December 30, 2008

Ghajini- live blogging

My 1st live blog post!
I went in with zero expectations, having shrugged off the media hoopla off my head (it was hard, but had to clean my brains to be able to enjoy this objectively).

Title: Ghajini
Year: 2008
Cast: Aamir Khan, Asin, Jiah Khan.

Movie opens with Jiah in the lab.

Me: "Oh look- its Jiah Khan- looking intelligent."
Sister: "Its the lab coat."

Aamir kills random goon.

Me: "Oh look its Aamir- looking like Mr. Spock!"
"Wow Aamir kicks butt"

Aamir goes home.

Husband: "Why doesnt he just write down his home address?"
Me: "wont look cool."
Husband: "Maybe he should get a PDA- or even a Blackberry. Apple G3 would be best"
Me: "He is supposed to be rich- should be able to get one easily."

Aamir wakes up and remembers...

Husband: "What a lovely start to one's morning."
Me: "He could get a shady secretary- but no- how'd he trust him ..."
"Is this how much time he wastes every morning????"
"He could at least get a car and a chauffer- travelling in B'Bay takes time- public travel would definitely slow any revenge plans whatsoever- esp. if he forgets stuff every 15 minutes."

Aamir meets Jiah
"WTF is he every talking to her even?? omg- he is NEVER going to get anywhere if he wastes such time."
Aargh.
what crap.

Flashback
"He is SO cute- so metro- so hawt."
Asin looks pretty- and the song's shot well, but the song isnt doing anything for me.
Plus the pace set in the begining of the movie was so different- I preferred it to this fluff :S
- not that fluff is bad.


Oh come on now- go fall in love and get killed already- I wanna go back to the revenge thriller I came to watch.
Oh these Ads are so funny- I'm digging it- still want the revenge thriller though.

Oh I know- she is telling this fake love story to this guy- bet he is a reporter. Then Aamir will read this in the newspaper and come meet her- bet that's what's gonna happen.
Its predictable, but funny though.

Oh Mayapuri is still a real magazine? V interesting.

Told ya this would happen.
Oh how cute- she sees her making handicapped kids all athleticy- heeh.
Love despite annoyance- awww.
NOW can we get on with the revenge thriller already?!!

I am really getting bored with all this cuteness- it has its place, but I was here for violence :S
Mmm I thought she was taking Aamir for an Ad shoot- now she is suddenly taking an old man to a random bus stop???? wth. Are they supposed to walk all they way back now???


Oh ok- a song- "Behka"- not digging Aamir's outfits, but he looks so very young! Great skin, and looks younger than all the other Khans.
I'm just wondering- all this time Asin's been bluffing about Aamir- shouldnt she have at least googled to see waht her fake-pretend bf looked like??? And can we go back to the damned thriller????


A while later...
She STILL doesnt get Aamir is THE MAN? oh lord :S
Oh at last- back to the present- fight fight kill kill. Aah yes- You go dude!
Why Aamir why? Get some assitants!
- wait a minute- whatever happened to the inspector he was beating???


WHAT kind of a college cultural program is this??? Its more a pop video ...

Oh I remember this guy playing Ghajini- he's done a lot of stuff- glad he's gotten stronger parts to play...

Oh dear lord- he has been killing people all over the place, and didnt kill that inspector? wth.
Seriously Aamir, just kill Jiah- lets be done- a lot of people will thank you. No NOT those goons- kill her- pls?

Oh Ghajini- you bad bad man. Tsk.

Oh Jiah- why wouldnt you tell the police this? Does it make any sense? Cant you SEE these guys around you- dont you THINK they look like goons??? oh dear.

Jiah got Aamir caught!

Oh you idiot- would it have been too much to shut your trap? Great now- read those diaries and regret- go on. :S


Flashback again

I couldnt stand the last flashback- but this one I am totally welcoming. Phew- at least there is no Jiah here.
Aww they are SO cute together [heart]
ooh she is getting premonitions... I really like her- dont want her to die.


Back to the present
Oh how silly- the police cant ID Aamir- wasnt he supposed to be a famous industrialist once? :S
Oh good- at least Aamir can go home now- poor sweety.
Bet that Ghajini will have him attacked now- grr. Yup- there he is.
Oh heck- oh pls dont do that to Aamir!!! You bad man :(

Jiah doing research about Asin and Amir
Oh finally the girl is showing some sense.
More flashbacks- finally Asin's mystery is begining to clear up- oh this is so unpleasant.
Oh Aamir- ur lil sleeved shirts are so cute.

Mmm Asin- seriously- you cant be SO bubbly, cute and dumb can you? Please prove that all models arent dumb. Please be careful.
There- I told you :S
Dear lord! is Asin seriously preaching to the goons? And expecting to get away with it? oh man. Amazing. Just brilliant. :S

And why did Ghajini have to sit and confess to her? This is making less and less sense.
Oh God Oh God- this is so violent!!! omg omg.
omg omg
omg omg.
omg omg.
Oh this is so sad- oh man :( BAWLLL
Umm- wouldnt the goons have done a better job of killing the witness to their murder? hmm?


Back to present- Jiah tells all to Aamir


I have to say- Jiah has done a unbeleivably great job of unearthening the truth- maybe she shouldnt have become a doctor- FBI would be a better option.


Aamir's diaries are another revelation- for somebody who has never lived in India, to write volumes in Hindi must be quite an acheivement :P
Now lets just have Aamir kill 'em all and be done. Weehee!


Final thoughts:

  1. Though the extended love story was getting to me at the time, I do understand it was necessary to build it up to make us empathise properly with Asin and Aamir.
  2. I agree with other reviews that it could have been tighter.
  3. I cant stand Jiah, even here.
  4. I wish the media would stop building this hype around Aamir- who encourages it of course- why wouldnt he? Its just that the hype exagerrates and builds expectations, which can work against a movie. I think its a great practice to NOT watch a Bollywood movie as soon as it comes out- you have to get away from all the media BS.
  5. Nobody seems to be talking about the really great cinematography- which they should, because it is really fantastic. Just for that, I would see this movie again and again.
  6. Asin is really cute- not spectacular, but really cute, and decidedly charismatic.
  7. The movie would have made WAY more sense if it was filmed anywhere but in Bombay- Aamir CANNOT have pursued anybody in this city- with hours of normal sitting time in traffic and a memory span of 15 minutes- he cant be making much headway!

11 comments:

NidaMarie said...

Whoo-hoo, first post!And such a fun and entertaining one..I felt like I was right there with ya!:)

I agree on much of this...esp the part about the "fluff"...I love my rom-coms, but I had already put my "revenge-kill" movie mode into gear and wasn't prepared for all of that. But, like you, in the end it all came together quite nicely.

Agree on aamir looking great too!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I love the scene when he comes back home. With a cool way he shows pics to the driver, and the driver gets him home. And the driver says, "Whose house is it" Aamir says, "Mine" :-)

The film is very good, but the violent scenes scare some people. Like the scene when Ghajini hits a rod on Kalpana's head (aww!). Some people went out of the theatre at that time (they are very sensitive, no?).

But except these two things, the whole film is full of fun, and the comedy scenes are also good. What you like the most in it?

dunkdaft said...

Great idea of review. I loved this. Yes, cinematography was fab. I loved sand dunes in 'Guzaarish'. And while Aamir is in trauma mode, green lighting is used, and in lovestory, vibrant colors are used. Nice observation.

But can't agree on Mumbai. The streets of Mumbai is perfect for the climax, and the all Ad film stuff. Mumbai was necessary.

dunkdaft said...

P.S.: Who's that girl in title bar??

Unknown said...

Aww, I liked the film a lot. But then I'm shallow, especially when it comes to Aamir and Aamir is hot & Asin is gorgeous. And I was pleased :P

The cinematography is top notch! I went to see it in a hall with a bunch of friends, so it was a different experience altogether. I really should go to the cinemas more often :P

I haven't seen Memento in a while, so I'd dare to say I liked it better than Nolan's masterpiece. But once I watch Memento again, and a blonde Guy Pearce...yeah... *is dreamy eyed* :P

Happy 2009 :)

Nicki said...

Glad you generally liked it. I finally posted my thoughts on Memento vs Ghajini. Whew....took a while too.

ajnabi said...

LOL Your husband sounds a lot like mine. :-D He's a reliable buzzkill whenever I'm trying to suspend my disbelief, but that's half of why he's so funny.

Shweta Mehrotra Gahlawat said...

Nida: Thanks! Precisely- the AMOUNT of romance was a surprise, yes :)

Bollywood Lover: People went out of the theatre??? how odd! They had to know they were seeing a violent movie to begin with, nahin? I personally really enjoyed the movie was shot the best- will watch again next week, so that I can get all the angles!

Darshit: That's Mumtaz- adorable, no? And tell me, HOW the heck does he get anywhere in Mumbai in 15 minutes? howww???

Arantxa: Happy new year to u! Me totally seeing this one more time- cant get enough of the camerawk at all.

Ajnabi: Rofl- maybe that's why we have men like this in our lives- they baalnce us out perfectly :)

dunkdaft said...

Wow, Mumtaz?? was she working as child artist? Now I can remember little bit.
Ahh...In Mumbai, actually no one can get to go places in 15 minutes. But, din't u seen the map in Sanjay's house? Or the helpful bus conductor who remembers Sanjay as a forgetful traveller?? He also tells policeman that he sometimes forgets where to board.
Anyways, we can stop here now :-)

Anonymous said...

I saw this movie in telugu, and tamil and enjoyed a lot...but didnt get chance to watch in hindi version...but with out missing single i read all lines, i like the way of presentation...thanks..from now onwards i wil be regular visitor to your blog.

Shweta Mehrotra Gahlawat said...

Darshit: She was v young here, but not a child artist, no.

Chefsecrets: Thank you for coming by and your encouraging words!