Aamir Khan’s up for sale!

Pleased with the success of Ghajini, the makers of the film have found a unique way to share it with the fans — they can now take Aamir Khan in his muscled Ghajini look home.

Well, not the real Aamir, but his figurine that is. An insider informs, “It was producer Madhu Mantena’s idea to make the Aamir Khan-Ghajini look into a collector’s item.” It’s common knowledge that Aamir had worked out for over a year to acquire his hulk-like physique.

A source close to Aamir confirmed, “Great pains have been taken to capture Aamir’s exact muscular texture and structure in Ghajini.” Well, Aamir’s kiddie fans will certainly throng for this one. After, all what better way to pocket your favourite star, right Aamir?

Asin has a lot of plans!

The pretty Asin could do with some beauty sleep.

Post-Ghajini, the actress hasn’t been able to rest much. It’s no surprise that everyone wants a bit of her success pie. “Forgive me if I sound low, but I have been sleeping two to three hours and running from one shoot to another,” explains Asin, as we catch up after another exhausting shoot. Sleep apart, Asin has no complaints. After playing the girl-next-door in Ghajini, the South actress gets to glam it up in her next movie London Dreams. And to add to it she gets to star opposite another Khan — Salman — in this one! So, which Khan does she prefer? “You can’t expect me to choose between them. That’s not fair, both are legends,” she exclaims adding, “You can’t compare them. They are poles apart and yet similar. The common factor is that they are both genuine people.” And yes, SRK is on her wishlist too. “He seems to be a very charming person. I hope something comes up soon,” she prays.

It’s been a year now that Asin has moved to Mumbai from Kerala. Moving to Bollywood was a natural step for the 23-year-old. “It wasn’t a planned move. Ghajini was being remade and since I had worked in the original I was offered the remake. Everything else was a big bonus,” she smiles.

Though her first movie has brought her a lot of accolades, she also had to face some nasty rumours. So, is she ready for the fireworks? “I am never ready for rumours! The best way to deal with them is to ignore them. We are a small family and my father looks after my career. He is always with me, so they know whatever I am upto,” she shrugs. And what about the alleged catfight with Jiah Khan? “Our portions were shot entirely at different times. We came together only for one scene and even then we got along like a house on fire. When I got to hear of the rumours I was surprised and I am sure so was Jiah,” she says.

Ask her to describe herself and she says, “I know it sounds a bit corny, but I would say I am sugar, spice and everything nice.” And yes, she’s absolutely single too. “At the moment, the only man in my life is my dad,” she laughs.

Despite Ghajini, Asin needs London Dreams hit

Aamir Khan’s Ghajini has had not one but two success parties - one of relief after the film was a declared a hit over its first weekend, and the other after the film crossed Rs 200 crore.

But the film's lead actress Asin hasn't managed to reap the benefit she would have expected to, after being seen as the next big thing in Bollywood.

“When it was learned that Asin had been signed opposite Aamir in Ghajini, Bollywood looked up and took notice. She soon became one of the faces to be watched out for. But her kitty of films is not really showing it. Her next big film is London Dreams and that was signed even before Ghajini had released,” says a source close to the actress.

Another thing that may have backfired for Asin is the next to no interaction she has had with the media. And that, the source said, was deliberate.

“Both Asin and Jiah had been kept completely away from the media. She was barely there for an event or two. Also the fear that she can’t speak Hindi properly is unfounded and she can hold her own in an interview. In fact the media in the south know her as one of the best interviewees," the source said.

The only thing that did come Asin’s way by way of business after the release of Ghajini was an advertisement with Ghajini co-star Aamir Khan for Tata Sky as well as one for Tanishq.

Initially Asin was considered as a big threat for the other well established actresses in Bollywood especially because she was very famous in the South. But then after seeing her role in the film, producers and directors aren’t overly excited about putting their money on her.

"In the current economic conditions , everyone wants well established actors who can ensure a hit," said one producer, "and as far as Ghajini is concerned it was an all out Aamir Khan film."

Asin and Jiah had relatively small roles in the film and so haven’t really been able to show their talent. "Asin’s now banking on London Dreams to really get her established,” said the source close to her.

The golden statue that Aamir Khan got at Ghajini's success party

Producers have strange ways of making their leading men happy at the end of a film so that they are open to doing another film.

Ghajini producer Madhu Mantena outdid himself by presenting a solid-gold statue designed specially to resemble Aamir's Ghajini look at the party held to celebrate the film's success earlier this week.

"8 abs included," says Mantena proudly. We didn't know it was 8 abs. "It is and we can see all 8 of them on the statue," he states.

The statuette is pure gold and probably cost the producer close to Rs. 70-80 lakhs though he isn't telling.

"It has certain amount of other metal to make it malleable. Solid gold wouldn't allow the identical Ghajini shape to be done in gold. But the idea was to create an Oscar-sized statue exclusively for Ghajini. Aamir knew he was getting a trophy. But he didn't know it would be golden and with his Ghajini's look. He was overwhelmed," says Mantena.

So now a second project featuring the Ghajini actor-producer is pucca. To make sure he doesn't feel bad, director Murugadoss was also given a statue. Though we hear his was far less hefty and golden than Aamir's. But yes, the 8-abs were there for Muruga too.

GHAJINI takes an 'abnormal' route, a week away from 100 crores mark

A 50% fall in collections on a per week basis is considered healthy for a film which opens well at the box office. The biggest of the hits/superhits and the best of the films see such drop in collections but there are no complaints whatsoever since this is considered to be absolutely 'normal'.

But what does one say about a film which does as much as 1.5 times the business of an 'all time opener' in it's first week? How much of the fall is 'normal' enough?

After making so much of moolah in its first week does it still have to follow an industry standard or a 50% fall?

Should there be a 'concession' of sorts because of high revenues in the first week and hence a 60% fall should be considered decent enough?

And in the 'unbelievable' scenario of a film actually seeing a sub-50% fall, should it be considered simply 'abnormal'?

Well, this is how the performance of GHAJINI should be best described i.e. 'abnormal'! After raking in as much as 64 crores in it's first week (good enough to be the life time business of the biggest of the hits), the Aamir Khan starrer hasn't stopped yet. It has gone on and on even in its second week as well, so much so that it now finds itself in the elite list of blockbusters in two weeks flat. The film has garnered an astonishing 26 crores plus at the box office in the week gone by, hence making the collections stand over 90 crores.

In the process of doing so, it has not just gone past the biggest money spinner of recent times OM SHANTI OM in a fortnight itself, it is also finding itself in the company of all time money spinners like GADAR-EK PREM KATHA and DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAYENGE.

While records have been created in its second week run, one wonders how the third week would look now considering the fact that majority of those who had to see the film due to the initial hype have already seen it. It's time now for majority of audience to comprise of repeat audience and while anything that comes from here on is a huge bonus in itself, it can be rest assured that by the end of it's third week, GHAJINI would have crossed the 100 crore milestone.

The first ever movie to be doing so (without considering the films that have their total adjusted with inflation taken into account), GHAJINI is just days away from history being created. Quite a monumental time for the industry when there is one more film running in the theaters that goes by the name of RAB NE BANA DI JODI. This 'relatively' smaller film (in scale, grandeur, setting, budget and publicity) too has crossed 80 crores in its four week run and is still counting. With as much as 170 crores coming back to the industry in just a month and a half, it can be said that celebration times are here again.

Now here is looking forward to CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA, another biggie that should bring in at least 70 crores more to the industry even if it is reasonably well made. Here is to you Akshay.

Aamir praised for supporting no-smoking campaign

Director A.R. Murgadoss and actor Aamir Khan, who are riding on the success of "Ghajini", are being lauded by National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) for cinematically endorsing and propagating the no-smoking ban in the action thriller.

The scene in "Ghajini", which has drawn accolades from the anti-smoking lobby, shows Aamir, who is prodded on by his girlfriend into beating up hooligans who insist on smoking in a public place.

"We thank Murugadoss and Aamir Khan for highlighting such an important fact even though we certainly do not favour any violence against smokers," Subhash Salkar, general secretary of NOTE, wrote in a letter of appreciation to Aamir.

Salkar said in the letter, dated January 7, that research shows that more often film stars inspire children to puff on their first cancer stick.

"Fifty two percent children have their first puff of a cigarette after watching a celebrity light up. We recognise that just as non-smokers are victims of exposure to second hand smoke from smoker, smokers are victims of tobacco industry and they require assistance in quitting their tobacco addiction," he wrote.

He added that that a simple administrative order stopping depiction of smoking in films would prevent 50 percent of the viewers from becoming smokers.

NOTE in the past has dragged Bollywood superstars like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan to court for promoting smoking on screen.

Right now Ajay Devgan has landed in trouble for smoking in public. A Chandigarh-based NGO on Tuesday filed a complaint against Ajay for allegedly smoking at a public place.

Tamil GHAJINI is a HIT.... Again!

Guess what! GHAJINI, which was originally made in Tamil and released to a bumper response all over, is a BIG HIT all over again. And the film has Aamir Khan's Hindi version of the movie to thank! Ever since the GHAJINI mania intensified close to 4 weeks back, curiosity started building up for the original Tamil film as well. So much so that there have been an onslaught of enquiries about the film. Due to huge demand for the film's DVDs, massive reordering was called for in the weeks to follow.

Says the owner of a prominent music retail chain in Bangalore, "Even though people in South have already seen the movie in it's Tamil as well as the dubbed Telugu version, there are repeated queries about the film's DVDs. We have had to order fresh lot of GHAJINI because of such heavy demand. Since they are priced at a mere Rs. 150/=, the DVDs are going off the shelves like hot cakes."

It is not only the South Indian audience that is re-looking at comparing the Hindi version with the Tamil original. Even those who have seen the film for the first time with Aamir Khan in the lead are curious to see how did the South version look like? Especially so, since the two films boast of entirely different climax sequences. Also, Pradeep Rawat, the man who plays the title role of GHAJINI, is in double role in the film, an angle that was eliminated in the Hindi version.

Says Suruchi Sancheti, a college lecturer, "I can't understand a word of Tamil but for me watching it all over again is an interesting preposition because I want to see what was it that prompted Aamir to act in the remake. I have heard great things about the movie and have somehow laid my hands on the film's DVD. Thankfully, with English subtitles, I should be able to have fun and be entertained."

Released in 2005, Tamil version of GHAJINI also starred Asin, Nayantara and Riyaz Khan.

Nominations for Nokia 15th Annual Star Screen Awards 2008

Best Film
A Wednesday!
Ghajini
Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Jodhaa Akbar
Rock On!!
Sarkar Raj

Best Director
A. R. Murugadoss - Ghajini
Abbas Tyrewala - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Abhishek Kapoor - Rock On!!
Ashutosh Gowarikar - Jodhaa Akbar
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday!
Ram Gopal Varma - Sarkar Raj

Best Actor (Male)
Aamir Khan - Ghajini
Abhishek Bachchan - Dostana
Akshay Kumar - Singh Is Kinng
Amitabh Bachchan - Sarkar Raj
Hrithik Roshan - Jodhaa Akbar
Naseeruddin Shah - A Wednesday!
Ranbir Kapoor - Bachna Ae Haseeno
Shahrukh Khan - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Best Actor (Female)
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan - Jodhaa Akbar
Asin Thottumkal - Ghajini
Genelia D'souza - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Kajol - U Me Aur Hum
Priyanka Chopra - Fashion

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male)
Aamir Bashir - A Wednesday!
Abhishek Bachchan - Sarkar Raj
Anupam Kher - A Wednesday!
Arjun Rampal - Rock On!!
Irrfan Khan - Mumbai Meri Jaan
Jimmy Sheirgill - A Wednesday!
Pankaj Kapur - Halla Bol

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female)
Bipasha Basu - Bachna Ae Haseeno
Ila Arun - Welcome TO Sajjanpur
Kangana Ranaut - Fashion
Mugdha Godse - Fashion
Ratna Pathak Shah - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Shahana Goswami - Rock On!!

Best Actor in a Negative Role (Male/Female)
Akshaye Khanna - Race
Anil Kapoor - Tashan
Ashwini Kalsekar - Phoonk
Dilip Prabhawalkar - Sarkar Raj
Ila Arun - Jodhaa Akbar

Best Actor in a Comic Role (Male/Female)
Ashwini Kalsekar - Golmaal Returns
Mallika Sherawat - Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam
Rajpal Yadav - Krazzy 4
Shreyas Talpade - Welcome TO Sajjanpur
Tusshar Kapoor - Golmaal Returns

Best Background Music
Amar Mohile - Sarkar Raj
A. R. Rahman - Jodhaa Akbar
Bapi-Tutul - Phoonk
Salim-Sulaiman - Race
Sanjoy Chowdhury - A Wednesday!
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy - Rock On!!

Best Music
A. R. Rahman - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na & Jodhaa Akbar
Pritam - Jannat & Singh Is Kinng
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy - Rock On!!
Vishal-Shekhar - Dostana & Bachna Ae Haseeno

Best Playback Singer (Male)
A. R. Rahman - Khwaja Mere Khwaja (Jodhaa Akbar)
Atif Aslam - Pehli Nazar (Race)
KK - Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno)
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan - Teri Ore (Singh Is Kinng)
Rashid Ali - Kabhi Kabhi Aditi (Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na)
Shankar Mahadevan - Desi Girl (Dostana)
Sukhwinder Singh - Haule Haule (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)

Best Playback Singer (Female)
Dominique Cerejo - Yeh Tumhari Meri Baatein (Rock On!!)
Hardkaur & Anmol Malik - Talli Ho Gayi (Ugly Aur Pagli)
Monali Thakur - Zaraa Zaraa Touch Me (Race)
Shilpa Rao - Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno)
Shreya Ghoshal - Teri Ore (Singh Is Kinng)
Shruti Pathak - Mar Jaawa (Fashion)
Sunidhi Chauhan - Dance Pe Chance (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)

Best Lyrics
Anvita Dutt Guptan - Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno)
Jaideep Shani - Haule Haule (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)
Kashif - Khwaja Mere Khwaja (Jodhaa Akbar)
Mayur Puri - Teri Ore (Singh Is Kinng)
Sameer - Pehli Nazar (Race)
Sayeed Quadri - Bakhuda (Kismat Konnection)
Sayeed Quadri - Zara Si Dil Mein De Jagah (Jannat)

Best Story
Dibakar Banerjee - Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!
Haidar Ali - Jodhaa Akbar
Madhur Bhandarkar, Ajay Monga & Anuradha Tiwari - Fashion
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday!
Shyam Benegal - Welcome To Sajjanpur

Best Screenplay
A. R. Murugadoss - Ghajini
Abhishek Kapoor & Pubali Chaudhary- Rock On!!
Ashok Mishra - Welcome To Sajjanpur
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday!
Shiraz Ahmed - Race

Best Dialogue
Abbas Tyrewala - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Anvita Dutt Guptan - Dostana & Bachna Ae Haseeno
Ashok Mishra - Welcome To Sajjanpur
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday!

Best Editor
Aarti Bajaj - Aamir
Deepa Bhatia - Rock On!!
Hussain Burmawala - Race
Nipun Gupta & Amit Parmar - Sarkar Raj
Shree Narayan Singh - A Wednesday!

Best Sound
Debashish Mishra - Sarkar Raj
Rakesh Ranjan - A Wednesday! & Race
Resul Pookutty - Ghajini
Sanjay Maurya & Allwyn Rego - Mumbai Meri Jaan

Best Cinematography
Alphonso Roy - Aamir
Amit Roy - Sarkar Raj
Ayananka Bose - Dostana
Jason West - Rock On!!
Ravi K. Chandran - Ghajini
Sunil Patel - Bachna Ae Haseeno

Best Special Effects
Biju D (B R Pix & Rrix) - Bhoothnath
David Bush - Drona
Pankaj Khandpur (Tata Elxsi) - Jodhaa Akbar
Merzin Tavaria (Prime Focus) - Ghajini & Love Story 2050

Best Art Direction
Nitin Desai - Jodhaa Akbar
Samir Chanda - Welcome TO Sajjanpur
Shashank Tare - Rock On!!
Sunil Babu - Ghajini
Sunil Nigvekar - A Wednesday!

Best Choreography
Ahmed Khan - Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno)
Bosco-Ceasar - Zaraa Zaraa Touch Me (Race)
Farah Khan - Desi Girl (Dostana)
Rajeev Surti - Kabhi Kabhi Aditi (Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na)
Raju Khan - Khwaja Mere Khwaja (Jodhaa Akbar)
Snoop Dogg Group - Title Song (Singh Is Kinng)
Vaibhavi Merchant - Haule Haule (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)

Best Action
Allan Amin - Race
Javed & Ejaz Shaikh, Ravi Dewan - Mission Istaanbul
Peter Heins - Ghajini & Tashan
Ravi Dewan - Jodhaa Akbar

Most Promising Newcomer (Male)
Farhan Akhtar - Rock On!!
Harman Baweja - Love Story 2050
Imran Khan - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Prateik Babbar - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Rajeev Khandelwal - Aamir
Sikandar Kher - Woodstock Villa

Most Promising Newcomer (Female)
Adah Sharma - 1920
Anushka Sharma - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Asin Thottumkal - Ghajini
Prachi Desai - Rock On!!

Most Promising Debut Director
A. R. Murugadoss - Ghajini
Abbas Tyrewala - Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na
Kunal Deshmukh - Jannat
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday!
Nishikant Kamat - Mumbai Meri Jaan
Rajkumar Gupta - Aamir
Tarun Mansukhani - Dostana

"I'm charmed by Shah Rukh Khan" - Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan on being a marketing monster, feeling powerful, doing bench presses, ganging up with Salman on SRK, handling flops and being surrounded by gopis.

What was it about Ghajini that made you want to do it?
I found the Tamil version to be extremely engaging and entertaining. It intrigued me but I made up my mind when I met the director, AR Murugadoss. Frankly, I was completely taken in by his infectious positive energy and childlike excitement.

Regarding the eight packs, has Ghajini been your physically most demanding film -more than Mangal Pandey or Lagaan?
Every film has its own demands but yes, Ghajini was physically daunting because I had to train very hard. I had to keep at it and not lose patience. I had an athletic body but the director wanted me to bulk up with eight packs which was a challenge because I didn't know if I could achieve it. So, in a way, Ghajini made me resilient.

Post 26/11, do you think the timing of its release was unfavorable, especially keeping in view its violent content?
Personally, the attack is far greater and serious an issue for me than the release of my film. That said I was very clear that if the film is good, it'll work. The collections prove it.

Do Ghajini's thumping collections make you feel powerful?
Power doesn't figure in my hierarchy of needs. I won't use the word powerful; rather I'd say it makes me feel happy and blessed. When Taare Zameen Par (TZP) reaches so many people and changes so many lives, I don't feel powerful but gratified.

When did you last feel powerful?
(Thinks hard) I guess when I did my last set of bench press!

If TZP gets you an Oscar, maybe then you'd feel powerful?
(Shrugs) I'm not thinking of the Oscar. Right now, I'm focused on Ghajini and 3 Idiots. If we make it to the final five nominations which will be announced on January 22, then I'll think of the Oscar. I'll let you know what I feel then. (Laughs)

Over the last five years, you've become this monstrous marketing god; can you tell us how and when do you start planning the marketing strategy?
(Laughs) When I plan the marketing strategy, I try to understand the core values of the film. Each film has a unique marketing demand. I have about nine people in my marketing team. We brainstorm together. Our guiding principle is that cinema is a form of mass communication and we have to tell the audience the core values of our film. Once the film is complete, we see it and plan the strategy as to how to prepare the people for this particular film. Today, marketing is an important part of filmmaking. You need to make the audience excited about the film; you need to create the right atmosphere.

But don't you think sometimes you go overboard, like giving the Ghajini haircut to the ushers the day Shah Rukh Khan's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi released?
(Shrugs) It was a part of our marketing strategy. We were going to do that two weeks before the release of Ghajini irrespective of the film that was playing. We had initially planned to release Ghajini on October 2 but pushed it back after my leg injury. We would have done the same thing then too. There are two principles that I follow when I market my films: we should honestly represent the film to not mislead the audience and we shouldn't do anything negative. I'm very clear that while I do my best, I should not harm anyone else. As for giving the ushers the Ghajini haircut, we wanted it to be like a trailer. At the end of it, you can do as much publicity as you want but ultimately it's the film that matters.

But there is some undercurrent with SRK, isn't it? You two have been taking digs at each other.
We have high regard for each other. If you look at his interviews, you will see that Shah Rukh only talks about himself, makes digs at others and puts others down. He talks really big but he's a charming guy. I have no hesitation in saying that I'm charmed by SRK. It's just that media takes an extreme stand; it pits us as either enemies or as best friends. As for all our back-and-forth talks, it just shows that both of us have a good sense of humour.

Aren't you and Salman Khan ganging up on SRK, especially with Salman painting your Ghajini look and you sporting his charitable organization's (Being Human) tee at a media event?
(Smiles) We're not ganging up. Both Salman and Shah Rukh are my friends. I didn't ask Salman to paint me; he did it on his own. As for me wearing his tee, if Salman is doing something noble in starting an organization that'll help needy people, I'm happy to support him.

Do you agree you're a control freak?
I'm not a control freak. I'm realistic about my limits. When I act in a film, it's the director who is the boss. It's not my responsibility to control the film. But I'm always there if the director wants any help or suggestion. I just go with the flow.

In the 20 years that you've been here, has there been any shift in your guiding principle of making movies?
Not at all. I've always done films I believe in. I've always had an emotional approach to my work. This is my life so I only want to do those films that I really want to be a part of. I've gone wrong quite a few times especially in the first six months of my career after Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak when I signed every film offered to me. But they were all my decisions. I've learnt quickly from my failures.

How badly does a flop affect you?
I'm very emotionally involved with my films. If ever I have to face a failure, I'd like to take full responsibility for it. Even the failure is mine, I like to value my flops and hold them close to me. I like to mourn my failure and try to learn from it.

What do you want your legacy to be?
I'm very ambitious. I'd like to do work of the level people haven't seen before. I want to raise the bar as an actor, producer and director. I'd like to do films that would live on much after I'm no longer there. Even if someone sees Lagaan 200 years later, he should say, "Who's that guy, yaar?"

Is there any role you haven't done and are dying to attempt?
I really find Mahabharata fascinating. I would love to play Karan, who was 6 '3 and a born warrior. So, I don't think I fit the part physically but emotionally I do. I think the part I suit the best would be that of Krishna. When I was in KG, I had these really chubby cheeks. Girls would find me cute and surround me. I also used to eat makhan all the time so my mom would call me Krishna and the girls my gopis.

Amul spreads over Aamir 'Ghajini' Khan

With the dawn of a very happy and a cheerful New Year 2009, one is left with only memories of the year gone by. As one may remember, 2008 happened to be one of the 'impactful' years for Bollywood. Because, besides many other things, it also saw the transformation of the chocolate hero Aamir into a muscular 'dude with an attitude' in the smash hit film Ghajini.

It really becomes needless to say that the Ghajini mania is spreading far and wide, faster than Shoaib Akhtar's yorkers! And for those who thought that it was only the media that worked faster than the speed of light, then, you better think again, because we discovered that there's someone (besides the media, of course) who work even faster than the proverbial speed. And that's none other than the super brilliant guys at Amul, who wasted no time in bringing out their latest ad campaign (as they always do), that has Aamir Khan's cartoon in his 8-packs with scribbling (read 'reminders') on his hands and body which read as 'I slice bread'', ' I make sandwich', while his chest reads 'Get Amul'.

We must say that it is indeed an interesting ad. But the guys at Amul should also remember that one may forget to breathe for a moment, but how can one forget Amul, all thanks to the timely and topical hammerings...we mean…spreadings! Kudos Amul, for 'buttering' us all over again!

Ghajini is a historic hit

Ghajini is the first Bollywood film to cross the Rs.100 crore mark in one week, leaving Rab Ne… and Singh is Kinng far behind.

Posters across the city read, "Historic Hit in 14 minutes and 52 seconds."

The spokesperson for Ghajini says, "Ghajini has had the biggest box office opening and collections this year. It is the first movie to cross more than 100 crores in a week. The collections, as of 31st December, were Rs. 140 crores and we are still counting."
She further adds, “The poster reads 14 minutes and 52 seconds because Aamir loses his memory every 14 minutes and 52 seconds. The money Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi earned in 3 weeks, Ghajini took a week to earn."

The cast and crew of Ghajini recently celebrated with a success party on December 30. Ghajini had already made Rs.110 crores by then.

In spite of the unfavourable reviews, Ghajini smashed all previous opening-week records. It earned Rs.90 crores during the Christmas weekend because of all the pre-release hype the film generated. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi earned 63 crores in its opening weekend. It grossed Rs. 90 crores in its first week. Singh is Kinng earned Rs. 29 crores in its opening weekend and its total earnings are Rs. 128 crores. 2007’s biggest hit Om Shanti Om has earned almost Rs. 156 crores worldwide.

Commenting on the success of the film, Aamir says, "I am very happy that Ghajini has broken so many records. Numbers don't matter to me as people's appreciation is more important. I was really stressed before the release, especially with the case, but everything's going well now."

Regarding who the number one actor is, Shah Rukh or him, he said, "People decide who is number one."

"I don't mind working with SRK" - Aamir Khan

Any other actor in his place would've gone tom-toming to the world about his clout at the box-office, but Aamir Khan continues to be as level-headed as ever, with his feet firmly planted on the ground. "I always knew GHAJINI would fetch a big start, but I didn't expect the start to be so huge. I am surprised," Aamir tells me as we sit down for a free-wheeling conversation.

What really clicked? Has he done some introspection? "Various factors! The director [A.R. Murugadoss] had come up with a riveting script. I knew that would be its trump card. The marketing team also deserves to be complimented. Plus, the fact that I work in limited films - on an average, one per year - and that must've generated curiosity for this film... The credit should go to Murugadoss mainly. He deserves brownie points," Aamir says with utmost modesty.

Now that GHAJINI has released, Aamir moves on to 3 IDIOTS, directed by Rajkumar Hirani. "I am enjoying working with Raju. He's a terrific storyteller," he smiles. Is he pumping iron to retain the muscular look for this film? "No, no... Raju wants a lean look for the film, so I've stopped working out since the past few months. I need to look different for this film," he divulges.

Flush with the success of his home-productions TAARE ZAMEEN PAR and JAANE TU... YA JAANE NA, Aamir has started three more films. And like his previous endeavours, the three films are being helmed by first-time directors. One of the projects is, in fact, being directed by his wife Kiran. "I am not producing this project. I'm funding and presenting it. Besides, I am also acting in Kiran's film," Aamir says.

Tentatively titled DHOBI GHAT, Aamir says that the film revolves around four characters primarily, the other three being Prateek Babbar and two new girls. "Prateek is evolving into a very fine actor," he states.

The conversation veers to Aamir and SRK acting in a movie together. Is it possible? "Of course, it is! I am open to working with SRK. I have no problems. Only thing, the script has to do justice to the two actors. I'm sure there're a lot of capable directors who'd be interested in signing this combination," he states.

Any director who can get this dream cast together? "Oh yes, Mani Ratnam, Ashutosh Gowariker, Farhan Akhtar, there're so many talented names out there. I'm game to work with a new director as well if he has the right script," he says.

Aamir Khan silences critics

Aamir Khan leaves no stone unturned. Not even loose ends when some critics decide to poke holes (blasphemy, he’s the ‘perfectionist’) in his newest release Ghajini, he decides to take them on .

So it was pleasant, but not a surprise, when he decided to confront the ‘critic’ himself. On ZOOM’s acerbic show, Face The Review hosted by trade analyst Komal Nahta, AK decided to confront the reviewer by replying to every charge.

But with the film breaking every concievable box-office record on its opening weekend itself, grossing four times larger than any previous release, he didn’t need to say anything in defense. Just smile enigmatically, like he does. Aamir loved the concept of the show as he could interact with his ‘first day first show’ audiences. So catch Aamir as he gets candid and answers all on Face the Review on Zoom tonight at 7.30 pm and tomorrow at 2.30 pm.

After GHAJINI its KAMBAKKTH ISHQ turn!

If GHAJINI was the biggest blockbuster of 2008, get ready for the biggest film of 2009, Sajid Nadiadwala's KAMBAKKTH ISHQ. Starring Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor along with the who's who of Hollywood right from Slyvester Stallone, Denise Richards, Brandon Routh, the film is anticipated as the most awaited release of 2009.

The release date for the film has been finalized for 29th May 2009. Trade reports have already declared it as the most awaited release of next year and whats more? All the opinion polls on the internet have declared it as the film to watch out for in 2009. Last year it was GHAJINI and this New Year it's undoubtedly KAMBAKKTH ISHQ!

B.O. update: 'Ghajini' sets new records, collects Rs. 20 cr. in 2 days

GHAJINI is smashing all previous records. The film is emerging the biggest opener of all times, grossing a whopping approx. Rs. 20 cr. nett in its first two days. The film collected approx. Rs. 1.6 cr. nett in paid previews [on Wednesday], approx. Rs. 8.25 cr. nett on limited screens and shows [on Thursday] and approx. Rs. 10.15 cr. nett [on Friday], according to its all-India distributors Studio 18. The collections are simply earth-shattering.

"At the rate the film is performing, the film is expected to smash all previous opening weekend records in India by unheard of, unimaginable, never dreamt of margins," Studio 18's Aman Gill says, "The nett collections by the end of Sunday night should be in the range of Rs. 42 cr. to Rs. 45 cr., which is 75% higher than the biggest opener of this year, SINGH IS KINNG."

B.O. update:- 'Ghajini' has unprecedented start, collects Rs. 10cr. to Rs. 12 cr.

The keenly-anticipated GHAJINI fetched the biggest start ever, shattering the record held by SINGH IS KINNG and GOLMAAL RETURNS, the two big openers of 2008. The paid previews were packed to capacity on Wednesday night and the film ran to almost 100% response throughout the country on Thursday.

Studio 18, the distributors of the film, were in for a pleasant surprise. Having released two of the biggest openers this year -- SINGH IS KINNG and GOLMAAL RETURNS -- and also one of the biggest openers of 2007 [WELCOME], they couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the figures pouring in from all over. Exhibitors across the country were going into raptures, stressing on the cent per cent occupancy on Wednesday night [paid previews] and also Thursday [Christmas].

This writer was in constant touch with several exhibitors, who couldn't hide their excitement. The common feedback is, the crowd was uncontrollable, that the crowd inside and outside their theatres was the same, that the film was packed in advance for the entire weekend.

Talking of numbers, the film collected approx. Rs. 2 cr. + in paid previews [a record], while the Thursday numbers were approx. Rs. 9 cr. According to early indications, the film collected between Rs. 10 cr. to Rs. 12 cr. nett, as per Studio 18. It's a new record, it's creating history!

Ghajini to be screened with English subtitles at BIG Cinemas

BIG Cinemas will be screening Ghajini with subtitles at select screens in Mumbai. The facility will make the film more accessible to hearing-impaired and non-Hindi speaking guests of the cinema. The film will be screened with English subtitles in its second week at digital screens in BIG Cinemas Wadala and Metro BIG Cinemas in Mumbai.

Tushar Dhingra, Chief Operating Officer - BIG Cinemas said, "This will ensure that the cinema medium can be enjoyed more completely by a larger number of the public, especially the hearing impaired who could not earlier understand the dialogues. The release of Ghajini, being an eagerly awaited film, was an ideal way for us to start offering this facility and will set a trend for future releases."

Patrick von Sychowski, Chief Operating Officer - Adlabs Digital Cinema added, "Digital cinema technology makes it easy to introduce such innovations. We look forward to introducing more such innovations for the benefit of the audience."

Mr. N.U. Nayak, Deputy Director - Helen Keller Institute for Deaf & Deafblind, welcomed the development saying, "Screening films with subtitles will definitely help hearing impaired persons to understand and enjoy films without misinterpretation."

This facility is available at no extra cost.

Asin unveils the Ghajini paintings made by Salman Khan

Salman Khan being an avid painter is a fact that's now as old as the hills. The brawny actor is known to even gift his exquisite paintings to those whom he considers truly special. The latest person to benefit from Salman's generosity and love is none other than Aamir Khan.

Aamir and Salman have been good friends for a while now and the story goes that Sallu was so impressed by Aamir's performance in his latest flick Ghajini that he decided to gift him two special paintings, done by Salman himself of course. The paintings, in keeping with the somewhat dark theme of the film, are in black and white and a noticeable aspect of both the paintings is the fact that both of them depict Aamir's by-now-famous Ghajini hairstyle.

The paintings were unveiled at a special function at a Mumbai multiplex by Ghajini's lead actress Asin. For those who came in late, Asin not only stars opposite Aamir in Ghajini but also plays the romantic lead in the Salman Khan- Ajay Devgan starrer London Dreams.

Aamir's performance in Ghajini has surely caught Salman's fancy. Now one will have to wait and watch if it manages to impress the janta-janardhan when the film opens across cinema halls this Christmas.

Ghajini - Movie Review

The wait is finally over! An Aamir Khan film is nothing short of an event. The supremely talented actor acts in one film a year and no two films are ever identical in terms of plotline. No wonder then that you await an Aamir starrer with bated breath.

GHAJINI, the Tamil version, has been a massive hit and so was its dubbed Telugu version. Will the Hindi adaptation live up to the humungous expectations? The hype is unmatched and you expect no less than a present-day masterpiece.

Now the good news: GHAJINI demonstrates how strong film-making can enhance and elevate an already solid concept.

GHAJINI is a revenge saga, one ingredient that has been the staple diet of Hindi films since time immemorial. It is a powerful film. It has the power to sweep you off your feet from the word 'go'. It has a riveting story, which has been told with flourish by director A.R. Murugadoss. And, of course, it has a knockout performance by Aamir Khan. If at all there's a shred of doubt whether Aamir is The Best in the business, all you've got to do is check out GHAJINI.

Flaws any? Running time [almost 3 hours]? Not at all! There's so much happening in every scene and the screenplay is so gripping that you don't feel the need to look at the auditorium ceiling or at your watch at brief intervals. You aren't restless. As moviegoers, we've watched countless good versus evil fares over the years and although GHAJINI belongs to the same family, not once does it take the beaten track. The story has been told differently and most importantly, the story offers so many twists-n-turns that you just can't guess what would unfold next.

Is it violent? It is, at times, but the violence here is justified. In fact, every time the protagonist bashes up the evil-doers, you clap and root for him. The climax is jaw-dropping -- dissimilar from the original, but it's an out of the world experience nonetheless.

To sum up, GHAJINI is commercial Hindi cinema at its best. The film has 'Hit' written all over it. Let me put it this way: Cancel whatever you're doing today and go watch GHAJINI instead.

Aamir Khan is suffering from acute short-term memory loss set off by the violent murder of his girlfriend Asin. He's got to work around this handicap, but with methodical and meticulous determination. Aamir etches a path of clues that lead him on his road.

To aid him in his quest, he carries around a sheaf of Polaroids and when he is really sure of a piece of information, he has it tattooed on his body, which stands in for the damaged part of his mind. His indelibly marked torso is the repository of his grief, his rage and his reason to go on living.

Any more revelation would do gross injustice to the film and to its viewer.

First things first! GHAJINI is not MEMENTO. There're minor similarities, but GHAJINI takes a completely different route to tell its story. Director A.R. Murugadoss tells this one differently. It starts off with what happens in the past, comes to the present-day, goes back in time again and returns to the contemporary again. This is a breathless, exciting story, heart-breaking and exhilarating at the same time.

Hindi movies have often depicted people suffering from amnesia/memory loss, but GHAJINI is poles apart because the protagonist recalls events only for 15 minutes. The story is its USP, without a doubt. But what adds sheen and glory to the story is Aamir's portrayal of a man suffering from short-term memory loss. Aamir hardly speaks. In fact, the leading lady [Asin] speaks more than Aamir in the film. But Aamir speaks volumes with his eyes, he conveys whatever has to be conveyed through his body language, he says it all with his facial expressions and that only makes GHAJINI a memorable, never-seen-before experience.

Director A.R. Murugadoss deserves brownie points for not just coming up with an interesting story, but also presenting it [refreshingly] differently. The storyteller balances the light moments and the ones demanding intensity with expertise. There's dum in every sequence. Even if the director has to depict violence, he doesn't resort to blood-n-gore or knives-swords-pistols for effect.

A.R. Rahman's music is top notch. At least three numbers have the unmistakable stamp of a genius -- 'Guzarish', 'Behka' and 'Kaise Mujhe'. Ravi Chandran's cinematography is stunning. The film bears a stylish look all through. The action sequences are brilliantly executed. The Hindi moviegoers haven't seen such scenes ever.

Aamir delivers his career-best performance. In the first place, it requires courage and maturity to name the film after the villain. Knowing how egoistic our stars are, something like this is next to impossible in Hindi films.
A lot has been said and written about the GHAJINI look -- Aamir's hairstyle and his dream physique. It's awe-inspiring and if more and more people adopt the 'Aamir look' or hit the gym, it would be courtesy the actor.
As far as his acting is concerned, he's natural as the tycoon, but like a wounded, ferocious tiger when he goes on an avenging spree.
Without doubt, it's a concentrated, layered performance. He acts with his entire being. His body movement, the details of his performance, everything rings true. He is both vulnerable and hard. The pain in his face when he can't remember, is palpable. It's not only the plot that carries GHAJINI. It's also the mood and the expression on Aamir's face that makes GHAJINI a treat.

Asin is fabulous. To share the screen space with an actor of the stature of Aamir Khan and yet remain in your memory even after the show has ended is no cakewalk. She looks fresh and photogenic and acts her part brilliantly. Pradeep Rawat, the villain, is first-rate. Jiah Khan impresses, especially in the sequence when Aamir follows her to a shopping mall.

On the whole, GHAJINI is a winner all the way. The film will set new records and has the merits to emerge one of the biggest Hits of all times. The weekend business should be historic, the Week 1 business should be unparalleled, the lifetime gross should be amongst the biggest of all times. In short, GHAJINI has 'Blockbuster' written all over it.

SMS reveals 'Ghajini' climax

Read only if you want to the know the film’s possible ending

Just when the audiences started queuing up for booking their tickets for Aamir Khan-starrer “Ghajini”, a chain SMS started playing spoilsport by revealing what could possibly be the climax of the film.

“Someone killed Aamir's girlfriend and he lost his memory. Then he tries to find out the killer. Suspens... Aamir himself is the killer. Now enjoy 'Ghajini'!” says the SMS that has been doing the rounds on the mobile phones for the past few days.

Whether the SMS is true would only be clear once the film releases on Thursday. However, several people have received this SMS through known as well as unknown sources.

Says 22-year-old Surbhi Pant: “I received this SMS a few days back. I was very irritated after reading it because I wanted to watch the film. Now I don't know if it is true or not. Just in case this is the story of the film, I would be really disappointed, as I know the plot now. Eventually, I thought I should forward it to all my friends.”

The film is the much-hyped Hindi remake of director A.R. Murugadoss' Tamil hit with the same name.

While the original "Ghajini" featured southern actor Surya Sivakumar along with actress Asin Thottumkal, Murugadoss cast Aamir to play the main lead in the Hindi version and repeats Asin in female lead.

“Ghajini” is the love story of a rich businessman Sanjay Singhania (Aamir) and a model Kalpana (Asin). The story takes a U-turn when Kalpana is murdered and Sanjay suffers temporary amnesia due to a brain injury. Sanjay's character sets out to take revenge from those responsible for Kalpana's death.

While in the Tamil version of “Ghajini”, Sanjay finds the murderer and completes his revenge by killing him; the ending has been altered in the Hindi version.