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.