TODAY'S HOT

Aamir Khan Supercedes

Ghazini has similarities with many films like Memento, Jhootha Kahin Ka and Pasand Apni Apni etc, but does it reduce the intensity of hard work Aamir Khan needed to put in the character, he has played?Had his job become easy because scenes or ideas have been taken from above mentioned films?
Sholay is said to be inspired by many films (Hindi and Western) but does this reduce the impact of the film?
Satte Pe Satta’s first half had similarities with Seven brides for seven brothers but did those similarities reduce the quality of Satte Pe Satta or stop audiences of Hindi cinema to enjoy the film?
No. Satte Pe Satta was a hit film and people have been enjoying the film since last 26 years.
Reason to like some films inspired by other films made in past has been only one and that is the conviction of makers and actors who have played the characters in them.
Films can not be copied as it can be done in print media, as there one does not need anything other than a photocopy machine.
In other forms of arts, one can try to make a replica but still he needs lots of efforts to match or excel the original creation.
When conviction of maker and actors is not present then these efforts, which get inspirations from some other sources, make bad products. There have been many such bad products in the past and there would be many such bad products in the future also.
If an Engineer is visiting a plant and he makes some notes in his mind about the size and shape of the equipments and vessels used in that plant and comes back and designs his own plant where he has taken help of his memory about the visit of that plant then it will be called his skills and not merely a copy.
There is one kind of love but there are thousands of imitations.
In the field of art a certain intellect and devotion is needed to make an inspired thing which looks in the end as creator’s own product. An idea can have inspiration from other sources but final product should scream that it belongs to this present creator.
Many of the Aamir Khan’s films have been inspired by other films but credit goes to Aamir Khan that once an audience is watching his films, he is devoid of this burden that he has seen such character in so and so film before because Aamir’s devotion in playing his characters is beyond any doubt.
Ghazini has many weaknesses but cinema is one such thing which works on its merits and where it continuously walks on the chest of weaknesses. Sholay’s story has shortcomings but audience is not allowed to fall for those shortcomings while one is watching it.
After watching Sholay, one can make notes of these shortcomings but if same audience watch again the Sholay, keeping in mind all those shortcomings, even then he will be lost in the visual story telling capability of the film. This is symbol of powerful cinema where audience has to accept the final film and acceptance means a love affair where one accepts other knowing very well that other may have certain shortcomings and in reality other is having shortcomings.
Shortcomings in a good film cease to bother while it is watched.
Sholay has that capacity where a long term relationship is established and its magic still affects the audience.
Ghazini does not contain 25% of that magic which Sholay has been having but Ghazini has power to make audience sitting on his seat and enjoying the film in the first time viewing.
Aamir Khan of Ghazini has that power that people will repeat the film only for his performance and his performance will be used as a reference whenever subject will be there to discuss the animal instinct shown by an actor on the screen in hindi cinema.
With Ghazini, actor Aamir Khan has been rejuvenated. He is revamped as an actor and his energies have been charged.
In TZP he had acted as a director also and hence there was a dilution in his personal performance. Character of DJ he played in RDB was repetitive and he had played such characters with good skills in the past in many of his films like Rangeela and DCH. His get ups might have changed but growth of an actor was halted at some level.
He had worked in Raakh as a curious actor who wanted to perform well and wanted to learn. That was a revenge drama. Sarfarosh will remain his one of the best performances and this was again a revenge drama. And now in Ghazini he again plays a character who has to take revenge of the murder of his lover.
Shahrukh Khan’s six packs were not needed in OSO. They became a marketing tool to promote the film.
Aamir’s body building in Ghazini will remain as a thing necessary for his character or which suits his character.
He was not playing a character on stage and he was facing the camera and one can not fool the camera. He had to use his expressionless eyes and face to portray a character who has been suffering from short term memory loss and he was successful in it.
He played this part very well and all those scenes where he is in confusion or where his character can not recall anything are very good and will provide a text book material for other actors of Hindi cinema.
For audience, who have watched films like Pasand Apni Apni and Jootha Kahin Ka, it had become clear after few initial scenes only between Aamir Khan, Asin and Tinu Anand that this track has been taken from those old films but credit has to be given to Aamir Khan and Asin that they did not make it looking like a stale dish which stinks and tastes bad.
At times it feels as if Asin is taking a resort in overacting but she overwhelms this idea because she does continuous efforts to perform and that matters for an actor.
Ghazini could be a slick thriller if shortcomings were reduced. Songs, clichés in the screenplay and very average performances from the actors who have played Inspector and Ghazini etc bring down the standard of the film but in first watch, audience may be hooked to see Aamir Khan’s performance and the presentation of the film and later he may make an opinion about good and bad things of the film.
After some time people may not remember the film but Aamir Khan will be remembered for his performance. An actor has to feel a curiosity about a character offered to him, he should feel energy and proud inside that a different character has been offered to him which he has not played before and he should feel a fear also inside whether he will be able to do the justice with the character or not.
Aamir’s performance gives witness in the favour of his capabilities as an actor. He has earned a reputation of being an actor who can increase effective area and can try many different characters.
Some years ago, I think Aamir Khan was visiting Pakistan for some purpose, Aamir Khan was asked to comment on Shahrukh Khan’s saying that he is the King or Badshah of Hindi cinema, and Aamir Khan had said that if SRK is a King then I am an ace (Shahrukh agar badshah hai to mein Ikka hun).
SRK of early 90s was an actor who was doing something different than Aamir Khan and Salman Khan were doing in the films like Dil and Saajan etc.
SRK was energetic and willing to do different things on screen and it was appreciated.One can see his hard work in a film like Ram Jane also.
Film will be known for SRK’s hard work in playing the character and Pankaj Kapur’s interesting portrayal of the character named as Techni-colour.
SRK’s never die attitude is so visible in that performance. He performs there in a way of a warrior or a player who has to do efforts inspite of knowing all his limitations and where one accepts the shortcomings but does not take impression of those weaknesses and fights or plays to win only. He may win or lose, it does not matter, what matters is the effort to perform.
SRK excelled in not so big films where there was not any expectation prior to their releases. DDLJ was not something special before its release. SRK of KHKN, Darr, Duplicate, Yes Boss, Maya Memsaab and even DDLJ was a surprise element and a pleasant performer but then he got this super stardom and though his films have been earning maximum revenue on box office, post DDLJ, but that old SRK has been burdened by this stardom. It seems makers who cast him remain under that burden and there is no free spirited performance anymore. He played very well his characters in KANK, Swades and few other films but none of his performance brought him a tag of a very good performance. They were repetitive somewhere and his box office power was utilized more than the desire to present him in something different and there was not a trial to extract out best from him.
At times he gives glimpses that perhaps now he can rejuvenate his actor also but he remains a performer who is performing within a defined boundary only. That freshness has been lost which is required to differentiate between two characters he plays in two different films.
RNBDJ may earn 100 Million Rupees or dollars but it has not added anything in his acting skills.
It was easy in the year, when Rangeela and DDLJ were released, to make a tie between Aamir Khan and Shahrukh Khan but in the year 2008 Aamir Khan has easily excelled in the role of Sanjay Singhania in Ghazini over SRK’s Suri or Raj of RNBDJ.
At times SRK (as Suri) looked like as if he was imitating Anil Kapur (in Ishwar), who himself was trying to do a mimicry act on Raj Kapoor’s some of the on screen traits. That energy for which SRK has been known for years was not visible in RNBDJ. That person, who had “never accept defeat and do efforts” attitude, was not seen in the film. He looked tired even in his disguised form of Raj also.
SRK did not look enjoying his own performance. An actor should give impression that he has enjoyed very much playing the character and then only actor looks fresh on screen.
A certain philosophy may work after RNBDJ but it does not bring an impression to the audiences who have been watching SRK since his Fauji days that it has added any feather in his cap as an actor.
It has even brought down expectations from him as an actor.
Super stars have their respective grips on the market so their films have to earn profit but for an actor genuine praise of his performance is also very important.
Ghazini as a film may not convince many audiences but expectations from Aamir Khan as an actor have been increased. There comes a faith on him that he can play difficult characters with conviction and if his non-conventional films also get commercial success then he will be remembered as someone who brought some changes in his era.
New and different things were expected from other member, Hritik Roshan, of super star club also after he had done Koi Mil Gaya and he has not disappointed in Jodha Akbar and those high expectations from him have not died.
Salman Khan’s stardom may still continue but he is not getting projects where he could be praised as an actor. In light scenes in Yuvraj he is fine but as soon as some difficult scene comes where he has to portray some deep emotions, he looks like a weak actor.
Saif Ali Khan has not delivered anything significant after Omkara.
Akshay Kumar has successfully proved that he can match the appeal of any super star on Box office but he also has to prove in near future that he can do something extra other than action and comedy.
Aamir Khan and Hritik Roshan both have made dent in the market of Shahrukh Khan as an actor. As a performer he and other super stars may still give blockbusters in coming future but Aamir and Hritik are asking for improvements in their acting skills and selection of characters also.
Aamir and Hritik too have to be selective regarding the types of films they have been doing. Overall quality of whole project also matters and not to mention that if Ghazini as a film had any match with Aamir Khan’s performance then it could have helped hindi cinema more and then hindi cinema could be developed further.