Aamir : When cinema speaks for itself!

Silence speaks volumes. However clichéd it may sound, at times you do experience it. Today, when I came out of the theater after watching Aamir, I experienced it. There was a silence with me - unbearable, unthinkable, unwanted too because I could notice that it was disconnecting me with the world around me. And all this was because I actually wanted to talk about Aamir.

This movie, ladies and gentlemen, is indescribable. I really am searching for words. Terrific. Master craft. Wonder of cinema (and a marvel of music. Aamir has the kind of background score that clinches you, sucks you in its groove and haunts you till the end scroll.) Here is what we can doubtlessly call work of art. Aamir is a low budget film, the interval happens in 40 mins., film ends in an hour after that and these 100 odd minutes pack up the best that movie making can offer.

I might sound repetitive and you may complain that I have still not got down to the content of the movie, allow me to say this - this is how you make a movie! This is how you build the characters, this is how you operate the camera, this is how an actor (Rajeev Khandelwal, welcome sir and take the seat - actor's i.e., please don't start working on six packs!) make you feel the pain, this is how cameraman 'shows' the story, this is how director controls every inch of the reel and this is how you offer an experience to the viewers and not just make them munch the popcorn by reducing film making to a two hrs dose of action and sleaze.

It has been long since Johny Gaddar gave us the best of the shots. Aamir, I must say, lands in the league of extraordinary film making with enviable confidence.

There is no way I am going to tell you anything about the story. In one line, it is one man's unsought, frightful journey in the bylanes of Mumbai following his arrival at Mumbai international airport where a death trap is waiting for him. And this is a kind of Mumbai, that is never seen before. I dare say that this Mumbai is worth watching even for the substantive filmmakers like Ramgopal Varma and Anurag Kashyap. There are torn buildings and shredded faces and a 'neatly' dilapidated life and the camera actually does the talking. Some shots are incredibly brilliant, which include a couple of short fight scenes. Boy! I wonder how did they do it?

Rajeev Khandelwal delivers a power packed performance. Its about the protagonist's inner conflict, which he has been able to showcase very very effectively. Watch out especially for the climax scene. You actually move with him, feel his anguish, can relate with him and get awestruck with the choice that he makes in the end. Other characters, some of whom we have seen, many of them we have not seen yet, do their bit with perfection.

Aamir is inspired by a Filipino film Cavite, but kudos to Rajkumar Gupta, as he has shown Aamir to the makers and has got a no-objection certificate from them. This, actually is something that does not come easy to me, because however great a movie is, if the roots remain somewhere else, it becomes difficult to enjoy the splendor of the blossom. This happened with Shaurya (inspired by A few good men) also. But then, Aamir is an amazingly outstanding work and moreover, obtaining permission from the makers is a gesture that wipes off all the doubts regarding plagiarism.

Efforts by lensman Alphonse Roy (a wildlife cinematographer and debuting with Aamir) are captivating. If this is a debut, then one can possibly make out what to look for in his next film. I actually could not get enough of a particular chase sequence. It was painstakingly shot and ended just when I was demanding for more run. And that was it. Take a bow, Mr. Roy and Mr. Gupta, for the perfect timing!

Editing by Aarti Bajaj (Black Friday) is sleek, cut to the point and screenplay is so powerful that you cannot take your eyes off. Alongside, ladies and gentlemen, comes the music of Aamir. With your eyes, your ears too are glued to the screen. Be it the upbeat track during the titles or Amit Trivedi's brilliant compositions that work literally as a narrator, it rocks!

Aamir is arguably the best debut so far by a director, cinematographer and actor. We must applaud the effort because this is some serious cinema where camera, lights and action MEAN camera, lights and action. This is the cinema where these words do not lose their sheen by a star or debut of a star kid backed by media management. This is the cinema where cinema talks for itself and not for the stars!