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By Joginder Tuteja, March 16, 2009 - 16:54 IST
MOVIE DETAILS
Cast: Aamir Khan, Asin Thottumkal, Pradeep Rawat, Jiah Khan, Riyaz Khan
Director: A.R. Murugadoss
Producer: Tagore Madhu and Madhu Mantena
Music: A.R. Rahman
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi
THE FILM
So what makes Ghajini a must watch at least one? Well, there is just one simple, single but most powerful reason - Aamir Khan. Aamir's physique, Aamir's haircut, Aamir's stare, Aamir's involvement, Aamir's etc. etc. etc. - Really, it's an Aamir's show all the while when it comes to Ghajini. Quite ironic though since the film borrows its title from the name of the villain in the film. So focused was the film's promotion while being centered on Aamir Khan that absolutely nothing else came into prominence. Which proves yet again that Aamir is indeed a smart man when it comes to marketing his movie.
Picture this; it is quite obvious that Aamir and his team were aware that Ghajini doesn't have a subject or the narrative which would indeed make it a 100 crores plus affair at the box office. After all a basic storyline of a man avenging the death of his girlfriend has been beaten to death in hundreds of films in the decades gone by. So the entire concept of 'short term memory loss' is roped in to act as the USP of the film. Was this good enough to make Ghajini a blockbuster material? May be not! So gimmicks started taking prominence. Tattoos, scars, eight packs, designer suits - you name it and Aamir Khan ensured that everyone got excited to such a point that they walk into the theaters at least once.
Not that Ghajini isn't entertaining without these factors. Of course a box office opening is as good as a weekend or at maximum a week since beyond that it's the film that does the talking. And Ghajini indeed talked as it was taken to greater heights with Aamir Khan's bravura act which made it a thrilling affair. Watch out for the scenes whenever Aamir roars on remembering the death of Asin. It's akin to a tiger locked in a cage that is raring to be released. This is where Aamir brings to fore the mental trauma that his character is facing due to memory loss.
The light hearted scenes are done well too with Asin turning out to be a surprise package. She is confident for her first Hindi film and though she has a look of the young woman next door, she is still adorable. Pradeep Rawat in the role of Ghajini though is menacing and plays his part to perfection. His accent and dialogue delivery reminds one of the cinema of 80s and one doesn't mind that at all since the film by itself has its roots in the era gone by.
The place where Ghajini becomes a little too overwhelming is the loudness factor which dominates most of the narrative. After a point, the violence becomes too heavy and though it is the strength of the film, it also keeps playing on your mind long after the film is through. However, if one looks at the positive side of affairs, this is what gives Ghajini an edge as well because the film lives up the promise of it being a raw and edgy action drama.
Even otherwise, there are countless loopholes in the film's narrative and it isn't difficult to point them out. Aamir choosing to take a revenge himself when he could have hired the services of his confidantes, he choosing to travel by public transport, managing to take on 20 goons at a time by merely building a good body etc. etc. - the list can go on and on. Nevertheless, none of it counters the entertainment quotient that Ghajini brings in because it was meant to be an unabashed masala fare rather than a 'Citizen Kane' or a 'Schindler's List'!
PACKAGING
The DVD comes in an impressive cardboard packaging which gives a 'big' movie feel to Ghajini. For a movie of this stature, it was required to have a classy feel to the packaging. However, one misses a memento related to the film that could have been perhaps included with the DVD.
DURATION
The film's duration is 177 minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES
Ghajini comes in a two DVD pack with one DVD exclusive for all the Special Features. These are:
- Aamir's Workout Bible
- Ghajini Look (Look and Style of Ghajini, Aamir Khan's hair style)
- Action sequences
- Aamir's injury
- Songs in the making
- Making
- Deleted scenes
Frankly, except for those who are interested in body building, there isn't much interest that majority would have in going through 'Aamir's Workout Bible'. In any case, this entire segment has been beaten to death throughout the promotion of the film and hence, whether it's his body, look and hair style, it's all a big time passé by now. The filming of 'action sequences' is interestingly done though since one gets to see the raw action as it was directed on the real locations. One of the interesting incidents that is shown to the audience is the one around Aamir Khan's leg injury. The actual shoot shows how exactly Aamir got injured. However, the entire sequence is extended to such an extent that it looses it's novelty after a point in time.
Segments around 'Making of the film and the songs' are routine but thankfully devoid of talks around cast and crew talking about the characters. Instead, the focus is on the actual behind the scenes footage on real locations that gives an edge to this section. Yet again, it is only for those who are indeed interested in knowing anything more about Ghajini since during its intense promotion, there was hardly anything that was missed out to be thrust upon audience.
One area where maximum interest is generated though is the 'Deleted Scenes' part. However, it is the hugest disappointment in the entire DVD since there are merely four sequences (lasting in total 10 minutes) which are included here. This too is a farce to say the least because while two scenes (anyways avoidable) last for merely 10 seconds each, the other two are just extended versions of the first and the last fight sequences of the film.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
- 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
- Subtitles in English
- Dolby Digital 5.1
PRICE
Rs. 399/=
CONCLUSION
Okay, so this one is for a big screen watch; well, at least for a first time viewing. Also, chances are that you would have indeed watched the film in theaters already so if you are going for this DVD, it would be for a second time watch or from a pure personal collection perspective. Seriously, the kind of hysteria generated by the film pre and post it's release meant that there were hardly any movie buffs who didn't see the film in theaters. And the hysteria wasn't restricted to the opening weekend or the first week. It went on to the second, third, fourth and many more weeks hence ensuring that the moolah continued to flow in for Ghajini which now officially stands as the highest grossing blockbuster in the history of Indian cinema.
  
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