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 There is always an excitement surrounding an Aamir Khan movie. The actor is a perfectionist and takes his craft quite seriously, to the point of being involved in the creative process of his films. It has been said that he went as far changing the ending the hindi version of Ghajini from the South Indian version, which was a mega blockbuster 3 years ago. There have been many speculations as to the similarities between Ghajini and Memento. I have seen both versions and I can tell you to just watch Ghajini with a fresh mind…no comparisons necessary.
The movie begins with a medical student named Sunita (Jiah Khan) who takes an interest in a particular patient case, Sanjay Singhania (Aamir Khan). He suffers from a short-term memory loss where he forgets everything within 15 minutes, so in order to remember everything, he takes pictures with polaroids, tattoos his body, keeps notes, etc. Soon, we are introduced to a brooding Sanjay killing a goon, but it is unclear to the audience and even the character of who is his real target…Ghajini. Through interesting flashbacks, we see layers of his memory pieced together thanks to written journal entries of a 2 year span. One day Sanjay, who is a successful business tycoon, sees a girl (Asin) helping children get into a museum and he’s hooked. By coincidence, this same girl, Kalpana, claims to be his girlfriend to the media, so when Sanjay shows up to meet the girl, he is surprised to see it’s the girl that interested him. He eventually wins her heart by pretending to be just an ordinary guy. Ironically, Kalpana nevers learns his true identity. As the story moves from present to flashbacks sequences, we learn that Sanjay suffers everyday. He wakes up in torment because he wants revenge but he needs to study his notes and begin fresh to find Ghajini. In a heartbreaking flashback, we see Kalpana get murdered for crossing paths with the villain. Sanjay tries to intervene but he is hit with a metal rod and hence is left in a condition of complete vulnerability and chaos in his mind. Does Sanjay get revenge for his true love?
Technically the film’s setting is captured competently. The chase sequences and action are very hardcore, thanks to Aamir Khan’s superb expressions. Time and time again, he has proven that he can play any role with ease. The contrast of being a sweet man down to a vengeful killing machine is fascinating. Another award winning role for Aamir. Asin played Kalpana in the original Ghajini and she still remains funny, adorable, and very charming in this version; you really understand through her character why Sanjay falls in love. All I can say is welcome to Bollywood Asin! Jiah Khan’s second movie is much better and she provides ample support to Sanjay in the end. As the villain, Pradeep Rawat is wonderful; you really loathe his character for the suffering given to Sanjay and Kalpana. Music and background score by A.R. Rehman are integrated well within Ghajini, with Bekha, Kaise Mujhe Tum, and Guzarish being the highlights. The song Lattoo and Aye Bacchu can easily be cut out from the film. It’s not a surprise to say that Ghajini ends 2008 on a very high note. One of the best films of the year and not to be missed.
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A.R. Murugadoss has just taken small layers of Memento and turned it into a unqiue story of wholesome love and revenge. His direction is clear and gets the main characters to evoke thorough emotions in every frame, especially when Kalpana is murdered in front of Sanjay. The pacing of the story is what makes it interesting, but the ending feels very long and should be trimmed by 15-20 minutes for a stronger impact.