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.
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. Jiah Khan
impresses, especially in the sequence when Aamir follows her to a
shopping mall.
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.
Taran Adarsh
[IndiaFM] ReView - 4.5 / 5
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