of an event. The
supremely talented actor acts in one film a year and no two films are ever
identical in terms of plotline. No wonder then that you await an Aamir starrer
with bated breath.
GHAJINI, the Tamil version, has been a massive hit and so was its dubbed Telugu
version. Will the Hindi adaptation live up to the humungous expectations? The
hype is unmatched and you expect no less than a present-day masterpiece.
Now the good news: GHAJINI demonstrates how strong film-making can enhance and
elevate an already solid concept.
GHAJINI is a revenge saga, one ingredient that has been the staple diet of
Hindi films since time immemorial. It is a powerful film. It has the power to
sweep you off your feet from the word 'go'. It has a riveting story, which has
been told with flourish by director A.R. Murugadoss. And, of course, it has a
knockout performance by Aamir Khan. If at all there's a shred of doubt whether
Aamir is The Best in the business, all you've got to do is check out GHAJINI.
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Flaws any? Running time [almost 3 hours]? Not at all! There's so much happening
in every scene and the screenplay is so gripping that you don't feel the need
to look at the auditorium ceiling or at your watch at brief intervals. You
aren't restless. As moviegoers, we've watched countless good versus evil fares
over the years and although GHAJINI belongs to the same family, not once does
it take the beaten track. The story has been told differently and most
importantly, the story offers so many twists-n-turns that you just can't guess
what would unfold next.
Is it violent? It is, at times, but the violence here is justified. In fact,
every time the protagonist bashes up the evil-doers, you clap and root for him.
The climax is jaw-dropping -- dissimilar from the original, but it's an out of
the world experience nonetheless.
To sum up, GHAJINI is commercial Hindi cinema at its best. The film has 'Hit'
written all over it. Let me put it this way: Cancel whatever you're doing today
and go watch GHAJINI instead.
Aamir Khan is suffering from acute short-term memory loss set off by the
violent murder of his girlfriend Asin. He's got to work around this handicap,
but with methodical and meticulous determination. Aamir etches a path of clues
that lead him on his road.
To aid him in his quest, he carries around a sheaf of Polaroids and when he is
really sure of a piece of information, he has it tattooed on his body, which
stands in for the damaged part of his mind. His indelibly marked torso is the
repository of his grief, his rage and his reason to go on living.
Any more revelation would do gross injustice to the film and to its viewer.
First things first! GHAJINI is not MEMENTO. There're minor similarities, but
GHAJINI takes a completely different route to tell its story. Director A.R.
Murugadoss tells this one differently. It starts off with what happens in the
past, comes to the present-day, goes back in time again and returns to the
contemporary again. This is a breathless, exciting story, heart-breaking and
exhilarating at the same time.
Hindi movies have often depicted people suffering from amnesia/memory loss,
but GHAJINI is poles apart because the protagonist recalls events only for 15
minutes. The story is its USP, without a doubt. But what adds sheen and glory
to the story is Aamir's portrayal of a man suffering from short-term memory
loss. Aamir hardly speaks. In fact, the leading lady [Asin] speaks more than
Aamir in the film. But Aamir speaks volumes with his eyes, he conveys whatever
has to be conveyed through his body language, he says it all with his facial
expressions and that only makes GHAJINI a memorable, never-seen-before
experience.
Director A.R. Murugadoss deserves brownie points for not just coming up with an
interesting story, but also presenting it [refreshingly] differently. The
storyteller balances the light moments and the ones demanding intensity with
expertise. There's dum in every sequence. Even if the director has to depict
violence, he doesn't resort to blood-n-gore or knives-swords-pistols for
effect.
A.R. Rahman's music is top notch. At least three numbers have the unmistakable
stamp of a genius -- 'Guzarish', 'Behka' and 'Kaise Mujhe'. Ravi Chandran's
cinematography is stunning. The film bears a stylish look all through. The
action sequences are brilliantly executed. The Hindi moviegoers haven't seen
such scenes ever.
Aamir delivers his career-best performance. In the first place, it requires
courage and maturity to name the film after the villain. Knowing how egoistic
our stars are, something like this is next to impossible in Hindi films.
A lot has been said and written about the GHAJINI look -- Aamir's hairstyle and
his dream physique. It's awe-inspiring and if more and more people adopt the
'Aamir look' or hit the gym, it would be courtesy the actor.
As far as his acting is concerned, he's natural as the tycoon, but like a
wounded, ferocious tiger when he goes on an avenging spree.
Without doubt, it's a concentrated, layered performance. He acts with his
entire being. His body movement, the details of his performance, everything
rings true. He is both vulnerable and hard. The pain in his face when he can't
remember, is palpable. It's not only the plot that carries GHAJINI. It's also
the mood and the expression on Aamir's face that makes GHAJINI a treat.
Asin is fabulous. To share the screen space with an actor of the stature of
Aamir Khan and yet remain in your memory even after the show has ended is no
cakewalk. She looks fresh and photogenic and acts her part brilliantly. Pradeep
Rawat, the villain, is first-rate.
On the whole, GHAJINI is a winner all the way. The film will set new records
and has the merits to emerge one of the biggest Hits of all times. The weekend
business should be historic, the Week 1 business should be unparalleled, the
lifetime gross should be amongst the biggest of all times. In short, GHAJINI
has 'Blockbuster' written all over it.
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