Ghajini gets bumper opening

Bollywood actor and filmmaker Aamir Khan's much awaited film 'Ghajini', the story of a man with short term memory loss on a mission to avenge the death of his fiancee, opened to a bumper response in India and 22 countries worldwide.

The film has got a bumper opening worldwide. "It's a well made film even though the length is a slight hitch," trade analyst Amod Mehra told PTI.

The advance booking for the film is four times more than the record opening any movie has ever got, Khan said.

According to trade sources, the film has been released with nearly 1,500 prints. The paid previews all over India yesterday have boosted its box office collections, they said.

Critics said, despite flaws in the story, the treatment and presentation made all the difference.

"Asin is a lively actress and poses a serious threat to all present leading Bollywood heroines. Aamir is the soul of the film. However, its length should have been trimmed by half an hour," they said.

Decks were cleared for the smooth release of the film, entangled in copyright issues, after Madras High Court lifted the stay and Bombay High court refused to grant a stay on it yesterday.

The three hour and four minute long film, written and directed by A R Murugadoss, is the remake of a 2005 Tamil film by the same name starring actors Asin and Surya in the lead. The film was also dubbed in Telugu.