Aamir - A Film Review

Producer/Director: Rajkumar Gupta
Cast: Rajeev Khandelwal, Gajraj Rao
Music:Amit Trivedi


Indian Cinema has come a long way in the way in which it deals with religious minorities, especially Muslims, in India. In the old days, treatment of Muslims was relegated to a sub-genre of films called ‘Muslim Social’ wherein the characters wore immaculate sherwanis and lehngas, spoke impeccable Lakhnavi Urdu, appropriately laced with clichéd verses from the poetry of Ghalib or Zauq. In the mainstream cinema, Muslims were usually ignored or represented by a kindly old bearded ‘chaacha’ dispensing kindness and goodwill to all. The kindly uncle was replaced in the nineties by the menacing Bhai smuggling arms and contrabands, either in cahoots with the corrupt police or being hunted by it.

In more recent times, the film industry, or more serious elements in it, has started giving a more realistic portrayal of the community. Aamir is a worthy addition to such efforts.

Aamir is like most of us, an upwardly mobile Indian from a middle class family who has worked hard to become a doctor and win a scholarship to go to England, with the additional ‘qualification’ that he happens to be a Muslim. He is coming back to India and looks forward to be reunited with his family and start a new life in his homeland. But he is returning to a different India in a changed world – a world of Islamic terrorism, suspicious security agencies and a community under siege.

The reality confronts him at the airport itself when a customs inspector starts subjecting him to suspicious questioning and his luggage is thrice thrice because for any suspicious objects. Aamir is irritated and asks the inspector if he would have treated him the same way if his name was Amar instead of Aamir.

But this is just the beginning of Aamir’s travails. He is surprised to see that no one from his family has come to receive him at the airport. He calls them from a public phone booth but no one picks up the phone at the other end. Suddenly, a stranger thrusts a cell phone in his hands. The phone rings and a voice at the other end greets him with a "salam-aulaiakam" and asks him to get into a taxi waiting for him. The man at the other end seems to know every detail about Aamir’s life but refuses to answer any of Aamir’s questions, abruptly ending the phone call. Aamir tries to make a return call but the outgoing call function of the phone is disabled.

Thus starts the next five hours of Aamir’s nightmare. The cell phone rings from time to time and takes over the control of Aamir’s life. The voice belongs to the leader of a terrorist cell which has kidnapped all members of Aamir’s family and is holding them as his hostages. He wants to recruit Aamir for the jihadi cause and sends him to a filthy, grimy, gritty neighbourhood of Mumbai where poor members of the Muslim community are living in an almost subhuman existence. The manner in which the ljihadi eader tries to influence Aamir to work for his 'qaum' and how he reacts makes for a gripping 90-minute of fast-paced drama.

The film is deftly handled and superbly acted by Rajeev Khandelwal, Rao (whose complete face we never see) and the supporting cast of minor characters. It is difficult to believe that this is Gupta’s first film as a Director. He uses Occum’s razor and does not let his grip on the audience loosen by distracting songs or jokes; there is not even a heroine to amuse the hero or the audience. Most of the film is shot in the rough, mean streets of Mumbai and captures the cold, indifferent character of the city and its people. The camera is expertly handled by Alphonse Roy; the viewer is forced to feel the dirt, sweat and grime of the slum and can almost smell the pungent odour emanating from it.

The music of the film is quite appropriate for the theme. The opening titles are accompanied by Peggy Lee’s famous song “It’s a good day”, which captures the mood of Aamir returning home with happy anticipation of meeting his family but unaware of the hell awaiting him.

The film was shot on a low budget of two crore rupees, which is less than a big budget Bollywood film spends on filming a single item number.

It’s definitely a ‘paisa vasool’ film.