The Hindu : Front Page : A “bumper” opening for ‘Ghajini’

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Friday, Dec 26, 2008
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A “bumper” opening for ‘Ghajini’

Photo: PTI

AAMIR’s DAY: Actor Aamir Khan poses with his wax model at a special screening of his film ‘Ghajini’ in Mumbai on Thursday.

MUMBAI: Bollywood star Aamir Khan’s much talked about new film ‘Ghajini’, the story of a man with a short-term memory loss on a mission to avenge the death of his fiancee, opened to a “bumper” response in India and 22 other countries worldwide on Christmas Day.

“The film has got a bumper opening worldwide. It is a well-made film even though the length is a slight hitch,” trade analyst Amod Mehra told PTI.

Advance booking for the film is four times more than the record opening any movie has ever got, said Aamir Khan.

According to trade sources, the film has been released with nearly 1,500 prints. Paid preview shows all over India on Wednesday have pushed up its box office collections, they said.

Critics said that despite several flaws in the story, the treatment and presentation made all the difference.

“Asin is a lively actress and poses a serious threat to all present leading Bollywood heroines. Aamir is the soul of the film.

However, its length should have been trimmed by half an hour,” they said.

The decks were cleared for a smooth release of the film, entangled so far in copyright issues, after the Madras High Court lifted a stay and the Bombay High court refused to grant a stay on it on Wednesday.

The three hours and four minutes long film, written and directed by A. R. Murugadoss, is a remake of the Tamil film released three years ago under the same title with Asin and Surya in the lead.

The film was also subsequently dubbed in Telugu. - PTI

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