Spoiler alert: Talaash — a gripping search for truth
An intense plot falls flat in the second half, but doesn’t still manages to impress.
KARACHI:
Bollywood director Reema Kagti’s Talaash is a gripping tale that makes one think of the near two hours spent in front of the big screen. It is one of those rare pieces that restores one’s faith in Bollywood’s future, with a film-maker like Kagti successfully using the art of visual storytelling without much masala and chart-topping music.
Calling the film a murder-mystery would not be right because the plot is more about Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Aamir Khan), a police officer investigating a murder case, than the murder of Armaan Kapoor, a Bollywood actor whose car was driven into the river. Surjan is a police officer with a tough exterior; inside, however, Surjan is constantly battling the guilt of not being able to prevent his son from drowning. His wife Roshni (Rani Mukherjee) also finds it hard to accept the tragedy, and resorts to strange ways of communicating with her dead son. Things change when a prostitute named Rosy (Kareena Kapoor) starts helping Surjan investigating the murder case actor.
The first half of the film is fast-paced, clever and sets just the right momentum for a suspense thriller. The buildup of the drama in the police officer’s life is highlighted with some well-directed and extremely well-performed scenes between Aamir, Rani and Kareena. The fantastic actors have once again delivered impressive performances and portrayed some complicated characters with no room for criticism. Together and individually, the three stay true to the tightly-knit narrative.
The director has played artfully with the theme of water in the film. Much like the sea itself, calm on the surface with wild under currents, all the characters are gentle and mellow on the outside with a cyclone of emotions whirling inside. Accompanied by some stunning shots of Mumbai city and music that coherently gels with the storyline, the film becomes an interesting combination of crime with the supernatural.
Aamir Khan as the police officer Surjan. PHOTO: FILE
Unfortunately, the plot falls prey to the Bollywood convention of characters orally repeating what the audience has already felt and seen visually. After what was an interesting and engaging start, the characters went on to try and connect the dots in a manner that rendered the mystery surrounding the characters, their internal and external conflicts and the intentional hollowness of the screenplay quite insignificant. The charm of a thriller lies in not giving away too much information, as joining the pieces of the puzzle and deciphering the twists keep the audience connected. In this regard, Talaash disappoints; after a fantastic first half, the absurdity of the second part makes it seem as if the film has been directed by two different directors.
Rani Mukherjee as Surjans wife Roshni. PHOTO:FILE
The film’s emphasis on water along with a search for truth seems inspired by the plot of the brilliant film Hollywood film China Town — the story of a private detective who is investigating an infidelity case and stumbles upon a murder case. The clues in that film lead the audience to search for answers in the water. Although Talaash is about something entirely different, one wishes that it had taken inspiration from Roman Polanski’s storytelling in China Town rather than the play with water.
At the end of the day, Talaash is something different and inspiring coming from Bollywood; it is a film which is not as lengthy as the usual (painfully) long ones we have witnessed this year; it does not have any irrelevant item numbers or masalaydar music and instead works around a very strong plot, making it a must-watch. After all, films with such strong visual storytelling are a rarity in B-town.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2012.
Bollywood director Reema Kagti’s Talaash is a gripping tale that makes one think of the near two hours spent in front of the big screen. It is one of those rare pieces that restores one’s faith in Bollywood’s future, with a film-maker like Kagti successfully using the art of visual storytelling without much masala and chart-topping music.
Calling the film a murder-mystery would not be right because the plot is more about Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Aamir Khan), a police officer investigating a murder case, than the murder of Armaan Kapoor, a Bollywood actor whose car was driven into the river. Surjan is a police officer with a tough exterior; inside, however, Surjan is constantly battling the guilt of not being able to prevent his son from drowning. His wife Roshni (Rani Mukherjee) also finds it hard to accept the tragedy, and resorts to strange ways of communicating with her dead son. Things change when a prostitute named Rosy (Kareena Kapoor) starts helping Surjan investigating the murder case actor.
The first half of the film is fast-paced, clever and sets just the right momentum for a suspense thriller. The buildup of the drama in the police officer’s life is highlighted with some well-directed and extremely well-performed scenes between Aamir, Rani and Kareena. The fantastic actors have once again delivered impressive performances and portrayed some complicated characters with no room for criticism. Together and individually, the three stay true to the tightly-knit narrative.
The director has played artfully with the theme of water in the film. Much like the sea itself, calm on the surface with wild under currents, all the characters are gentle and mellow on the outside with a cyclone of emotions whirling inside. Accompanied by some stunning shots of Mumbai city and music that coherently gels with the storyline, the film becomes an interesting combination of crime with the supernatural.
Aamir Khan as the police officer Surjan. PHOTO: FILE
Unfortunately, the plot falls prey to the Bollywood convention of characters orally repeating what the audience has already felt and seen visually. After what was an interesting and engaging start, the characters went on to try and connect the dots in a manner that rendered the mystery surrounding the characters, their internal and external conflicts and the intentional hollowness of the screenplay quite insignificant. The charm of a thriller lies in not giving away too much information, as joining the pieces of the puzzle and deciphering the twists keep the audience connected. In this regard, Talaash disappoints; after a fantastic first half, the absurdity of the second part makes it seem as if the film has been directed by two different directors.
Rani Mukherjee as Surjans wife Roshni. PHOTO:FILE
The film’s emphasis on water along with a search for truth seems inspired by the plot of the brilliant film Hollywood film China Town — the story of a private detective who is investigating an infidelity case and stumbles upon a murder case. The clues in that film lead the audience to search for answers in the water. Although Talaash is about something entirely different, one wishes that it had taken inspiration from Roman Polanski’s storytelling in China Town rather than the play with water.
At the end of the day, Talaash is something different and inspiring coming from Bollywood; it is a film which is not as lengthy as the usual (painfully) long ones we have witnessed this year; it does not have any irrelevant item numbers or masalaydar music and instead works around a very strong plot, making it a must-watch. After all, films with such strong visual storytelling are a rarity in B-town.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2012.