SatpalParmar’s Weblog

I have few confessions  to make before I comment  on this movie.

Confession 1: I do not think Amir Khan is  finest of all  actor. He is nowhere near to his  ’prefectionist’  image created by spin doctors, his PR, and media. But I do think that he is a smart ass who know his shit. Being one of the oldest hand in industry he know  indian janataa and its preferences and like Ekta Kapoor and  SK ,  is  able to create  niche for himself.

Confession 2: I do not prefer long movies.Its very difficult  for me to  commit myself for  anything beyond 120 min. I  believe smalll is beautiful. Unless there exist a very convincing reason to make an epic I would like director whokeep their experiments  below 150 min.

Confession 3: I like directors’ who arefocused  to achieve  new level in single genre. To mix love, romance, drama,comedy, tragedy, voilence and goody-win-baddie message together is tough and expect  legendry director’s touch . Unless adirector/actor  took himself as legend I expect  them to stick to the basics. I do not prefer mass market stuff.

Confession 4: I prefer director who are particular about casting. Versatile actor is a myth. Every actor/actress have a strong impression or image associated  with him.It is director’s job to exploit and build on that image . Casting is a question of director’s integrity with character. Any director worth his salt would  make movie with actors and not for them.

Ok. Now I think, I am in position to declare that Ghajini is an ordinary and forgettable movie. The very kind , I will never talk about , keep in my library and watch again.With Ghajini  bollywod have mastered the much revered art of marketing. Rohan’s brought this concept to bollywood with KNPH, Chopras fueled it with Hum Tum and Dhoom,  SK took this  to higher levels with exellent maketing of ordinary filth OSO.  Amir with Ghajini mark the completion of capitalist take over of bollywood. From now onwards we can expect to  see superhit bakaas film more often.

Coming back to Ghajini, I had same expectations as I mention in my confessions. But both director and Amir  disappointed me. Few frames into the moview and I had  ‘I know the story’ moment. Rich guy falling in love with sweet-cute-honest street gal in the lead , ugly-dumb-beffy villain killing or raping  the gal  somewhere in the middle and  rich guy taking  (kutee !! main tera khon pee joonga type) revenge in climax.Yes  we all have seen this ,  many many times.  What I did not guessed  was apparent lack of chemistry between Asin-Amir and sheer lack of imagination on part of director  in naming the movie. I mean how could you name a movie after a lousy villain  and only a dumb ass can cast such a nobody after naming movie after him. Talking about love story, they never let it build  (pathetic screenplay), the moment I start feeling connected to it we had a pallid song /dance poping up from nowhere. Ghar prevesh was  the only scene where I felt my heart melting for   i-haves-een-it-before love story.

If you ask  me about Amir’s performance I would say I am equivocal.I do not know if  he did this role to satisfy every (old) actor’s natural  itch to experiment something  new/different  or he did this to debunk his actor-who-think (actor-of- classes)  image or he did to connect with masses. Whatever was the reason his performance  lack perfection.I wondt blame him for his acting skill as much as his selection for this role. Perfection is when no one replace you. But in Ghajini  I could definitely replace him with Sunny phaaji anyday. Sunny Deol could have done better job and may have looked more convincing  for a harvard guy turning into a beast type role along  with  blood glore and (kollywood style) violence they displayed on screen . For Amir, I would say great body  but I expect him to show some respect and honesty with the role and with audience.

Asin looks pretty, curvey and toned. She was comfortable working with ‘Mr.perfection’ and did a good job. But I would have prefered Genelia for her role. Genelia  look much more sponteneous and convincing  for such short sweet-cute-happy gal type roles.

Jiah Khan ( thanks god I have not watched Nishabd, ) with her zero size figure and tooti-footi hindi sucked. Its director’ s fault. When you are making a mass market movie you canot pick a ‘hanger’  best suited for catwalking in rags to do ’any’ kind of  role.I feel sorry for her.I wish and hope  she will work hard next time .

Memento element  (short-term memory loss) was underplayed and there was nothing new and  suprising.  I would contribute this partly to the fact that I had already seen it before  and  to  director’s inablity to build-on and exploit the concept by adding something new to it.

Ghajani is a directorial failure. I do not know much about him but he did a patchy job.Film lack in casting,screenplay,editing and allmost everywhere. After having  all Hollywood/Bollywod/Kollywodd mixed maslala I had a very bad after taste.