I’ve a feeling, I won’t like Ghajini
iView Author: Tanul Thakur (Urbana Champaign, USA)
Email: thakurtanul [at] gmail [dot] com
I’ve a feeling, I won’t like Ghajini
Movies like Memento gets made once in a while. It has nothing to do with the story, it has nothing to do with the direction, it has nothing to do with the cinematography, it has everything to do with the execution(Now, I’m not saying that direction,editing,cinematography was not good. It was A-class. No second thoughts there for sure. But, the point here is the movie doesn’t STAND out for me due to these factors.) I mean the whole movie was gnifkcuf backwards. How more innovative can you get? And not only it was innovativeness, Nolan did a damn cool job of changing one’s thought process and the way one analyses each character. You side/sympathise/loathe with some characters in the beginning and after a point it is the other way around. How many movies have been able to achieve that? Not many. I’m sure. This is what makes Memento great. This is what makes Memento MEMENTO. This is film making raised to the power infinity.
And then comes Murugadoss, says he was inspired by Nolan and he wrote his own version of the film. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing. Although, I still feel Surya’s body tattooing( just like Leonard’s method of remembering things) is too much of a coincidence if not anything else. Now, the movie might be completely different from what Memento is, or what Memento showed. But, it would be very tough for me to watch the movie in isolation. I mean granted, the movie might not be a Memento, but hasn’t it taken the central idea( and also the tattoo’s part?) . And then what does the director do? He adds an Asin, subtracts some clothes, adds some songs again, shows us a love angle?
Why?
Why so accommodating all of a sudden Murugadoss? And then Aamir Khan steps in. The man who knows it all, have been there and done that kind of air with him. “Momento I couldn’t understand,” he writes with a nonchalance. Also, he didn’t ‘enjoy’ it too. No problems there too. Movies are just like opinions. To each his own. Disliking ‘Momento’ doesn’t make Aamir a bad actor/director. But, what does he do to make the movie talked out, is to get a new look for the movie. I mean how bloody convenient? You took one of the strongest ideas, played around with it. Walked with it upto a certain extent and then when you developed cold feet, added what the audience would like? I’m not against songs, romance in the movie( esp. Hindi movies) but, just for the heck of it? Build up an original idea, do what so ever you want to do with it. Make love to it, seduce, rape. Whatever. But the idea has to be yours.
But, please don’t flinch someone else’s idea, toy with it mercilessly, get someone to back you up by saying, I didn’t ‘enjoy’ it. Though that ’someone’ is the superstar is a different thing all together. I wouldn’t have any problems had Ghajini been Murugadoss’s and only Murugadoss’s baby, I would have cared too hoots. Had he added a zillion songs, it wouldn’t have mattered. Though all said and done, I’m yet to watch the movie( as is everyone). But, I would be very, very sad if Murugadoss kills one of my favourite movies of all time.
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
He did kill the Tamil version which was a joke…Am very wary with what he is going to come up with Aamir Khan…
Actually. With Asin and Jiah Khan, there has to be a song atleast for each in the film. And songs will kill it.
This film is meant to be the kind that doesnt bow to the rules of big studio films. A film that cant be replicated. The story isnt that at all.
THe theme isnt just about the latest haircut that AK sports. Its the story. Its the manner in which Nolan manipulates the audiences’ mindset. Truly original.
I just feel this film is going to come with a big bang and go out in a whimper. Hope I am wrong but it just seems so.
@ Aditya: “do u thnk sumthing like memento made in hindi will succeed….???? ”
Why not. I for sure don’t underestimate our audience, had this been the level of skepticism movies like ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ , ‘Bheja Fry’.etc would never had been made. And whatever fancy names you may like to give( niche indie or watever for that matter), the audience should connect with the movie somehow. And they would have.
“do’nt u thnk if a project is being made on a big scale u have 2 make sure that it appeals to the largest audience possible…” – Yes. Absolutely. Why only a big budget, who would want their film to bomb, regardless of what the budget is. But, you just can’t sit on your chair and decide what the audience likes, right? Has anyone devised a formula for success in Bollywood? No. And that is the beauty of this industry. You never know what may click nad what may not.
I’m not comparing Memento and Ghajini, I’m just saying they shouldn’t have remade a Memento they way they are doing right now.
“totally unnecessary post…” Well, that is your call and I respect that.
Please dont spread negative propaganda about the movie even before it hits the theatres.
After all, movies are business and you are potentially stopping people from watching the movie…
I know PFC is a place where u can rip off bad movies… But, atleast please wait till the movie gets released…
Btw, even I didn’t like Ghajini (Tamil)…
Tunal,
Ghajini, the tamil version, was terrible. It was a bad dumbed down, masalaised version of Memento. Don’t know what Aamir Khan saw in that crap. But the Hindi version should be better because of aamir’s interventions.
Honestly i felt that Tamil original of Ghajini, was pretty much a decent movie, nothing very great. The reason why it succeded i guess was because of the storyline about Short Term Memory Loss, and it was a new experience for the Indian audience. Something like Memento,however i feel will take time for us to accept. I know many movie buff friends of mine who found Memento very confusing, because of its non linear narration. So if you take it as per our standards, Ghajini is just a decent movie, and unless Aamir Khan adds something special to it, dont see any reason to go totally enthu over it.
@Tanul..Ghajini will succeed, I’ll tell you why..Aamir will market as only he can, take great care during the rollout..work his arse off for the right visibility..will release the right amount of prints..foist himself on several different platforms to support his cause..get his heroines to shoulder the oomph burden gamely..use every criticism to help the movie’s cause..tone down the content to wholesome acceptability levels..and yet deliver that average to good movie that shall have the “critics” amazed..nothing “Nolan” here, mind you..very Indian..very simple!!
Tanul,
What are you really trying to say?
-The movie should not be remade?
-If the movie is remade, it should have exactly the same treatment as the original?
-If the movie has to be remade, it should only be Murgadoss and Aamir should not be involved?
-Aamir should not air his views about Memento?
The only thing I have figured out is that you think you will not like Ghajini – again, the reasons are a bit hazy. But, isnt there a simple solution? Dont watch the movie.
Whoa .. guess this discussion is getting personal, good luck to everybody ..
I really loved Memento, not until I had watched 2-3 times though. After the first time, I was curious enough for another viewing, just to diminish the confusions I had because there was something awesome lurking in the story. I agree that Memento, if copied exactly the same way, would not work in Bollywood. I have watched Ghajini too, courtesy Memento. And agreed, it’s not in the same league, it’s a your regular masala fare. It starts off well actually and its fair share of romance, songs, and action scenes, but the last half hour pulls the movie down. But there’s no reason I won’t watch the Hindi Ghajini. I would watch it just to compare it to the Tamil Ghajini. And I had read somewhere that there will be changes to the story, especially the ending because Aamir felt there was room for improvement. So don’t fret, the Hindi Ghajini could be different from the Tamil one and most definitely from Memento too. We’ll see ….
Yup. My point exactly. You CANNOT make memento in hindi as it is. Such a freaking mindless and useless post. Get a job Tunal.
[Editor: Caution, Robin, part of your comment has been deleted as it violates the comment policies of PFC. Don't attack author on personal basis]
@ Robin: My name is not ‘Tunal’. It is Tanul. And it amazes me that you getting so personal as to comment on my name, anyways. Besides, the point. College se aa kar aaram se reply likhuga
Watever it is…Aamir and Murgadoss wanna make money….don’t let ur imagination go freaky by saying you ‘MAY’ not like it…No wonder WE all would say the same for most of the Bollywood movies…hahahahaha
Get a pill…relax….and watch the movie..if you wanna….anyways I bet you would watch it coz noone’s gonna miss it and it will get to by word-of-mouth….make u crazy…get u into two minds….if movies like SIK can work…why not Ghajini…and if u r talking about being ‘aritistically real original movie’ then you mostly won’t get one…every movie is a take on a hollywood or a regional movie…some way or the other its inspired….from our very own Hit ‘Rock On’ to ‘Phoonk’ to ‘MMJ’ or every movie…they all draw inspiration..not copy you see….and like you also got inspired by Hollywood and replied as ‘Has anyone devised a formula for success in Bollywood?’ – See the word Bollywood…it should have been ‘Hindi Cinema’….
Knowingly or Unknowingly we are inspired by the West, maybe its the language that we use or the trouser that we wear….if you are wearing a jeans…remove it right now Tanul….hahahaha…jus a joke pal….light le…
yup…………i remeber pfc wen it first started…a couple o guys who understood and appreciated cinema…..now its starting to resemble any other blog which review a moview……check out this guys “blog” …..he has written bout the kinda sh*t he gets….ny 1 who’s every 1 is featurin on pfc….i think the moderator shud understand….i used 2 log on this site first thing in d morn…..but ……slowly it started gettin weirder and weirder…shitter nd shitter…i used 2 refer my frendz 2 this site….”if u r intersted in movies..check out this site”…..but now its become so bluddy repetive…RGV…trashing him again n again…???? there r @ least 10 post on that….wat the fu**???
this tunal guy has come thru project iview….i request the moderator to have at least sum kind of a back ground check…..who’s posting…???whats his mental maturity etc etc…if u don’nt do that i believe PFC will become another indianfm.com… etc….i have bn an avid reader for d past 1 yr or so…but sadlly in d last 3-4 mnths,,,i read it only cuz of its entertainment value…..2 read a post n laaf on it….it is my sincere request 2 d moderators 2 have sum stringent rules or checks before allowing anything to be posted on this site……posting any crap , just for the sake of new posts makes the whole idea of PFC redundant…..
OZ n a couple of other ppl’s articles r a treasure….but shi* like this????
trust me PFC guys u r pushing away ur fans….it’s like shyam benegal/satyajit ray joinin YFC…..(yashraj)
WAKE UP !!!!!!!!!!!
From what I gather, the tamil Ghajini sounds like a joke. Seriously people, a filmmaker who wants to get inspired by (read plagiarize) a picture having the grandeur of Memento, or, “Momento” as our superstar friend and lead of the hindi version, mr aamir khan calls it, (lol..) has to understand the gravity and seriousness of the task he has at hand.
Memento, in more ways than one, was a pathbreaking film, that deserves its fair share of respect. Now, amongst many others, the thing that stood out in Memento was the interlaced reverse(colour) and forward(b&w) chronology, which puts you right into Leonard’s shoes (the protagonist).
Watching Memento is like trying to hold sand in your fist..the harder you clutch, the faster it slips out. The harder you try to figure out a scene, the next starts, and it fades away. This is what makes watching Memento a great experience.
As to Aamir Khan not liking it, no comments, opinion taken and respected.
The interlaced timeline is one of the major highlights of the film and, lets face it, in our country, neither do most filmmakers have the guts to attempt anything like it, nor is the audience, sadly, interested.
Adding songs and sub-plots involving romance and other bullshit just to “Indianise” the story, is just a bad idea.
The least someone can do while ripping off a work of art is make a copy thats at least not outrageously stupid.
Making such changes not only results in a copy that IS outrageously stupid, but its like a slap on the face of the original. We’ve seen kaante (reservoir dogs), zinda (oldboy), bichchoo (leon), phir hera pheri (lock, stock and two smoking barrels) and countless more in the past.
Im pretty sure that the hindi version is going to be a lame copy, with a bit of original garbage in it.
For Ghajini, Mr Nolan, my condolences.
first the confession
i have seen only first thirty minutes or so of memento
than i fast forwarded it seeing bit here and there
.
in one scene guy richi is made to spit in a jug
later we see that he is made to drink it
.
this scene
for me, is the most disgusting scene ever filmed on the celluloid
people talk about violence in cinema
violence is still human
but the above mentioned scene is inhuman
Dude…Christopher Nolan on one side…and Murgadoss on the other……hope thats a satisfactory answer
@vishrant, if you found that seen the most disgusting ever, clearly you haven’t seen many movies have you…..and i can’t comprehend why you would want to FF memento…all the FF and RR is already being done by Cris Nolan….:)
@vishrant and of course i dont know how i let this slide…there is no guy ritchie (certainly no guy RICHI) in memento…the guy’s name is guy pearce
bast line in memento- ‘ so what am i doing here…..i’m chasing this guy….NOPE…he’s chasing me!!!…..’priceless!
@ Sivakumara T: Hey! I’m not spreadign nay negatove propaganda about the movie. I’m just a part of movie going audience. And I guess, this should answer your question. Who am I that people would be influenced. They wouldn’t be. I’m sure. I just expressed what I felt, that’s it.
@Raj Balakrishnan: That’s what i’m trying to say, that you shouldn’t dish out the masalised version of the movie. Makes no sense.
@Aditya: My friend, they are not acknowledging the source. Murugadoss just said his version of Memento is different from the original movie. And the difference is dance and songs. He very convinently flinches the key plots( short term memory loss and its treatement, concept of tatoos) and adds the usual curry. He just said he heard of this story of a guy having a short term memory loss and went on to write the story himself. So, he has never said Ghajini has Nolan’s brilliance sans the backwards screenplay and Murugadoss’s commercialisation.
@ kic: If my whole post couldn’t make you understand what I’m trying to say, then no amount of my explaning/defending myself would break. But, I would still write it for you – I have a feeling I won’t like Ghajini because it tampers the soul of Memento.
@Aditya( 11): Ab kya bolun main?
@Munis Syed: You know what when I saw Lagaan and Dil Chahta in a space of two months, I was blown away by this guy, Aamir Khan. I simply adore this guy’s versatality. Lagaan would forever be a cornerstone in Indian Cinema.
But, whatever I gathered from what this Ghajini is going to be, I wrote it. I know for sure, it is not going to have the same brillance as the original, so I wrote that if they play with the movie’s soul I may not like it. Dude, you are free to judge a movie and love it. Give a damn to what I say
The article comes at an immature time( without having seen the movie), but isn’t what the title says I’ve a feeling. Sense of anticipation, that’s it.
Coming to the point of how many movies I have made. I twll you this. Have you ever watched a cricket match? Have you ever been irritated at an Indian team’s loss, don’t you pull out your hair in frustration when Tendulkar gets out early. Imagine, what would be your reaction if someone says have you ever represented your country in cricket? So by your logic you have no right to comment on things which are beyond the spectrum of your talent. Sadly, it doesn’t happen like this. Had this been the case, tell me how many movies has Rogert Ebert made? How many centuries has Harsha Bhogle struck? Let’s talk Prannoy Roy’s politicial career. Just because I’ve not made any movies, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have an opinion on it. Make senses right?
@ Sridhar Mayur: I’m not saying the movie would not be a commercial success. Btw, I’m wearing a Jeans right now!
@ Robin: Thanks a lot for visiting my blog. I don’t even need to explain the shit post( on my blog). Don’t you tell me what I should write and what I should not on MY blog. So, shut the crap up about my blog atleast. Ok?
Dude, your background might be exemplary, that is the reflected in your comment no.13( which has bee nwdited out, by the very same editors of PFC, who you want to request to forbid ‘Intellectually famished’ like me from posting). Best of luck. And this is my last response to you. I’m seriously not interested in talking with cynical freaks like you. I will post even the next time through IView, who the fuck are you to stop me from doing anything? Thanx a lot, and please my name is Tanul. Not Tunal.
@Adwait: Finally, someone understood me!
@Everyone: I don’t know whether this post of mine, actually lowers the standards of PFC, but whatever I just thought of sharing what I thought with you people. I don’t have mindblowing knowledge of cinema as most of the people here. But, where is the harm in constructive discussion? That’s what the purpose of this article.
Lots of typos and grammatical errors in the previous comment. Bear with them!
tunal stop abusing people…..tunal ko gusaa kyun aataa hai????
this is exactly wats called ‘jumping the gun’
movie is still in the making, not a single promo is out; and ppl r all ready to kill it with their bias.
memento was a fantastic experience, it shall be.
ghajini will be different; it may not be memento, but it will be momentous. so, plz wait and watch; dont spread false propaganda and least of all dont argue on hypothetical grounds
Tanul: To be honest, I read your post, was indifferent to it..but came back to read the comments and I must say that you have handled the comments/objections/abuses quite well. Thanks for maintaining the dignity of a public platform, and do not bother about people who makes personal abuses.
And BTW I read your post again, it is an interesting read – keep writing, will read your next post for sure :-)
@ Anand: Thanks!
. I don’t have a problem with people disagreeing with what I wrote. I have taken a stand, you may/may not agree. But, sometimes they project this difference of opinion in a way which is not appropriate. I can understand the passion running high, becausethe article involves a movie which is associated with a star as great as Aamir!
@tanul: thanks for the acknowledgment. i totally understand how sad it feels to see a masterpiece being ripped apart. and, while repeating myself from my earlier post, i say im pretty sure that the hindi version is going to be a lame copy, with a bit of original garbage in it.
Oh My God! Same vicious circle. People are same everywhere.
The pseudo-intellectuals blame commercial cinema. The commercial guy says arty films are bakwaas. They keep on changing the intellectual level of audience. If SIK is hit, this is what audience wants. If LS 2050 is flop, yeh public hain yeh sab jaanti hain. If NS flops, public is not ready for new cinema.
If a person writes good about a movie in anticipation (that you are looking forward to), he/she loves cinema. If a person pens his fears, he/she is said to be “jumping the gun”. An argument is never countered on its own. Its personal. It always is.
Tanul,
I think its fair for you to post your apprehensions. The premise is well laid that you are writing on the basis of what you have read and heard.
Everyone,
If you think you can counter his argument whether it will be a movie that will be liked then do it. No point in getting hysterical and personal because it just happened to have Amir Lagaan Khan who also made Mangal Pandey.
Now, my personal take: I really don’t know whether I will watch Ghajini or not. Memento is cult. I don’t think even Nolan can make the movie better now. Big words, I know.
Agreed. Completely. Similar thing happened with Guy Ritchie’s Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels which were shamelessly and horrible copied to Fool n Final and Phir Herapheri.
Me, basically from Chennai watch only “good and famous” hindi movies. I am terribly disappointed and extremely sad when I hear from you that “Snatch” and “LSTSB” have been remade in Hindi. Pardon my hindi films knowledge.
Ever since I saw Snatch, i thought that if it was adapted to Bombay background or Chennai backgroud, it would be a very good one.
Was the film too bad? or did it not match ur expectations?
@32 chinmay,
isn’t Plan (Sanju baba and rest of the wannabes) a copy of LS & TSB ? I haven’t seen the latter one so I am not sure.
Tanul,
I share the same dreaded feeling. They are going to copy a great film, distort it, kill the main plot in the name of Indianizing it and completely miss the point. In one interview Murigaddoss even said, he had written the script before Memento came out. How shameless! If Amir Khan is so particular about script and quality of his movies and speaks against piracy, why doesn’t he first acknowledge the source. Then you can claim that you have Indianized it…blah..blah.
For all Memento fans, not sure if you have the checked the special features section on the DVD. There are many variations of what is really going on in the movie. In one version, Guy Richie’s character is a serial killer who keeps killing new people thinking that he has to avenge the murder of his girlfriend. I din’t realize that or thought about it while watching the movie.
Another thing, the film is not just in reverse, but alternates between reverse (color scnes) and forward (b&w ) scenes) modes. The two modes meet in the end almost like a zigsaw puzzle.
@ A.Singh: Yes, right. I know the film is just not in reverse, only the colored frames are. I was just so struck by the backward narration that I emphasised that fact. Btw, I don’t have the DVD of Memento, but what I’ve heard is that they have also the movie in a linear order in the DVD. But, I had certainly no clue about the Richie’s character being a serial killler on the DVD( Although, this was surely a possibilty I hadn’t discounted after watching the movie, but I didn’t think they would have it on the DVD). A good reason to buy Memento’s DVD now.
Tanul,
There also used to be a website that would discuss what a particular movie was really about. They would provide insight into Memento, Mulhollan Drive etc, twisted surreal thrillers that require multiple watch just to understand the film. I haven’t been able to find it off late, if I do, i’ll post it.
Tanul,
More on Memento, from this url here..
http://www.epinions.com/review/mvie_mu-1105582/content_70753947268
I am quoting from the web page….
The fact is this: Leonard’s wife is the diabetic and Leonard is the one who gave her too many shots. This is confirmed by Teddy when he tells Leonard she survived the attack. Teddy also points out the missing pages in the police report. Why are the pages missing? Because Leonard didn’t want to face what they reveal. And (even more significantly) there’s the image of Leonard’s wife on the bed (wearing underwear) in which Leonard is seen giving her an injection. This image is quickly brushed aside by another image of him playfully pinching her in the same spot, but that’s just obfuscation. It’s a perfect example of a real memory intruding into our hero’s mind and him quickly seeking to cloud it so as to avoid psychological pain.
@ A.Singh: Is this the site you were talking about?(In your previous commment). Btw, thanx for the info.!
No, not this one. The other one had more to it with detailed analysis and various scenarios explored etc. This is not bad either.
@Tanul: It is in fact the case. Guy Pearce (Not Guy Richie, people, he’s a different person altogether) does, in fact, keep killing people, but, whether or not he does it THINKING he has to avenge his wife’s murder is a little blurry at the surface, but if you dig a little deeper, you can figure it out.
But, I guess its pretty clear he doesnt do it because he thinks he has to avenge his wife’s murder.
At the end of the movie, we see Leonard setting Teddy as his next target while being fully aware that he just killed a man (Jimmy) who he thought was his wife’s murderer.
Thus, his intent behind the murder initially is not revenge, however, later, as he cannot remember why he’s trying to track some guy down, he deceives himself by giving himself false clues that the guy is his wife’s murderer, this giving him an incentive to kill the man.
What Leonard basically does is that he sees a man, decides that he has to kill him, (while being certain of the fact that this man has nothing to do with his wife’s murder), and then creates puzzles for himself to solve and track the guy down.
He does not murder people for revenge, but just to keep himself busy, just to find a purpose in his life, which otherwise is pretty empty, without his wife and all.
Oh and yeah, cherry on the cake: the Sammy Jankis diabetes story was fake (as Teddy tells us at one point in his confession to Leonard), Leonard himself was Sammy Jankis, and the story was about him, not Sammy Jankis, thus, leading us to believe that Leonard’s wife did not die because of the attack, but, because of Leonard’s own anterograde amnesia problem and the insulin overdose..
Thats the way i interpret it, based on watching the movie and some stuff that i read on the internet, including the link provided by Mr A Singh.
Thus, clearly, Leonard’s murders are not based on any sort of revenge, but, he does use the thought of revenge to get himself to kill the targets he sets.
And, interestingly, people who know about Leonard’s condition, manipulate him to kill the people that THEY want dead. Thus, there are no loose ends in the movie, not much ambiguity. There is a bit of it, but not much.
For some other stuff on memento, look it up on Wikipedia.
…”So You can be my John G..” You are right Adwait.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqW9fnkhqrs&feature=related, And I yeah, I screwed the Richie thing alltogether, I guess!
@tanul: thanks. guy richie is the director of snatch and lock, stock and two smoking barrels. i guess youve seen ‘em both, but if u havent, do check out LS&TSB coz its class cinema.
Lol man, I agree to ‘do whatever u wanna do with idea if it’s yours, but have some humility to accept that it’s rip-off. Aamir has started digging his own grave. I miss Aamir of Pre-Lagaan era.
yaar dukh hai to es baat ka k esme Amir ye nahi bta nahi ska k wo “Sanjay” hai. otherwise acting is perfect.