'Ghajini:' An action extravaganza that works

Film: Ghajini

Director: AR Murugadoss

Cast: Aamir Khan, Asin, Jiah Khan, Pradeep Rawat

Rating: ***

Welcome Hindi cinema's first no-holds-barred action extravaganza. We have had our romantic weepathons, our comic blockbusters, and masala entertainers. This one is three hours of all of those, with a strong undercurrent of action. Unpretentious, it goes all out to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

Ghajini, remake of the Tamil hit of the same name, which in turn was ‘inspired’ by Christopher Nolan's cult-and-confused Memento, is perfectly suited to Hindi film audience tastes.

So you have a revenge drama, which has always worked in Hindi cinema, from Sholay to Om Shanti Om. But this one is darker and more angst-ridden than anything you have seen before. Sanjay Singhania (Aamir Khan) is a man on the prowl. Having lost the love of his life (Asin) to an assailant, Sanjay suffers from short-term memory loss and cannot remember anything for more than 15 minutes. So he clicks pictures and makes notes to remember faces, places, names, and things to do. All he remembers from his past life is the name of the man who killed his love: Ghajini. Sanjay's obsession to get to Ghajini (Pradeep Rawat) and the obstacles that crop up in the form of his own lack of memory is what the film is all about.

Ghajini actually has a complicated premise. The story of a man who cannot remember anything for more than 15 minutes and his struggle to find the murderer of his lover seems an implausible idea to be converted into a Hindi feature film. Of course, Ghajini has the advantage of being the remake of a film that has already enthralled Indian audiences, though in the South, and a script that has already been adapted to suit the Indian viewer.

The film has stylised action sequences, not the slick Dhoom kind but more real in execution. Intertwined with the revenge angle is Sanjay’s love story, which keeps returning in flashbacks. The hour devoted to the love story is entertaining and has an undercurrent of humour that provides relief from the dark mood prevalent in the rest of the film.

But the one factor that elevates Ghajini to a different level is the presence of Aamir Khan. For most of his career, and more so in the past decade, Aamir has been considered the safest bet at the box office. From home productions like Lagaan and Taare Zameen Par to critical and commercial successes like Rang De Basanti, Dil Chahta Hai, and Fanah, Aamir has given audiences something different each time and yet sent them back satisfied. Therefore, you can assume that Aamir in an action flick will be worth the price of your ticket. And right you are!

For someone known for his 'chocolate boy' romantic roles earlier and then as a 'serious actor', Aamir has truly broken the mould. As an action hero, he has outdone others like Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan, who, at the scripting stage at least, must have looked better suited to play this role. But Aamir has adopted the gait, look, personality, and body of the man-with-a-mission like only he could. From the soft-spoken Harvard-returned business tycoon to vengeful beast, he is outstanding. Watch him go grrr in the last scene. You will know what getting ‘under the skin of the character’ means.

Another plus is newcomer Asin. A sensation down South, she fits into Hindi film heroine mode effortlessly. Smart, confident, and at ease, Asin clearly has what it takes to enjoy a long run in the industry. She joins a list of potential stars like Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor.

Both Pradeep Rawat in the title role and Jiah Khan as a medical student interested in Sanjay's mental condition for her project are competent.

The film, till almost the end, follows the Tamil Ghajini in terms of story and treatment. Director Murugadoss must have found it easy to repeat a formula with which he has already achieved success. But for making an implausible story digestible and entertaining at the same time, he deserves credit.

We could have done with fewer jump-cuts and close-ups, which are so popular down South, but those who haven't watched too many such movies will find the shot-taking unique and the treatment suited to the subject. AR Rahman's music stays with you long after you have left the theatre.

Ghajini does have its shortcomings (Aamir's overdoing of the skin show and gory action), but at a little over three hours, it is entertaining fare. After innumerable southern comedy remakes doing well in the Hindi-speaking belt, an action film is good change.