http://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/dec/24hum-do-humaare-memento.htm
Rating: 2.5
Hum Do, Humaare (Memen)to
Raja Sen |
December 24, 2008 | 18:05 IST
I
saw a fantastic Aamir Khan film the other night, one where his
obsession with a pretty woman led to him being clubbed on the head with
a generic looking rod. The blunt force trauma led to amnesia, or so
claimed Khan's character, leading to a wickedly fun plot, rife with
both misunderstanding and subterfuge. Awesome stuff, Andaz Apna Apna.Then, on
Monday, I watched Ghajini. And an Andaz Apna Apna this ain't.Before going into
what it is, let us first dispense with the Memento talk. The
film's makers have ludicrously attached a disclaimer that says that
because their film's protagonist suffers from a little-known medical
disorder called anterograde amnesia, there is a likelihood that their
story could feature elements common to other stories and films. Riight.
Must be easy to be a specialist in the field then, a doctor who just
needs to check the patient for a series of tattoos.And while Ghajini might
feature Aamir Khan going through the exact same condition Guy Pearce does in
Memento
yet -- despite the tattoos, the polaroids, and the vengeful hero with a
penchant for post-its -- this is a pretty original desi picture, yes
sir. Also Read: Showcasing GhajiniFor director AR Murugadoss doesn't take that
'story' credit lightly: He's taken the Memento
plot, set its non-linearity into chronological order, taken out the
actual investigative intrigue and replaced it with a series of
convenient coincidences and -- this one's the clincher -- added a
full-blown backstory about how the hero met and fell in love with the
murder victim, complete with a bunch of songs. It's hard work making
good masala, for God's sake.And Aamir Khan knows it well. It's dubious as to
just how much that body needed
to be beefed up -- heaven knows Guy Pearce didn't resemble a steroid
commercial -- but Khan's dedication is impressive, no question. As
Sanjay Singhania, the killing machine dedicated to tracking down his
lover's killer, the actor plays a frenzied killing machine, clinical
yet with a twisted, macabre fondness for gore. And he does really well.His
anterograde condition kicks in every fifteen minutes, which means he
has to now restart investigation, scribble refreshed notes, and get
back on track. And he's very well-versed in habit; at a point when he's
suspicious despite having no self-scribbled clue to guide him, he
analyses breathing patterns. It's a role that requires much
consternation -- and Khan is truly wonderful when his character is
bewildered -- as well as much over-the-top, frothing at the mouth rage.Download
Wallpapers and RingtonesThat
would have been it for his job description had this been a standard,
well-produced action movie, but there is a hardcore filmi romance smack
bang in the middle of it all -- one that has possibly a few minutes
more screentime than the action section. And while Khan can still pour
out the smitten-schoolboy charm at 43, the entire romantic part of the
film is so depressingly obvious that it doesn't work at all, and only
serves in slowing down the momentum of what would be an entertaining
action film.A
large part of this blame must be assigned to the leading lady. Granted,
Asin is straddled with a character that begs the suffix -ine to be
tagged onto her name, but a strong performance could certainly have
salvaged this half of the film. Her Kalpana is one of those do-gooder
heroines soaking in earnestness and sympathy, the kind of character
that went out of style back when Juhi Chawla was a heroine, and it
needed much verve to actually make this work. She doesn't deliver --
her chirpiness is most painful -- and resultantly this rather
stereotyped he's-rich-she-doesn't-know romance always seems
underwhelming.Check out cool Ghajini videos Even
with the romance getting in the way, Murugadoss' version of the
amnesiac killer could have been a very compelling watch. There are
times when they take huge departures from the original film, and the
what-if possibilities are most intriguing. Until, you discover, that
nothing is done about them. In a chilling scene, the villain's goons
strap Khan down and, after painting over his meticulously graffiti'd
walls and his investigative charts, take out a tattoo gun and crudely
rub out all his tattoos, the clues he's investigated for so long.This
sets you up beautifully for a sequence where Khan discovers this, one
where he wakes up to realise that all his investigations have been in
vain. Does he even know he was investigating in the first place? And
how does he feel waking up to see a body covered in hideously scratched
out tattoos? It's a trauma the character begs to be dealt with, but
alas... the moment is ignored, possibly in favour of giving more time
to the half-hour climax. Sigh.This
is a violent film, but there is no call for that besides shock. The
gore seems gratituous -- there is a tap scene bordering on the
laughable -- and while Khan leaps into his adversaries with an alarming
intensity, somehow its hard to stomach a film where he stands in the
middle of an alley and fells seven-with-one-blow. It is the kind of
cinema we thought we'd seen the back of, and even if there's nothing
wrong with escapist mainstream masala, both audiences and Aamir seem a
little less used to it.Pradeep Rawat plays the titular villain with undisguised
glee making up for thespian skills, and Jiah Khan, glimpsed here after Nishabd,
is actually quite decent in a character better written than that of the
heroine. Unfortunately, the only time she does look super-hot (in
white, in the Lattoo song) is the one song where the director
keeps cutting away to the action, darn it. The songs are completely
extraneous narrative killers, but Rahman's turned in a marvellous
soundtrack and we'll lap them up uncomplainingly.Watch Ghajini,
though. Watch it for Aamir Khan, because I don't think I've seen him
having this much fun as an actor in a very long time -- and that's
always great to see. Not that I mean it's as good as Teelu, of course.The
film itself is impressive in bits, with some terrific sequences, but
the romance takes away its thunder. It is a breezy watch that could
have been a really crackling one, and while there really is timepass
fun to be had, the overwhelming feeling is one of regret.For what can you say
about a film on memory loss that turns out forgettable?
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