Lives up to your expectations, and more!. Review on Ghajini (2008)

Undoubtedly the most hyped and marketed movie of 2008, Ghajini has also become its biggest earner in only its first week. So should you queue up to watch it?

Interesting and original plot(the movie is only ‘inspired’ by Memento, borrowing its basic idea and concepts), the script does have its share of loopholes, but they don’t jar. The film was initially thought by many to be too violent, but it doesn’t go over the top with it. True, some of the fight sequences could’ve been trimmed, that’d have helped the overall length as well. At over 3 hours, it may sound long but you don’t look at the watch when you’re inside. The screenplay is taut and well scripted. It moves interestingly in and out of the present and flashback.

Aamir’s physique, the biggest hype for the film is thankfully not harped on excessively and seems integral and well-blended into the story. His acting is as you’d expect from him, though he has too few dialogs to speak. It’s definitely his most violent film ever, and he puts up an animal-like show of guttural sounds and raw violence.

Asin makes a flawless Bollywood debut, among the best debuts I have seen(though the fact that she has played the same role before in the Tamil original may be the reason). Excellent diction, great screen presence and impressive acting make her the best candidate for this year’s Best Debutante. She is absolutely charming in her role. Jiah though is just about okay.

Why the film is named Ghajini, after the villain’s name, beats me. Can you imagine Mr.India having been named “Mogambo” or Sholay having been called “Gabbar”. Silly. The choice for the actor could also have been better. Pradeep Rawat is not too bad but not worthy enough for a film named after him.

Yes it’s a tale primarily of revenge but it’s also a well-crafted romance. There are plenty of fun moments and many hilarious ones too. AR Rahman’s soundtrack is superb and has already been very well-received. The film is very well put together and you stay glued to the screen not wanting to miss anything. Expectations are always unfair and unwelcome and more often than not play a dominant role in determining how much you like a film, but this one lives up to them.

So for Ghajini, I’ll give it 4/5. It’s definitely worth a watch.