Jo Jeeta wohi Sikander.....Aamir Khan's character, Sanjay - Page 3

Originally posted by: LizzieBennett

I love this movie. I was a huge Aamir fan and I remember watching this in the theatre and cheering like mad during the last cycle race.

I too rewatched recently with my daughter and like you, also noticed Sanjay’s flaws a lot more. So did my daughter. She didn’t like him much in the beginning but could see his redemption and noted how hard he worked to get back what he’d lost. I agree with a lot of others here who have pointed out that life is full of second chances, and when you take them and use them to make up for your misdeeds you can be forgiven. I like how simply the movie shows this without any big rona-dhona scenes and bhari-bharkam dialogues. 

I recall Mansoor Khan saying in an interview how he had loosely based the characters of Sanjay, Devika and Anjali on Archie, Veronica and Betty. Sanjay, like Archie, can be blind, immature and selfish but in the end he comes through. 
That said, I found Anjali lacking in self-respect  and really wanted her to give it back to Sanjay on more than one occasion. 

Rattan’s character was amazing though. And it makes me ponder about the movie’s message. Sanjay is the hero only because he won? 

Sanjay is the hero because the movie was about his journey...Ratan can very much be a hero too but it will be another movie which will show his journey....For I am sure even Ratan didn’t become all that without any journey involved....In fact you can even make Shekhat the hero by focussing on his journey....Its all about whose story the movie chooses to focus on, isn’t it?

That's the whole point of the movie. 

Sanjay loses everything dear in his life, as a result. He has to win everyone and that is done (cinematically) through the final race. The preparation (for the race) is to show that it doesn't come easy and there is a lot of hard work involved. 

It's good if anyone doesn't like the character of Aamir, initially, and see the progress/growth of the arc leading to the climax. Now, teach your kids why the climax was designed that way. That's the lesson they should get. 

Originally posted by: cricketfan1

Sanjay is the hero because the movie was about his journey...Ratan can very much be a hero too but it will be another movie which will show his journey....For I am sure even Ratan didn’t become all that without any journey involved....In fact you can even make Shekhat the hero by focussing on his journey....Its all about whose story the movie chooses to focus on, isn’t it?

Yes of course! I’m talking about the whole premise of the movie- ‘jo jeeta wohi Sikander’. If Sanjay had lost he would still be the central character because the story is about him.

Originally posted by: LizzieBennett

Yes of course! I’m talking about the whole premise of the movie- ‘jo jeeta wohi Sikander’. If Sanjay had lost he would still be the central character because the story is about him.

But the point is that he already won by realizing his mistakes and redeeming himself...Winning the ‘race’ was just a cinematic way of telling the audience the same thing that he already did even before the race?

JJWS  for me:

 When I first saw the movie when I was a kid- he won the race in the end, so it didn’t matter what he did in the end- he is the winner and that’s all matters...

 After a few years when I again watched the movie: He had to do a lot of growing up to win that race...That’s why he is a winner...

Again after some more years: That race is just a symbolic representation of life...He already won the race by realizing what a pathetic life he has been leading and working hard at redeeming himself... 

Same goes with genelia's character in jaane tu ya jaane Na, they both were unsure about their feelings and it was her fiance who turned out to be an ***hole and in one of those scenes she's like khudke liye ghalat ladka chuna aur tere liye ghalat ladki. Jai's girlfriend was an amazing person. There were many scenes which I didn't like about her character when I watched it again. But I guess her character was supposed to be that way

Aamir's character is actually how young and immature guys who feel outcast react when they see an opportunity to become popular and find someone towards they built an attraction . He went on a redemption path when everything fell out and realized how ayesha jhulka  was always the right one for him and he wasn't kind to her .

Not surprising if your kids liked Ratan more , he was an absolute sweetheart and came across as the hero of modern college in the entire movie before the climax.

See, the purpose to show the movie was not for them to learn something out of it, I mean unless it's about some historical figure, I would not recommend kids learning from any movies.

But I definitely allow them the freedom to form their own opinions on the characters they watch on screen. Their dislike of Sanjay's character was natural and I do not disagree with them. 

They did not hate his character but preferred others more, like Ratan and Anjali.

I was the one who realized how un-likable Sajay was and how I overlooked this when I watched this movie several years back in my younger days.

But 3 cheers to this movie for such a fantastic movie, I disliked the climax fight amidst the race, I found it logically insane to have a fight when the race is going on. 

No one's talking about Shekhar. In a modern version of movie, he would have been a violent and manic bully like Aditya Seal in SOTY 2 but he had a good character with a pinch of arrogance which was understandable.

Originally posted by: InspectorShirke

No one's talking about Shekhar. In a modern version of movie, he would have been a violent and manic bully like Aditya Seal in SOTY 2 but he had a good character with a pinch of arrogance which was understandable.

I would have loved to see Shekar's growth as well. He was a spoilt brat too but disciplined and a natural leader. That one scene when Ratan slips and falls off and he tries to catch him redeemed him a bit and showed that he has the potential to grow and become a better version of himself.

Amir’s character is my least favorite. Utter selfish he is. Plus director shows Devika as vamp and gold digger whereas it was all Sanjay’s fault. Devika did not pretend to be someone else. Sanjay wanted girl out of his reach and she was no match to him. 

But I like movie as a whole. One of my all time favorite. Nice of Sanjay to turn it all around. Ratan though will forever be my most fav in the movie.