Bollywood
has rarely been renowned for films belonging to the suspense/thriller genre.
Drama – or so to say, melodrama – has often been the much favoured genre. There
are very names that spring up in your mind when you think of the noir, suspense
thrillers Hindi films. Perhaps Raj Khosla was the first who made a name for himself
in the 50s & 60s with such films, but none really hit the big-time.
Reema Kagti’s second directorial
venture after the light hearted rom-com Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd - “Talaash”
not only manages to create a lot of uneasy suspense and give you numerous
thrills, but also feeds your need for
drama & how. In spite of having a very simple outlook to its primary plot,
Talaash scores high on edge-of-the-seat storytelling, amazing creation of a
dark, eerie atmosphere that makes you feel the uneasiness of every character
and most importantly – stellar performances from its cast.
Talaash is a murder mystery on
the outset, beginning with a mysterious death of a famous film actor. The
investigating cop Surjan Shekhawat (Aamir Khan) is then led into a complicated
web of small time crooks, pimps & prostitutes; aided by an enigmatic
prostitute Rosie (Kareena Kapoor). What follows hereafter is a marvel in the “modern
Hindi film” storytelling – NOT because of the murder mystery itself, but more
so because of the brilliant parallel plot that unfolds which involves Surjan
Shekhawat’s wife Roshni (Rani Mukerji) & their troubled marriage post the
death of their son. I won’t be spilling any more beans here as it will render the rest futile for your viewing.
Reema Kagti’s effortless & continuous shifts between the two plots are the biggest highlight of the film. From a sequence involving Shekhawat investigating the prostitutes, we are next thrown into a scene where the same Shekhawat finds it hard to communicate with his wife. It’s tough to change the moods so easily throughout the run-time and Kagti does this to perfection. Kagti is direct in her approach in setting up the atmosphere right from the opening credits of the film and creates a tight grip over the viewer’s mind. Many thanks for that too, go to Mohanan’s fabulous Cinematography & wonderful use of lights in spite of all the darkness along with Ram Sampat’s enthralling score. But then suddenly, for strange reasons, the film kind of loses its way midway through the second half, and then appears to recover, only to leave you wanting for more at the end. Also, the end can be a bit of a disappointment for a lot of viewers. Not many will like the final act; the “expected climax of epic proportions” can actually turn out to be a bit of a let-down. Even more, there are way too many clues placed throughout the first half of the film which give away the big twist right at the beginning of the second half, which is distinctly weaker in comparison to the first. The final few minutes can seem to be a bit of a stretch, with too much justification being given about what happened and how. You don’t expect that amount of spoon feeding when you have witnessed such brilliant storytelling initially.
Overall though, the film is a winner. Performances from its cast are up to the mark, especially Rani who stands out & shines despite the fewest minutes on screen. It’s as if she grew up with Roshni & knows her in & out, she’s the most believable of all the characters. Kareena does her character a lot of justice in many ways – she’s mysterious when she needs to be, cheesy when she needs to be & direct when she needs to be. Yet another time she shows that if she’s given a good character, she really can act. Aamir, on the other hand probably has the most difficult character he’s ever played. Surjan Shekhawat is troubled and he’s dying on the inside, ridden with guilt & weakness. As the title goes, he’s not only in search of the killer, but more so of a way to get rid of his guilt & angst. Aamir plays this to near perfection in a lot of scenes, but then again seems conscious in a few. A memorable performance nonetheless, merely on the basis that it’s one of his most unique & different. I expected a lot more from the supporting cast of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Raj Kumar Yadav, perhaps the “Wasseypur effect” hasn’t worn off on me. Shernaz Patel though, makes a mark.
“Talaash” does what it intends
to do and more than successfully. It captures your mind for all of its run time
& even if you do happen to figure out “the big twist”, it still remains capable
of satisfying your hunger for a well-made suspense thriller that stirs your
brains & makes you feel uneasy. I wouldn’t say its final act is a let-down,
but had it been a tad little bit better, Talaash would have been a masterpiece
in the genre.
