On Monday, Suriya's Ghajini, helmed by AR Murugadoss, clocked 20. The film, which hit theatres on September 29, 2005, took inspiration from the Christopher Nolan film Memento (2000) and the 1951 film Happy Go Lovely. Also starring Asin, Nayanthara and Pradeep Rawat, the film was a blockbuster hit upon release and was remade in Hindi with Aamir Khan playing the lead three years later. Interestingly, Suriya was not AR Murugadoss' first choice for the film.
In an old interview with Behindwoods back in the day, AR Murugadoss revealed that he narrated the story of Ghajini to 12 actors before Suriya finally signed up for the film. "I told the story to 12 heroes, but none of them agreed. Suriya was the 13th hero, and he immediately said yes. This is my third film after Dheena and Ramana. I have a strong belief in my script. Surya also shared the conviction," he revealed.
Murugadoss, who recently made Sivakarthikeyan's Madharaasi, also had words of praise for Suriya, Asin and Nayanthara's performances in the film. He said, "Suriya has lived the character and blended well with it. I must also mention the awesome talent of the heroines, Asin and Nayanthara. Their professionalism and dedication are out of this world. I am very sure that Ghajini will be a winner all the way."
In the same interview, Suriya also shared details about why he was confident about taking up the film. "The character of Sanjay Ramasamy appealed to me intuitively, and the widely different portrayals for the character made it very challenging for me. I have really learnt a great deal in this film. I am also very happy with the strong production values for the film, and I am sure it will be just as talked about as my Kaakha Kaakha. I became a great fan of Murugadoss after watching his Ramana. I am indeed very fortunate to work under him. His perfectionism is breathtaking. For the climax action sequence, we shot for 14 days under the guidance of master Kanal Kannan. One has not had such an action scene so far. Ghajini will be a winner, no doubt."
Ghajini, made with a budget of just Rs 7 crore, ended up earning Rs 50 crore at the box office. In the film, a wealthy businessman suffers anterograde amnesia after a head injury sustained while trying to save his lover from a human trafficker. With only fragmented memories and aided by instant camera photos and body tattoos, he sets out to avenge her murder.
