Talaash

 

Much more than suspense

           

More than anything else Reema Kagtis’s Talaash is primarily a story of Mumbai’s underbelly; a significant part of Mumbai which is treated as cursed and its inhabitants mercilessly ignored. Co-writers Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar weave a suspense drama in this dark, yet not dull side of Mumbai.

It all starts with a death of a film star in a supposed car accident, doubted as a murder. Inspector Srujan Shekhawat finds himself caught in this complex case which looks too simple on its exterior. Simultaneously, Shekhawat struggles to face the loss of a loved one and handling an almost broken marriage with Roshni(Rani Mukherjee). He befriends Rosie(Kareena Kapoor), a sex worker, who appears very kind, attractive and helpful to Shekhawat. She puts forward convenient clues at convenient moments to Shekhawat to push him deeper into the case. The story is not just about the murder in a red light area of Mumbai, it goes deeper into the emotions of each character. By the end of it, you certainly sympathize with every character’s journey in the story and may even identify with their struggle if not the life.

 

Director Reema Kagti writes a gripping screenplay such that even if the story flows slowly, you never really get weary of it and lose interest. Talaash’s biggest achievement is its crispy writing, tight screenplay and at times, entertaining dialogues.Real characters, real locations and a dark bloomy cinematography add to the effect.

Talaash benefits from a bang on casting. Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Taimur, a guy for the bad-jobs, ambitious to have a good life is mind blowing and a highlight amongst the actors. Kareena Kapoor is decently good, but she gets it too sophisticated some times. Rani Mukherjee is terrific as a struggling wife. She gets into every bit of her character’s reality and doesn’t shy away from having no make-up. Aamir Khan as a cop brings a lot of dignity to his character. Watch him in scenes with Rani Mukherjee and you will realize the depth he gets into his role.

Now coming down to what everyone has been waiting for: The Answer. Being a suspense film, a grand revelation at the end is apparent. The question is how has Talaash got it? Well, according to me, there can be a mixed reaction among the audience. To me, purely as a movie watcher, the revelation didn’t totally appeal. After having invested so much of my concentration in the movie, I didn’t totally get what I wanted to. Well, surprises make a suspense story better, but this  ‘not really surprising revelation’ wasn’t as pleasant. Towards the end, I kept hoping the writers would come up with yet another twist that could be acceptable to me, but they didn’t. Having said that, this is an individual reaction, and I cannot challenge it. But do not expect it to deliver a Kahani level revelation, you could come out disappointed.

Talaash qualifies as a very good film, but certainly not a spectacular one.

I am going with a 3 out of 5 for Reema Kagtis’s Talaash, watch it for the film it is, and not just to get the answer to the question, and you wouldn’t be disappointed.

 

 

 

Trailer: