THAT was Ghajini???

Ghajini only goes on to show what hype can do for a movie.

The movie may well be on its way to become one of the biggest grosser in Bollywood. But at best, it matches up to an above-average Sunny Deol flick. Had the movie not featured Aamir Khan it would not have been nowhere close to what it is now.

Bollywood has had a history where many a venture has sunk despite hype but what worked for Ghajini was a sustained and immaculately planned publicity campaign. That it was Aamir’s sole movie in the whole year, and was coming a whole year after his poignant Taare Zameen Par, already had the nation in good anticipation. This combined with the publicity given to Aamir’s (over-hyped) physique and supposed eight-pack took the hype to newer altitudes. The marketing team also made sure the bulked-up Aamir was visible in malls and public places. Days before the release, one could see the once-considered reticent Aamir giving interviews on every possible show on every possible channel. Newspapers and websites were flooded with Aamir’s 13 month rigorous training to get his look. Also, to engage a larger segment of the audience, romantic promos augmented the initial action-oriented posters.

The end result of it all had to be a bumper opening for Ghajini. Needless to say, all this wouldn’t have worked so well for another actor; but Aamir’s hysteria is unparalleled and his fan following spans all sections of gender, class and religion. The loose ends of Shahrukh’s “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi” also proved beneficial for this film and the “thinking” audience thronged the halls to see if Aamir had fared better. For the rest, who weren’t really the star’s fans, they went anyways to see what all the hype was all about!

So how did I find it?

The film is loud and the background score louder. This morning I concurred with my colleague who told me that he left the hall with a heavy head after watching this film. Even the overall music, barring a song or two, is forgettable and below-average by Rahman’s standards. Majority of the songs stand out of the story and merely extend the length of the film.

If action happens to be your genre of choice, you will enjoy the punches and villains being banged on walls and windows. If not, then you’d be sitting at the wrong place for those parts of the movie. What however holds your attention is the narrative; the director manages to engage you through the entire film. When the gore goes heavy, a romantic flashback alters the tone and pace of the movie. In this regard, the editing is slick and crisp. So even if the film could put some of you to sleep, it won’t give you the opportunity to yawn!

In terms of performances, Asin wows with her refreshing act. She lights up the screen and (due apologies to Aamir’s fans) steals the thunder from right under the actor’s nose. It’s a pity she didn’t get her due with the superstar taking most of the credit. You wait for her to come on screen; be it simple acts of helping people around her or faking up her romance with the business tycoon – she portrays the character of affable Kalpana with élan. In fact, it is the flashback sequences in which she appears, that were most enjoyable.

It is surprising that Aamir, known for choosing his films very selectively, opted for this South Indian remake. Even though his character is central to the film, he doesn’t have too many dialogues. As a guy suffering from short term memory loss, he shows his frustration to a degree but doesn’t have much else to do than beat up anyone and everyone coming in his way. Perhaps, the director could have focused more on the confusion and tribulations he faced due to his problem. As the business tycoon in flashbacks, his witty act makes you laugh. But in one of the scenes when giving interviews to international media, he didn’t sound convincing as a magnate. All in all, his performance was satisfactory in the context of the film. He didn’t break any new ground with this, as some people claim. As for achieving the macho look, I don’t think with the support available these days it is such a Herculean task for an actor known for his sincerity and perfectionism.

As the bad guy Ghajini, Pradeep Rawat disappointed; he tried hard to mouth Haryanvi dialogues but was neither effective nor convincing. Perhaps, the movie would have been elevated to another level had the villainy act been more polished.

The cinematography by Ravi K. Chandran was par excellence. And be it the exotic locales of the Guzarish song or dark shots of the climax sequence, he has shot them all brilliantly. The action sequences have a South Indian influence even though some of them are executed well.

Ghajini, as a one time watch, was entertaining even for someone like me not particularly into action movies or Aamir Khan. But the cult status to which it has been elevated is definitely not justified. It is a clearly over-hyped and has garnered undue credit than what it is worth. I’m sure people had higher expectations from Aamir but for fear of being sounding different, no one wants to admit that.