Mumbai: 
Will the audiences embrace the violent Ghajiniin the wake of the 26/11 terrorist attacks? Upala KBR investigates...
Post 9/ll, many violent action flicks were shifted to a later date, as audiences were not in the mood to see films of the genre. In Hollywood in 2001, the strongest performers were comedies, fantasy fare and action movies with no reference to terrorism.
In the wake of the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, it will interesting to see how Aamir Khan's Ghajini, (releases Dec 25), which has strong violent content especially in the second half will be accepted.
Says a trade analyst on condition of anonymity, "The Ghajini promo which released last Monday has high violence content with Aamir looking aggressively ugly and stomping on a man's chest. The first promo too had Aamir stamping on a man's head.
Ten days following the 26/11 terrorist attacks, a lot of real-life violence has been shown in the media. After witnessing violence in real-life, audiences prefer to opt for feel-good films, something that helps them to escape the mood of the moment."
Good openings
Trade analyst Amod Mehra agrees that Shah Rukh Khan's Rab De Bana Di Jodi (which releases this Friday) will have an edge over Ghajini, "Both films will take good openings but Shah Rukh has an advantage because of his huge female following.
Aamir has no image which is why they accepted him as a terrorist in Fanaa while Shah Rukh has the loverboy image.
Combine that with the feel good elements, dance competition, and romance in RNBDJ; I feel it will go down well with the ladies and family audience."
Taran Adarsh, editor of trade magazine Trade Guide however feels that Ghajini will take a flying start, "Though the terror attacks are unfortunate, the audiences won't be put off by the violence in the film.
Aamir is a strong brand. People are bound to come to the theatres."
In sync with national mood
Director A R Murugadoss too is confident that his film won't suffer in the aftermath of 26/11. He didn't even consider pushing back its release, "Ghajini is an action thriller and is a film where the hero stands up for his cause.
He rises above his handicaps to achieve what he believes in. It is very much in sync with the national mood right now.
As a society we are angry right now and seek justice for this dastardly terrorist act. If at all, the mood is that of 'enough is enough'.
We are not going to forget this act and that's the sentiment in the media also. Not to forget and forgive is the core of an action thriller which Ghajini is."
Aam aadmi will triumph
Super Cinema editor Vikas Mohan adds, "I don't think the 26/11 terrorist attacks will have an impact on Ghajini. Our day-to-day life is surrounded by violence anyway.
People want to be entertained and if Ghajini is entertaining, people will watch it whether it's an action or romantic film.
Also Aamir's character is that of an aam aadmi and the masses will equate themselves with his character."
Komal Nahata sums it up by saying, "Ghajini is the triumph of good over evil and people are tired today of evil vanquishing goodness, so the violence in the film might work in its favour."
Top-grossing movies for 2001 in the USA
317,557,891 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
314,776,114 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship
of the Ring
267,652,016 Shrek
255,870,172 Monsters, Inc
226,138,454 Rush Hour 2
202,007,640 The Mummy Returns
198,539,855 Pearl Harbor
183,405,771 Ocean's Eleven
181,166,115 Jurassic Park III
180,011,740 Planet of the Apes
Films that shifted gears after Sept 11, 2001
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Collateral Damage, about a Los Angeles firefighter who goes to Colombia to avenge a terrorist act that killed his family, was pushed back from Oct 2001 to Feb 2002.
Nosebleed, a Jackie Chan project about a Trade Center window washer who uncovers a plot to blow up the building, was scrapped. The remake of The Time Machine cut out a scene of meteors raining down on New York City.
The Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith sequel, Men in Black II, had to have an entirely new climax written, as the original was supposed to have been at the World Trade Center.
The Tim Allen farce Big Trouble had a plot which required the cast to find and deactivate a nuclear bomb that had been placed on a jet. The movie was again pushed deep in '02."
