Aamir (2008)

Dr. Aamir Ali is a doctor who arrives at an airport in Bombay after his flight from London. Bikers hand him a cell phone and he receives a call informing him that his family is being held hostage. A fundamentalist Muslim group will not release them until he follows their orders. The terrorists give Ali five hours with which to plant a bomb on a bus, or his family will be executed. They try to convince him of the virtue of the act by showing him the suffering of their people, with the terrible poverty that they are living in. Aamir is a compelling drama from start to finish and Rajeev Khandelwal gives the performance of a lifetime, and director Raj Kumar Gupta shows great promise in his film debut. I look forward to his next movie. A solid 9/10.

I had heard a lot about this movie. But somehow, never got around to seeing it. And what a time to watch it too! After having seen an interesting version of Mumbai in 'Slumdog Millionaire', here was yet another version of watching Mumbai bare itself unashamedly. What got me even more curious was that the whole crew of 'Aamir' was practically unknown and given the rave reviews it had been getting, I decided to take a chance. And boy! Am I glad I did!'Aamir' is a story of Dr. Aamir Ali who returns from London to his home in Mumbai only to find that someone has kidnapped his entire family. All he has are clues given by an unknown face and cellular phone cues that take him to a mirage of places that are simmering with lower middle class Muslims. He finds himself face to face with a society he had never seen before yet all the time doing what he is being told in order to save his family. At the end of the day he finds himself sitting on a bus with a suitcase that he has been told contains a bomb. He is then told to get off the bus at the next traffic light leaving the suitcase behind.This is as far as I want to tell you since the final few minutes of the movie are a revelation. I wouldn't go as far as to say I was completely taken aback by it or wasn't expecting it to happen, but the conviction with which a normal regular common man steps from those shadows of cowardice and attempts to personify his name 'Aamir' – a leader – was what I found most endearing. For a first time director, Raj Kumar Gupta surely treads a risky path as he tackles a burning issue in India head on. He enforces the ideologies that are so often taken for granted and makes the protagonist finally attempt the perfect antithesis of terror and a terrorist.I must say, it was quite a show. The movie albeit, is slow in parts and could have used some faster reactions from the leading man and some chop offs here and there, but these are trivialities when compared to the message the movie attempts to send across. I recommend everyone to watch 'Aamir', as such 'in the face' almost surreal seeming plots very rarely make for a good viewing.

TV actors make awful actors this was one of my thoughts proved right ever since Amar Upadyay superstar of Kyunki Saas fame who became a disaster of an actor in films and left the films foreverMany more TV actors tried and most were embarrassing to watch on big screen But Rajeev Khandelwal proves it wrong and he proves that TV actors can act though we can't say he will make a big star or not or he will go ahead in films and he hasn't signed anything much after AAMIR sadlyThe film looks like another terorist film but it's not It does have nationalism, communalism.etc but yet it is a great film we are saved from sermons and other stuff such films are madeWhat we see is a proper story of how a common man is told to do some crime in the name of religion which he hasn't done yet The film is very identifiable and brilliantly handledIt's difficult to make a film where there is no heroine, no naach gaana, no hero dancing, fighting.etcIn fact the hero is a common man who has just 1 wardrobe for most of the film, you can feel his sweat, pain, agony.etcThe film keeps your attention throughout and you get seeped into the character's world The film is a short film of 1:30 mins but yet it makes a terrific impact and till the climax it keeps you on tenterhooksDirection is superb Music mostly in background is goodRajeev does a great job, he looks a common man and his expressions throughout are natural and you feel his agony, distress, pain.etc Hope he goes ahead in films The villain is good too rest are okay

You would want to stand up and applaud when the end credits roll, for this will be easily one of the finest films you have seen in recent times. And it becomes all the more commendable considering the fact that most of the names in the credits are debutants, including the lead protagonist and director.Debutant director Raj Kumar Gupta dares to tread the path less travelled with a dark, hard hitting drama thriller. The film starts with some candid shots of Mumbai and the candid shot keep flooding showing the unknown and dark side of Mumbai. The director and the cinematographer grip you to your seat for entire duration. You feel as suffocated as the lead protagonist. And when he beats the hell out of some road side snatchers, exhausting all his anger and frustration, you wish you could also hit a few blows to help him. And to add to the class of the director and innovation of cinematographer, there is impeccable background score.Rajiv Khandelwal, probably the most precious Bollywood import from television and best debutant this year, showcases the character that is traumatized, shocked, feared, determined, strong, venerable all at the same time. He shows what he is capable of. We only hope he is nurtured and used well in Bollywood, for he is a talent to look out for.Looking at the kind of cinema that's being churned out these days, you'll have to wait probably really long to watch a film of this stature. So, don't wait. Don't miss this one. For this really deserves to be stand and applauded.