JTYJN = Producer
verdict = superhit/BB

Ghajini = actor
verdict = ATBB

In the history of BW – has anyone achieved this feet IN THE SPAN OF ONE YEAR????

Still have to catch up with RNBDJ, even if all my trusted reviewers are giving it a fairly uneven response.

Yes, the tribute to KKHH in Dostana (Priyanka and John watching the entire film) seemed irrelevant and the snippets of the film shown seem so dated as if it’s from a long-buried bygone era.

I really liked the film overall and it was great to see a genuine thriller rather than something as plastic as Race. I haven’t seen the Tamil original and I didn’t pay much attention to the Ghajini pre-release promotion (avoided most of it), so I didn’t have the sense of disappointment that you or others may have felt. Indeed, after the flat RNDB, it was a relief to see a more involving love story.

Happy New Year to Tango Bhai and everyone

There always was an undercurrent of support for Aamir among educated audiences. But there just were not enough of them to make his movies the kind of moneyspinners that SRK pulled all the way until Lagaan happened. Its just that Aamir didnt immediately capitalize on Lagaan and spent another 4 yrs in hibernation. To me 1995-2005 is the critically lost decade of Bwood. Lagaan was the sole exception. Also, I can say confidently now, that SRK lost his vicegrip over superstardom when Lagaan was made. However, due to the 4 yr absence of Aamir, he ruled defacto. This rule ended when RDB was released. Ghajini is just the final manifestation of the undercurrent and groundswell of support that Aamir always had, but never quite capitalized on.
Im not saying, that we shud anoint Aamir as the new #1. In fact, I think that bwood today has the capacity to include multiple numero unos, be it in financial, creative, cultural, etc terms. And the audiences too have now matured beyond a single genre ruling the roost. This much more well-educated, exposed and experienced audience of today is dying for creativity, and it is finally getting it in spades.

Sarforosh, Lagaan, DCH left after tastes that even some hits, superhits of that time couldn’t leave. Shell life is pretty important especially considering the dvd/satelite markets today. What Lagaan may not have achieved in 2001 commercially, it has achieved since then in greater leaps.

In the end, box office hits matter, but the significant ones will always encapsulate a career. Right from 1988 (QSQT) to today, Aamir’s got plenty of hits or memorable efforts. Funny QSQT came at a time when action ruled the roost and now Ghajini comes when action seems to be getting a re-birth of sorts!

Ghajini on the surface might be B Grade, it might be a run of mills story or romance and revenge, it might be added to the list of Aamir’s poop hits like RH & Fanaa…but it is rooted in bollywood tradition and that it will end the years and if not the decades biggest grosser is only a matter of time!

And marketing of films has been taken to a new level here for sure. I think its hard to replicate an opening like this. Much of the success is also due to the unique appearance of Aamir, that kind of edge and look is a once or twice time deal in a career. You can’t recreate such a look for the same effect.

Jay, true. Imagine where Aamir could be after the next ten years or so. The debates we’ve had on NG for some years might seem like a bad joke from that perspective. Specially as SRK’s films keep dimming. As we move away from his age his films will seem increasingly the indulgence of an age much as those of Shammi Kapoor or Rajendra Kumar now appear. Films that we still enjoy in many ways but not works that we take seriously. Even today doesn’t something like KKHH feel completely passe?

I thought you were Goodfella and not Godfella!
You are absolutely right about Aamir. It is somewhat ironic that SRK while hopelessly trying to match an ageless icon has been overtaken by a contemporary icon in what should otherwise have been a hugely triumphant moment for him. For,there is no denying that his stardom has taken absolute trash like RNBDJ to dizzying BO success.

I too am surprised with RBNDJ #s in the US. The subject was perfectly palatable for the audiences here, but not sure why it didnt click.

ILG – You are forgiven. Thanks for reading.

Box office analysis and debates are mostly limited in their ability to determine the greatest movie star of a given moment. In the time to come—and in the age currently at hand—I believe it will be quite clear that Aamir Khan has done the most important, memorable, talked-about movies of our current era. This is not to say that he has pulled in more people at the theaters or made more money per film. It is only to point out that the legacy he has built up is worth more than any amount in dollars and cents. He has already staked an irrefutable claim to the way the film culture of this decade has shaped up and can pretty much do anything with his career from this moment onwards. That Ghajini is some kind of mania-making monster hit is a richly deserved threshold for Aamir and I wouldn’t want to take anything away from it. But now that it’s out of his system, I’d like to see him return to more experimental masala along the lines of Rang De Basanti and Mangal Pandey.

If Ghajini is doing 60 crores as is being speculated this beats current record holders by about 20 crores or so and this won’t be a margin anyone beats anytime soon.

I wonder if people want to start calling Aamir the top star now. Some here wanted the RDBNJ/Ghajini thing to be a ‘decider’. Wonder if they’re still around. LOL!

As I said elsewhere RNBDJ will be SRK’s lowest major grosser in the US with not much more than 2m or a bit over, something Guru, RDB, Fanaa, LRM achieved in ‘06 and early ‘07!

A bit more on the romance, worth a watch for you know who

Agree that the Sanjay-Kalpana story is undercooked and specifically Aamir sleep walks through the first diary. Subdued is probably harsh, but there isn’t much from him here. I would put the cut off at the end of the first diary though (rather then pre-post death Sanjay). In the second diary, the post marriage proposal segments are much better, I liked the whole ambassador cars sequences, the new flat, Kaise Mujhe etc.
The opening credits reminded me off Spiderman of all films and agreed the climax worked very well.

“Given the various regional barometers of housefull shows running on the 8th day, it almost becomes impossible for this movie to just crash and burn from the 9th day onwards.”

Yup as trending theory would have it, a film doesn’t “suddenly” fall like a pack of cards – certainly not one that has done this well so far! I see a 30Cr+ second week, a record second week. And possibly a record third week too. Whether the film is running on pure adrenaline and hype will be detectable in the coming week, but my gut feeling is the WOM is super strong overall.

Hehe, so true. The guy is looking in absolute shock! He said on the Komal Nahata show how he did expect the film to do very well but this is just beyond all expectations. And add to it, Aamir keeps heaping praise on him, insisting he cut the cake at the celebration party. It must be all surreal for him. LOL

“This looks like a solid juggernaut, that cud cross 110cr by the time CCTC is released.”

NyKavi: Still a little early to say, but let’s see. Akshay fans are already thinking if Ghajini is going to affect CCTC. I would be stunned if that happened but can’t be ruled out.

http://www.naachgaana.com/2008.....lhi-belly/

Regarding climax: On Nahata’s show, Murugadoss was asked why didn’t Ghajini or any of his henchmen had a gun in the climax. Murugadoss replied: We didn’t use guns deliberately because we didn’t want to make the climax violent. LOL!

Aside: Murugadoss looks shocked these days with the BO performance of Ghajini. Must have been more shocking after the last minute hassles.

Aarohi – thanks. I guess regarding a subdued Aamir, this is more of a subjective matter. He simply seemed not to exist in these scenes, at least, for me.

But yes, overall, agree, this is quite a witless film. Also, the transformation of the bysiness tycoon to a Hulk-like monster didn’comes across naturally. For one, Aamir’s Sanjay is a bit too subdued and dignified than he should have been. I can understand him being in love with a girl but I didn’t see intensity enough for him to actually turn the way he does!