Forget everything including Memento. Review on Ghajini (2008)

Remaking a film is always a dicey business. Comparisons are bound to arise with the original version, particularly if the original is a big hit or a classic. Ghajini is a remake of 2 such films. Capturing the essence of the modern day Christopher Nolan classic Memento, but faithfully adapting the Surya starrer of the same name, the film has been one of the most awaited films of the year.Starring the perfectionist Aamir Khan along with Asin and Jiah Khan, Ghajini is what we’d call a quintessential Bollywood potboiler.

Sanjay Singhania(Aamir Khan) suffers from Anterograde amnesia, a condition where he cannot remember anything for more than 15 minutes. The only drive in his life is to avenge the death of his lover kalpana(Asin) by a man named Ghajini. Helping him out is a medical student Sunita(Jiah Khan). Fighting his disorder by using everything from photos, diaries and his own body to retain memories, the film tracks Sanjay’s attempts at destroying Ghajini.

The plotline is exactly the same as the original Tamil version barring the last 30 minutes. The similarities are so strong, that most dialogues have simply been literally translated into Hindi. This is irritating for viewers of the original Ghajini as there is nothing new to be offered to them. A good example of a fresh remake would be the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Don. Despite having the same storyline as the original it brought in a certain amount of freshness in its dialogue, screenplay and the basic treatment. Ghajini fails to do that. Also, the climax that was supposed to have been made a lot better isn’t exactly that outstanding. The original movie’s climax was pretty hideous; here it is plain banal and commonplace. Another huge problem is the jarring length. AR Murugadoss may have been inspired by Memento, but like the original Ghajini he prefers to concentrate on the love story than the actual plot. He once again loses a golden opportunity to explore the complexity of Sanjay’s condition and make it a much more engaging plot.

The cinematography and styling of the film is just a shade better than the original. The action sequences have been shot well, though the blood and gore might unsettle a few. But, again there is a certain amount of class associated with Hindi films, and Ghajini isn’t exactly up there. The overall treatment resembles a dubbed Tamil film, which is a bit disappointing.

The music by AR Rahman is refreshing and fun. ‘Guzarish’ and ‘Behka’ are sure shot blockbusters. However, many might question the placement of the songs in an already lengthy film. The director could have done away with at least 2 songs and saved the narrative from dragging. The problem with most Tamil films plagues the Hindi Avatar of Ghajini as well. Still, the songs are sure to linger in your minds once the movie ends.

Ghajini has a strong star cast which is the heart and soul of the film. Pradeep Rawat as Ghajini is the quintessential 80’s Bollywood villain covered from head to toe with gold and adopting a typical Bihari twang. Jiah Khan as the medical student is just about bearable. Asin reprises her role from the original and yet appears to be fresh and confident. Her pronunciation deserves full marks for its fluency and proper accent.

Finally the movie belongs to the perfectionist Khan, Aamir Khan. As the industrialist he oozes style and panache and as the deranged killing machine, he shows rage and at times vulnerability. The big question-Who is better, Surya or Aamir? The answer would be both. Both had their own styles to suit their respective audiences and both work.

Ghajini isn’t a bad film, but it isn’t a great one either. With Aamir Khan in the picture one would have expected a lot more, but alas, it turns out to be a lot less. However, this doesn’t stop it from being an enjoyable watch particularly for first timers.

Ghajini gets 3 out of 5.