Tamil hit story struck a chord for Aamir Khan rewrote entire climax
It was the year 2008 and Aamir Khan had already delivered two major hits in the preceding two years. In the course of the time t
Tollywood film director AR Murugadoss met Aamir with the intent of generating a Hindi remake of the Tamil film Ghajini. This meeting amid Murugadoss and Aamir Khan was arranged by Pradeep Rawat, who had portrayed ‘Ashwatthama’ in the television series Mahabharat. After watching the original Tamil film, Aamir Khan agreed to the project without hesitation. The film was Ghajini which had hit the theatres on December 25, 2008 and turned out to be a massive box-office success.
Reportedly, the budget of Ghajini was approximately ₹52 crore, though its worldwide earnings grossed around ₹194 crore, establishing it as a blockbuster. The Hindi adaptation was based on the 2005 Tamil film of the same name, also directed by AR Murugadoss. The Tamil version featured Suriya, Asin, and Nayanthara. Interestingly, Suriya had lent his voice to a Tamil version of Taare Zameen Par.
For the Hindi remake, the climax was changed, with the new ending scripted by Aamir Khan himself. In the Tamil version, the villain appears in a dual role, an element omitted from the Hindi film. The music was composed by AR Rahman, with lyrics by Prasoon Joshi. Prior to the release of the film director AR Murugadoss was arrested after it was revealed that he had not acquired the rights from the producer of the original Tamil film. A settlement was later reached amid the parties.
In both the Hindi and Tamil versions of Ghajini, the protagonist suffers from a condition that causes him to forget things every 15 minutes, an idea inspired by an American film released in 2000. Aamir Khan promoted Ghajini in an unusually distinctive manner, travelling across the country in various disguises to meet people. His haircut in the film also gained widespread popularity.
Actor Pradeep Rawat over an interview revealed he played an important part in getting Ghajini made in Hindi. Murugadoss wanted to cast Salman Khan but felt Salman was rather short-tempered, and since Murugadoss didn’t know Hindi or English, it might have been difficult. Hence thought Aamir Khan would be perfect. He
met him and asked him to read the script. Aamir couldn’t refuse. He’d already seen the Tamil film and liked it so much that he instantly agreed.
At the film’s success party, Aamir Khan shared several insights. He said that when he watched the Tamil version of Ghajini, he felt he wasn’t suitable for the role. Someone like Salman Khan or Akshay Kumar, an action hero, would suit it better. Suriya, who played the lead in the Tamil film, told him. Murugadoss told him that probably he doesn’t realise it, but no one else will be able to do this role the way Aamir can.
Aamir Khan showcased his six-pack physique in Ghajini. On Salman Khan’s show Dus Ka Dum, he said, he doesn’t have a body like Salman’s, but tried. His next film with Rajkumar Hirani doesn’t require muscles, so he stopped training seven months ago, right after Ghajini finished.
Speaking about director AR Murugadoss on The Kapil Sharma Show, Aamir said, “when he first came to meet him he sat quietly in a corner of the sofa. If he disliked an idea, he would bluntly criticise it.
Ghajini also turned out to be the first Hindi film to begin Bollywood’s
‘₹100 crore club’. While it never had obscene content, it received a UA certificate due to its violent scenes.
Asin, the film’s leading lady, said in an interview, “The teams for the Tamil and Hindi films were completely different. She enjoyed working with Aamir. When she first met him, he arrived with his wife, Kiran Rao. They shot parts of the film in Namibia.” Ghajini
marked Asin’s debut in Hindi cinema. She later appeared in films such as Bol Bachchan, Khiladi 786, Ready, and Housefull 2. Later, she tied the knot to industrialist Rahul Sharma on January 19, 2016. Rahul later revealed that it was superstar Akshay Kumar who had introduced him to Asin.
News Edit KV Raman
