Dec 30, 2008 02:34 AM
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(Updated Dec 30, 2008 02:43 AM)
Art is for art's sake. Understood! Appreciated!
Art is often devoid of human logic. Understood! Appreciated!
But well, just as the above two statements are facts, another fact is that all art forms are open to criticism -- negative often worst! And this film, I am sorry, will witness the worst of criticism from me!
It’s been ages I hated a film SO much that I could not wait for it to end before I review it. Well, Ghajini is still in its last scenes, and I am mid way through my review!
Right at the offset let me mention that Aamir Khan's acting is the only saving grace of the film, the soul string that the entire film pegs on. And when I say his acting, I mean ONLY his acting… because that was the only thing that came naturally to Aamir.
Alright he worked his life off to get into that shape and body, but my friend Aamir, your ulterior motives show so clearly this time. It is more than evident to anyone who is half as fond of Bollywood as I am that Aamir did this film because he knew he will be able to achieve a lot for himself, ‘personally’,through this film.
Firstly, his perpetual desire to do something different has been fulfilled to its best with him now being established as being capable of action also, if needed. Secondly, this film gives Aamir a feather in the hat for doing a semi-psycho-thrill,a relatively unexplored genre in Bollywood. Thirdly, this entire body building,well, who doesn’t know what all Aamir has done to keep himself busy, under the camouflage of “the role demanded this look”.
So Aamir’s been a professional to the core!
The plot of the film, the story, the script, urgh! The promos had quite made the story evident and while everyone thought there would be more to the film (amen, how can one expect a Aamir Khan film to be so shallow?) the film takes the viewer by shock! There is nothing to the film beyond just what the promos showed!
A man loves a woman. The villain kills her. The man is hit on his head and suffers short-term memory loss, which means he forgets everything within 15 minutes. He then establishes ways to combat his illness. Kills the villain in the end!
Yes, that’s just about all that the movie has!
Of course there are other scenes which I REALLY wish Director A.R. Murugadoss explained to me! The best of this lot is the heroin’s wish to buy three ambassador cars before she gets married!? Hello, which world???
There are innumerable such scenes. Another classic that comes to my mind is that 5 lakh rupees cheque that Aamir the rich signs for some orphanage just off the cuff at a downmarket party!
I apologise my saying so, but Mr. Murugadoss, such films are made only in south now! Hindi films have crossed that era!
Another place where the film seems to be dragged back to the past (or to Tollywood, which is still living 20 years behind Bollywood) is the cheap action sequences. The last dual between the protagonist and the villain is such a horrible horrible event that I want to just select that file and DELETE it from my memory (short term as well as long term).
Overall, the film SUCKS!
It is great for the south Indian audience who is used to rash acting, stunts and dances. We Bollywood viewers are much refined… for heaven’s sake you cannot sell us a movie where the heroin is killed because she saved some kids from the villain, who sent killers to her house before she could enter! Where does all this happen???
In today’s era of Indian cinema trying to become a part ofthe lives of people, Ghajini disgusts!
I was clueless when the heroin goes through that train incident, where she tries to save a girl and gets into the middle of a spoof herself. Then she magically lifts a shutter, on the other side of which are army men – almost 50 of them! GOODNESS!!! I thought we were talking about the same industry that produced the likes of Rang De Basanti, Munna Bhai and Don.
When my family turned to me and said—this is what happens when girls try to act all smart, I burst out laughing! I had not heard this one(inspired by a movie) in the longest time. The movie is SO insane… I can’t tell you how much more insane!
Trust me, no matter how much the world says, Ghajini is sure a film that you can miss. At least as long as you are a non south Indian, or lover of endless bloodbath and the best… for NO reason! (Even then yaar, AVOID it!)
