‘Aamir’s first reaction was that Salman suited the role better’

Geety Sahgal Tags : aamir khan, ghajini, interview, murugadoss, salman khan
Posted: Friday , Jan 02, 2009 at 1220 hrs IST

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Director AR Murugadoss, who also directed the Tamil version, gets talking about Ghajini, the film which is breaking all records at the box-office.

Did you expect Ghajini to be the box-office record- breaker of 2008?
Actually I’m quite surprised and overwhelmed by the huge response to Ghajini. What amazed me is that it has done well in single-screen theatres and small towns as well!

How was the stay order by the Madras High Court for Ghajini’s release vacated?
That issue is between the two producers A Chandrasekaran who made the Tamil version and Madhu Mahenta who made the Hindi version. I believe Mr Mahenta has deposited some money in court and released the film. The case is not closed though, as the producers are to meet again before taking a final decision.

Is the allegation by A Chandrasekaran that you forged documents to give the remake rights in other languages true?
No, that’s not true. Anyway, the case is still in court and therefore I cannot talk about it.

What do you have to say to the allegations that the film is a remake of the Hollywood blockbuster Memento?
I watched Memento after I wrote the script of Ghajini. Except for the short-term memory condition, there is no similarity between the films, not even in any scene.

How did you think of casting Aamir Khan in Ghajini, which is a violent action thriller?
I am a big Aamir Khan fan, and when I thought of a Hindi remake I approached him to play Sanjay Singhania. After watching the Tamil version, his first reaction was that Salman Khan suited the role better ! But I told him that if he worked on his body it would be something fresh for the North Indian viewers and he agreed.

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Salman (please concentrate on work and only be a director's actor.By: kranthi (9177303614) | 02-Jan-2009 Reply | Forward salmam khan. I like u. I am ur die hard fan. I want to see you in the direction of Mani ratnam. Ram gopal varma

Our real heroes, let them beBy: Surekha | 02-Jan-2009 Reply | Forward Since our these pampered heroes seem to be enjoying all the perks, social, economical and what not; why not send them to where they are most required in these troubled times with their filmy fighting magic instead of expecting the same from Thackeray family? I wonder why no one has thought about it. Or are they untouchables? For more reasons than one?

mementoBy: scorpiocta | 02-Jan-2009 Reply | Forward If Murugadoss indeed wrote the script before Memento came out then he better sue Christopher Nolan for stealing his story! Such a lying dimwit. Not just the short-term memory loss condition... the death of the girlfriend, the revenge mission, the tattoos, the polaroid camera, writing down stuff on the prints, the hazy maps on the wall, etc. the plagiarism is endless. Of course, Murugadoss doesn't have the brains to narrate his story in a non-linear fashion as Nolan did, so he can easily claim that he didn't copy any scenes per se. The least Murugadoss can do is admit that he was inspired by Memento than lying outright. Oh, btw, that scene in which Kalpana helps the blind man across the street was copied from Amelie... :)

gajiniBy: raghav uchil | 02-Jan-2009 Reply | Forward As far as the quality of movies areconcerned, Malayalam movies stand head and shoulder abovethe rest including Hindi movies. Tamil movies are full of absurd scenes with heroes go abt bashing anyone in the sight including police men. Anger and violence is the only solution they give to gullible public in the name of the entertainment. I am surprised that a Quality actor like Amir Khan has agreed to do a movie like " Gajini" which is sad. The movie's success can be attributed to only one factor which is the road map hair-cut of Amir khanwhich to which Indian youth have taken a fancy...

Kareena Aamir... the dream come trueBy: Gauri Ghatnekar | 02-Jan-2009 Reply | Forward hi, i think the time is ripe for a fantasy pairing of kareena kapoor and aamir khan. it is high time the ashoka gal got her due in today's hard hitting times. her role as girisha in a film about diabetics i think has made her a serious actress worth considering. ashoka was researched by the team at hrishikesh too. the battle won by shahrukh khan made this gal a dream pair opposite any khan. she should now give up her rose tinted princess queen glasses and take on fresh challenges. she should now shed her flab and try for a size zero once again. within fifteen days she should make a commitment to try for nothing but keeping up with the times. she should shed her image of a blue blooded heroine and opt for the common life. everyday she should tell her self i can and i will. kareena was a moophat gal then and is one now. the only change is her maturity. she has risen above her class but can she rise above the masses and prove herself numero uno? only she can answer that one. help..