Review of Ghajini (2008) by Sanyam J — 17 Jan 2009

It felt like I was witnessing a rape. A brutal rape of one of the most brilliant story written ever. Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan might commit suicide after watching this one.

There's an understanding and intelligence used when you copy a movie. This movie lacks both. I don't know if the plot was carefully used in the original copy of south Indian remake but who cares. Local movies are allowed to copy stuff but, when you are doing something what has got international eyes on it and it's one of the most awaited project so far; I felt pity for it as it turns out to be a real disaster. If Mr. Perfectionist really believes in perfection, he shouldn't have signed for this film at all. May be, he was too busy in publicizing this movie that he forgot to watch it at least once before sending it to public.

Original Memento movie talks about Leonard Shelby who has (need not mention, he is suffering from anterograde amnesia) decided to hunt down the killer of his wife and has ended up in an infinite loop of killing spree. But the movie isn't that simple as it sounds in last few lines. Ambiguity, reverse chronology, paranoia, suspicion, uncertainty, confusion, and betrayal everything has fallen in the same place that makes the movie most complicated and a perfect psychological thriller ever. Leonards's self narration makes you look at things from his perspective and therefore, story leaves the truth upto the viewers with tons of possibilities which only a patient with such condition can feel. A unique way of screenplay with no flaws in the plot, had made the movie a perfect masterpiece to have in collection.

On the other hand, Amir Khan's version of the movie is far far away from keeping the viewers in such state where you can even remotely enjoy the thriller. Unlike the original, where every character unfolds one by one, this movie clutters the cinema screen with crowd and of course EIGHT pack abs of Amir Khan. The concept of anterograde amnesia is stupidly slammed. A huge time is wasted on action and songs and of course romance. Nobody will understand why there is so much need of romance in a thriller film. Photography, specially in action sequence, puts entire south Indian cinema on screen.

Moreover, there are certain sequences which are hard to digest even for the dumbest viewer. eg, Female constable, who discovers that some local mafias are approaching to kill Sanjay's wife Kalpana; she calls Kalpana to warn her instead of calling local police station to send some help. At least constables should know that we are paying taxes to use police in this kind of situations !!! Police didn't even investigate after attack on Sanjay and his girlfriends murder. The way Sanjay finds his to-be girlfriend Kalpana, is too much to accept unless it happens in a regular Shahrukh Khan movie. And god knows how Sanjay finds out the mafia who killed his wife is Ghajini and has tracked him down to hunt. To cut short, Ghajini is exaggerated revenge masala movie with amplified amount of romance and action.