Gazeem was Jafar's accomplice seen at the beginning of Disney's 1992 animated feature film Aladdin and its 2019 remake. He was a thief and murderer, enlisted by Jafar to help obtain a magic lamp.
Role in the film[]
Gazeem was first seen arriving before Jafar and giving a thousand apologies to the patient one for being late. He mentions having to slit a few throats in order to obtain the other half of the Golden Scarab Beetle, but refuses to hand it over to Jafar until the latter pays the treasure he promised. Iago, however, snatches the scarab for Jafar, who promises Gazeem that "You'll get what's coming to you." As soon as the halves form together, the beetle glows with magic and flies off to the Cave of Wonders, and Jafar and Gazeem both follow on horseback to where the Cave forms. Jafar tells him to bring him the lamp and that he can have the rest of the treasure but the lamp is his. Gazeem peers down its mouth, only to be knocked back, as it demands to know who woke it up. After Gazeem introduces himself, the Cave gives him and Jafar a cryptic warning: "Only one may enter here, one whose worth lies far within…a 'Diamond in the Rough'." Confused, Gazeem turns to Jafar (who was just as perplexed as he is), and Jafar just urges Gazeem to continue. Gazeem takes one baby step and breathes a sigh of relief, when suddenly the Cave violently shakes. Gazeem screams and turns to try to run, but the Cave slams its mouth shut on top of him, killing him instantly, while Jafar and Iago watched in horror as Gazeem's death happened.
Following Gazeem's demise, the Cave demands the "Diamond in the Rough", leading Jafar (who showed no remorse for sending Gazeem to his doom) to realize that "Gazeem was obviously less than worthy" and that he must find this certain person whom the Cave considers the "Diamond in the Rough".
Live-action appearances[]
Aladdin (2019)[]
An unnamed man playing the same role as Gazeem briefly appears during the musical number "Arabian Nights" where Jafar hires him to fetch him the lamp from the Cave of Wonders, but is unsuccessful where he ends up getting eaten alive, just as the Cave of Wonders tells Jafar to seek the "Diamond in the Rough" which is Aladdin. Unlike in the original film which is at the beginning, the man did not speak. Yet Jafar in this film feels no remorse nor calls out in horror at this individual's death in the film, like how he did in the original 1992 animated film.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Before the sequels, Gazeem was the only character to be deceased in the first film.
- His name is a reference to Cassim, the brother of the title character in Ali Baba, a tale from the same collection of 1001 Arabian Nights.
- He was a boss in the Aladdin Sega Genesis game on the third level.
- This character does not make an appearance in the Broadway musical production.
- Upon first gazing upon the Cave of Wonders, Gazeem briefly utters "By Allah...". "Allah" is the Arabic term for "God" and the deity of the Muslim religion, and to a lesser extent Coptic Christianity.
- In a deleted scene it is revealed that Gazeem actually retrieves the lamp from within the collapsed Cave of Wonders and uses his wishes to make himself rich and handsome, leading him to return to Agrabah under the alias of Prince Achmed.
- In the 2019 remake of Aladdin, Gazeem is forced by Jafar's guards into the Cave of Wonders for the lamp and quickly swallowed. While his name is never mentioned and uncredited, it could be assumed he was Gazeem.
