Talaash - REVIEW THREAD

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gilmores

@gilmores

Stunner

+ 8

Posted: 12 years ago

#21

Mihir Fadvanis--Movie Review: Talaash

How much you like the big reveal of Talaash depends on how much cheese your digestive system can digest and how many palms your face can accommodate. But no matter how corny the twist, the big difference between this film and, say, a Vikram Bhatt movie is the presence of the one and only Aamir Khan, who keeps things interesting and serious, and more importantly by not coming across like Joey Tribbiani cast in a drama.

Compactly directed by Reema Kagti, Talaash is part murder mystery, part drama, part melodrama and full Aamir showcase. Whether it's the piercing stare of its leads eyes, or the blue-green-yellow canvas of cinematographer Mohanan that does the trick, or Ram Sampath's moody soundtrack, Talaash almost never fails to be atmospheric and immersive. The plot is simple, unfortunately a bit too simple ' a speeding car on a night in Worli mysteriously loses control, rams into the footpath and drops into the sea, killing its driver, a famous movie star. Inspector Shekhawat (Aamir Khan) investigates the case, dealing with shady pimps, an irresistible hooker (Kareena Kapoor) and a limping tapori aptly named Timur (Nawaz). Shekhawat also has to battle his own inner demons and deal with his depressed wife (Rani Mukherjee). If you're looking for an action packed twisty-turny noir, you'll have to look elsewhere because Talaash unfolds at a leisurely pace, and doesn't offer much more than a clichd finale, however the journey is itself adequately gripping. It's not as intelligent as its trailers made it out to be, but is still an engaging enough ride and a nice alternative to folks tired of Salman Khan and Rohit Shetty's daft brand of cinema.

It helps that Aamir is omnipresent in the film, because he is perhaps the only current Bollywood star who can make a mediocre story interesting. He seems committed to his role, complete with brooding eyes and a permanent Matunga policewala scowl. Much has been made about his short stature but the man carries the uniform convincingly, partly due to some expert bit of camerawork. Reema Kagti probably used the same camera techniques that Peter Jackson employed in Lord of the Rings to make Gandalf taller than the Hobbits. Sadly Aamir's mustache, which is the biggest mystery ofTalaash remains unsolved even after the end credits roll. The other goodie of Talaashis Rani Mukherjee - the silver lining in the horrifyingly horrible and terrifyingly terribleAiyya acts her butt off here, and it's ballsy of her to appear sans any makeup. Nawazuddin Siqqiqui is great in what is probably his last role as 'that guy in the movie' - he plays the same character as the one in Munnabhai MBBS, and it boggles the mind to grasp that Talaash is set in the Munnabhai universe. There is also Shernaz Patel in the most thankless role of her career as a hyperactive psychic who seems to regularly consume the pills that Charlie Sheen carries in his pockets. Kareena is her saucy and sassy self, smiling like the Cheshire cat.

It remains to be seen what dialogues Anurag Kashyap added in Talaash, because those who watch the film can testify to the unintentionally hilarious line reading in the final twenty minutes ' although they only exist due to the nature of the twist. There are a couple of curiously tacky scenes, one of which involves a couple staring at each other, unable to reconcile, while their ghosts pop out of their bodies and embrace. It's meant to add drama but given the talent involved in the film it ought to be better than it is. Post ZNMD and now Talaash Zoya Akhtar and Kagti seem to be a filmmaking team which makes truly gorgeous looking cinema that just barely manages to rise above the lackluster story. They manage to capture the little moments unlike anyone in the industry. Hopefully they choose a solid script next, because they'd be an unstoppable force with one of those in hand.

3/5
http://mihirfadnavis.blogspot.in/2012/11/movie-review-talaash.html

Edited by chocolover89 - 12 years ago

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SRK-BEBO

@SRK-BEBO

Inactive

Posted: 12 years ago

#22

Catched this today thanks to a special show:D

Overall a well made film, but it may not be what you are looking for. Specially the climax, not sre it will work for every one.

Suprisingly Rani and Bebo has small roles, Rani had even more smaller role, but she acts well. Bebo is good.

Unlike trailers which gives bad vibes of Amir khan's acting, movie will really surpise you.

Amir deliveres one of the best performances of him, For me its the best after RDB.

Watch it for performances, any ways its a good one time watch unlike masala craps. So dont spoil the chance. Go for it.

3.5/5

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@DB_reloaded

Trailblazer

+ 5

Posted: 12 years ago

#23

Talaash Review

November 30th, 2012 by Roshni Devi

Comments ( 8 )

Talaash Review (Talaash Movie Poster)

Rating: 3.5/5 stars (Three-and-a-half stars)

Star cast: Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Raj Kumar Yadav, Shernaz Patel.

What's Good: The nuanced performances; the enticing cinematography; the direction and music.

What's Bad: The pace; the slightly disappointing ending.

Loo Break: None.

Watch or Not?: Let the thrill and mystery sink in. Watch it for a different kind of film with much more than good acting, music and the thrill.

User Rating:

103 Votes

There's a lot of searching in Talaash; Aamir's quest to solve a murder, Rani gropes for closure, Nawazuddin tries to find a way out of his hellish life.

When a famous actor dies in a mysterious accident, police officer Surjan Singh Shekhawat aka Suri (Aamir Khan) mixes up his personal and professional worlds. His search for answers takes him to seedy wh**ehouses and a milieu of pigheadedly uncooperative to dangerously seductive characters.

He has a street-smart junior, Devrath (Raj Kumar Yadav) who helps him in the investigation, a deliciously inviting hooker, Rosy (Kareena Kapoor), who drops mysterious hints about the case and talks in riddles, and a tricky Temur (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who's playing his own games. While he tries to connect the dots of the murder, blackmail and the lies, he and wife Roshni (Rani Mukerji) are barely able to come to terms with the death of their son. Old hands in the police department try and persuade Suri to drop the case, claiming it to be one of the unexplained "A Final" ones.

Blaming himself for his son's death, Suri spends his nights wide awake, driving through desolate streets and seeking answers, leaving Roshni alone to grapple with her pain. So when a neighbour (Shernaz Patel) claims to talk to her dead son's spirit, Roshni does not need much convincing to seek her help.

Was the actor's death an accident or murder? Is there something that connects Suri's son's death and the actor? Does Temur help the investigation, botch it or start his own games altogether? And what role does Rosy really play in all of this?

The answers aren't all purely deductive, but veer to the supernatural as well.

Rani Mukerji and Aamir Khan (Talaash Movie Stills)

Talaash Review: Script Analysis

Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar's second collaboration sees a lot more intricacy in terms of the story, depth, characters. The story has been woven very well to display the dangerous dance of how Suri's real, imagined and perceived worlds intermingle. Their skill in creating an eerie heaviness throughout the film is very good. The dialogues by Farhan Akhtar are good. One flaw seems to be in Rosy's character. She seems too classy with her dresses, bags and stilettos, to be an ordinary hooker that she's shown to be.

The film takes its own time, ambling through the dingy, claustrophobic corners of Kamatipura. While this really accentuates the mystery and thrill, it can get tiring to some. They deserve another pat for bringing out the emptiness surrounding Roshni and Suri without too much of the waterworks. Even though the ending explains the mystery, it's not entirely satisfying.

Talaash Review: Star Performances

Perfectionist or not, Aamir Khan does an excellent job of the troubled cop-father Suri. He really brings out a father's pain – the helplessness, playing over what he could have done differently over and over in his head, the inability to comprehend why and come to terms with it. It's difficult to look beautiful and as pained Rani Mukerji who does a marvelous job as Roshni. And she's not doing it by bravely wiping away her tears with her pallu; it's her expressions and the silence that do all the talking. Kareena Kapoor manages to hold Rosy's mysterious aura quite well. One scene – when she tells Suri about her missing friend – particularly stands out for just how perfectly she allows only a sliver of sorrow to show on her face.

How Nawazuddin Siddiqui manages to pull of slime bag and adorable Temur in one role is anyone's guess, but this man makes you giddy with his facets. Raj Kumar Yadav does well as Devrath. The other actors lend very good support.

Talaash Review: Direction, Music & Editing

Reema Kagti keeps a consistent direction throughout the film, giving the viewer everything to concoct the answer to the mystery in their own heads. The ending might be a letdown for viewers for the unconventional way she chooses to answer questions, but it has been done well. KU Mohanan's cinematography is wonderful. He lends a dreamy look throughout the film with the colours, focus and the weirdest locales. Ram Sampath does an amazing job with the perfect mix of titillating and mysterious with jazz, electronica and classical fusion. Javed Akhtar lends good lyrics.

The sets deserve a special mention because they are so brilliant, with even the infamous cages of Kamathipura.

Talaash Review: The Last Word

For those patient through sit and allow the movie to take over, Talaash offers a lot with the mystery, Aamir and Rani's performances, and enticing cinematography. But others might be put off by the unconventional story might not satisfy all.

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tomnjerry2

@tomnjerry2

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+ 9

Posted: 12 years ago

#24

Film Review | Talaash

What lies beneath? Nothing much, actually

Nandini Ramnath

First Published: Fri, Nov 30 2012. 03 07 PM IST

Swimming lessons: Aamir Khan's cop grapples with murder and the death of his son in 'Talaash'

Reema Kagti: Being 'mad' in Bollywood

Marathi films get a much-needed marketing push

Risk-taking appetite increasing in Bollywood

Putting a name to the face

'The films we now make get funding in the market'

Updated: Fri, Nov 30 2012. 03 24 PM IST

Surface tension

The pre-release marketing campaign for Talaash borrowed its biggest idea from the thriller itself: It hinged on suspense. Very little was known about Reema Kagti's second movie, starring Aamir Khan, until the day of its release, and the lack of information only fanned speculation about the plot. Was it a neo-noir or, as debated on Internet forums, a ghost story? The promotions were deliberately low-key, in contrast to the high-decibel publicity that accompanies the average Hindi movie; the cleverly edited trailers were designed to throw audiences off track.

There are two views to this kind of strategy in the Hindi movie trade: Either you are so confident of your film that you don't need to promote it aggressively, or you are trying to put a spin on something unremarkable. In Talaash's case, it's more of the latter than the former.

Talaash is firmly in the mould of 1970s Hindi thrillers: It is modest in its ambitions but generous in exposition. The screenplay by Kagti and Zoya Akhtar explains every move and every line of dialogue to audiences who might have been distracted by an SMS or popcorn (there are also numerous flashbacks for good measure). The plot concerns inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat's hunt for the key that unlocks the mystery of Armaan Kapoor's death. Kapoor (Vivan Bhatena), a movie star, drives his car off the road and into the sea at one of Mumbai's waterfronts. All the signs point to a suicide, especially after there are murmurs of blackmail and Kapoor's possible dalliances with prostitutes.

Hunting party: Aamir Khan's cop collaborates with Kareena Kapoor's prostitute in 'Talaash'

Despite his impressive name, Surjan isn't much of an investigator. He prefers to wait for, rather than ferret out, information, and he doesn't seem to be asking the suspects questions that the viewers might have. Why, for instance, isn't the home of Shashi (Subrat Dutta), the missing pimp who might have something to do with Kapoor's death, not searched when the police goes looking for him?

Surjan is arguably diverted by his tense domestic situation. Like Tom Cruise's John Anderton from Minority Report, Surjan and his wife Roshni (Rani Mukerji) haven't gotten over the death of their son in a drowning accident. Surjan blames himself for the tragedy and internalizes his guilt, while his wife takes recourse to counselling sessions and sances. Surjan's simmering tensions drive him into the lap of insomnia, but he never seems to be wrenched apart by tragedy. He seems more irritated than troubled'his permanently furrowed brow might as well have been a birthmark. The recurring motif of Surjan diving underwater in search of answers isn't taken anywhere beyond the obvious.

Surjan gets some succour from Rosy (Kareena Kapoor), a hooker who spells oomph in capital letters, but the reason behind that is not the possibility that Surjan hasn't had a roll in the hay since the day his son died. Mum is the word, but keen Hollywood watchers will get the drift pretty quickly.

Kagti, who previously directed the multi-starrer Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd, displays competence and confidence in setting up her story, but she doesn't follow up with imaginativeness. The film ticks along efficiently despite being saddled with a handful of ordinary tunes by Ram Sampath, but it rarely conjures up a sense of foreboding the way, say, M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense or Robert Zemeckis' What Lies Beneath did. There is no lack of effort on the crew's part: K.U. Mohahan's cinematography and Sharmishta Roy's production design attempt to set the tone for a moody, literally dark story set in Mumbai's underbelly.

But Talaash is an Excel Entertainment film, and suffers from that company's obsession with perfection and luxury. The hookers look like ramp models slumming it out; the brothel inhabited by Shashi and Taimur (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), a lame hanger-on with big dreams who inserts himself into the proceedings, as well as the hotel where the hookers ply their trade, are artfully sleazy. There's more polish than spit, so when Taimur meets his predictable fate, you wonder if it is because he is the most unkempt of the characters.

Siddiqui's performance matches the earnestness with which most of the actors approach the trite material. Various theatre and indie actors pop up in small parts: Raj Kumar Yadav plays Surjan's sidekick, theatre actor Sheeba Chadha is a worldly-wise prostitute; Shernaz Patel plays a kooky medium who connects Roshni with the spirit of her son.

There is some pointed dialogue (by Farhan Akhtar, with inputs from Anurag Kashyap). "I don't laugh easily," Surjan tells the madam of a brothel that may have links with Kapoor's death. "There have been moments of happiness," Rosy says when asked by Surjan about her life. Nothing earth-shattering here, but nothing offensive either.

Talaash's plot thickens and curdles, but the process remains hidden from view. The twists come when expected; the characters behave as expected. It soon becomes evident that the thriller of the year title remains with Kahaani. Meanwhile, the hunt for an original, multilayered thriller that addresses the realities and limitations of the Indian policing system continues.

http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/FPddygZ1i4zghvrCnEW89O/Film-Review--Talaash.html

Keep--------------Smiling !!!😊

Edited by tomnjerry2 - 12 years ago

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India

@Discovery

Sparkler

Posted: 12 years ago

#25

'Talaash' review: The story does the trick

'Talaash' review: The story does the trick

Writing and making thrillers is never easy. It has to be gripping, should engage the viewers and has to steer away from predictability. And Reema Kagti's 'Talaash' scores in all these aspects.

Written by Reema and Zoya Akhtar, 'Talaash' grips you from the very first shot and keeps you hooked through the two and half hours of its runtime. A tale of loss, betrayal and revenge, the film explores the many versions of truth and questions the obvious, leaving the viewer thinking of things unexplained.

Superstar Armaan Kapoor's car nose dives into the sea one late night in Mumbai. While initial reports suggests it to be an accident, Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhwat (Aamir Khan), who is investigating the case, finds a murky case of blackmailing which may have a connection with the accident.

While investigating the case, he comes in contact with Tehmur (NawazuddinSiddiqui) a pimp's right hand man and a prostitute called Rosy (KareenaKapoor) who may have the missing link to the jigsaw puzzle. Meanwhile, Shekhawat, himself is fighting demons of his past which has a direct impact on his marital life. Suffering from insomnia, Shekhawat roams around the empty streets of the city while his wife Roshni(Rani Mukerji) engulfs herself in grief and solitude back home.

By the looks of it, the film seems like an uncomplicated story, almost an 'open and shut' case. But as the story unfolds, layers of sub plots unravel truth which pushes Shekhawat to question his own beliefs.

The film's narrative is slow and takes time to establish itself. In fact the initial shots almost make the viewer think that there are parallel plots in the story. But Kagti beautifully joins all the dots. Kagti unravels only bit by bit but never really gives in to the viewer's curiosity until the very end. In fact, the director makes you think in a certain way, just the way she would want people to think which culminates to a mind boggling end.

While the story is clearly the highlight of the film, the cast beautifully takes it forward. Aamir Khan lives up to his image of experimenting with a role of a dark Surjan Singh Shekhawat. Aamir gives a very restrained performance and stays away from the stereotype, giving depth to his character. He plays a gritty cop but is also messiah to the needy. He is concerned about his wife's mental state but himself finds it difficult to come to terms with his past.

Rani Mukerji delivers a sensitive portrayal of a mother and wife who is grappled with grief and is helpless to the present problems that are in front of her. A stark contrast from her over the top portrayal of Meenakshi in her last outing 'Aiyyaa', Rani makes the de-glam, depressive Roshni a character who you want to sympathise with.

But of the three leading cast, it is Kareena who shines the most as the friendly, helpful prostitute Rosy. She looks beautiful, in spite of her gaudy outfits, doesn't over act (which she tends to do in many of her films) and demands all your attention when on screen. In fact in certain scenes, she overshadows Aamir, partly because her character is such and partly because at the end of the day she can act, provided she is given a good script and a good director. Good thing that the two leading ladies have a 'Talaash' releasing the same year when their earlier films (Aiyyaa and Heroine) almost had them packing their bags and heading towards retirement. The film puts them back in the place where they rightfully deserve to be, owing to their body of work.

The other shining star in the film is a man who has been making waves this year in various roles. As the limping Tehmur, NawazuddinSiddiqui gives a flawless performance. But then, when does he not mesmerize the viewers? He plays a no nonsense cop in 'Kahaani' with as much lan as a revenge seeking gangster from 'Gangs of Wasseypur' to even a limping pimp in 'Talaash'. Each role varied, each character well defined by this incredibly talented man.

Shernaz Patel as the creepy, inquisitive neighbour ads to the story's narrative but a talented actor like Rajkumar Yadav is somewhat wasted as Shekhawat's assistant DevrathKulkarni as he doesn't get the chance to prove his mettle.

The camera work of Mohanan captures Mumbai in all its glory. The opening sequence, where the credits roll, is especially well shot and sets the mood of the film well. Most of the film is shot at night, and the contrasts between the plush suburban households to the murky lanes that lead to the brothels are well captured. Music by Ram Sampath is praiseworthy and is used in the background.

The film demands your patience as it establishes several characters in a leisurely pace and intertwines them beautifully into a story which makes an conscious effort to steer away from the clichs. Yes, there are few moments when the film tends to slack but soon enough a new twist demands you to sit up and concentrate properly on the film.

Watch it for the story. That is the actual hero of the film. The brilliant actors are just an icing on the cake.

Rating:

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India

@Discovery

Sparkler

Posted: 12 years ago

#26

Talaash Movie Review: Truly Deserves your attendance

Directed by: Reema Kagti

Produced by: Ritesh Sidhwani, Aamir Khan, Farhan Akhtar

Screenplay by: Reema Kagti, Zoya Akhtar

Story by: Reema Kagti, Zoya Akhtar

Cast of Talaash: Aamir Khan (as Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat), Rani Mukherjee (as Shreya), Kareena Kapoor (as Rosie), Nawazuddin Siddiqui (as Tehmur)

"There are very few times in Bollywood that a strong story and the best-of-the-best star cast comes together in a film. Talaash is one such films and with no-negative review, it deserves your attendance in theatre".

Story:

Talaash movie starts with a car accident of a superstar, Armaan Kapoor. His car dives in the sea in Mumbai. For the starter it looks like an open and shut case but is it? Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat gets assigned on this case and when he investigates finds that blackmailing may have been involved in it.

Meanwhile Shekhawat past also haunts him and his marriage with Shreya is falling because of it. While he suffers from insomnia, Shreya is also in a lot of grief and is ill because of what happened in the past.

While Shekhawat carries on his quest, he comes in contact with Rosy and Tehmur. Rosie is a prostitute that works in a red light area. Her role slowly turns out mysterious and it looks that may be she and Tehmur both have the last key to the story.

Is it an accident or there is something more in it. How is Rosy and Tehmur involved and will Shekhawat be able to find the truth.

Review:

From the very start of the film, Talaash will make you glue on to your chair and you will not be able to leave it till the very end. There is a twist and turn at every corner still you cannot guess the end.

Reema Kagti's treatment to the film is superb, there is no loop hole whatsoever. Story written by her and Zoya is the USP of the film.

There never was and there never is any doubt about the acting of Aamir. He plays the role of a cop superbly. Rani in her simple role of a grief struck wife is wonderful. Kareena performance is amazing. Nawazuddin in his small role is nice.

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India

@Discovery

Sparkler

Posted: 12 years ago

#27

'Talaash': subtle suspense, tame thriller

Director: Reema Kagti
Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherji

Talaash, as is common knowledge, is a suspense film but isn't supported with the complementing thriller genre. While it certainly is a who-dun-it, it isn't essentially an edge-of-the-seat experience. Director Reema Kagti intentionally chooses this treatment tone to lend individuality to the murder mystery. But the cinematic gratification is largely subjective.

The film starts with a car bumping off into the sea leading to the death of a film actor. What seems like a random road accident takes the shape of a murder mystery with Inspector Shekhawat (Aamir Khan) investigating the case. In personal life, Shekhawat is unable to come to terms with the untimely death of his son, for whom he holds himself responsible, thereby leading to a strained relationship with his wife (Rani Mukherji). Meanwhile he comes across Rosy (Kareena Kapoor), a sex worker who helps him make way into the case.

While the film gets to the point from the opening sequence, it takes its own sweet time to build up the suspense behind the case. Initially you don't care much about the case because both, the victim and the usual suspects, do not revolve anywhere around the central cast. Furthermore as the mystery unveils, the identity of the perpetrators is, in a way, made apparent to the audience. So the sense of suspense (so significant for this genre) seems sporadically suspended. Until when a final revelation is made, overpowering the intermediate conspiracy.

The basic narrative essentially involves two fundamental tracks - Shekhawat's professional investigation (murder of the filmstar) and his personal exploration (death of his son). While one expects the two tracks to contribute or correlate with each other to make it seem like one whole story, they run in parallel and largely stay independent of each other. They only connect in the epilogue where one is employed for the resolution of other.

Director Reema Kagti designs Talaash as a subtle suspense drama. There are no dramatic entries, no stylized action and mercifully even item numbers are avoided (despite the looming red-light area backdrop). Kagti doesn't restrict her film as a mechanical crime investigative flick but works towards adding a human touch to the drama. While that works occasionally, you certainly are in no mood to see Shekhawat suggesting rehabilitation to Rosy with banal lines like 'yeh jagah tumhare liye nahi hai'. It just doesn't go in sync with the genre. Also the long-drawn-out bonding track between Aamir and Kareena in the second half just adds to tedium. Somewhere around this time, you just don't know where the film is heading towards.

While the pacing is intentionally slow, the writing by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti is crisp and leaves behind enough join-the-dots clues to tease the perceptive viewer when the climactic disclosure happens. But a major letdown is that at its pinnacle, the film derives heavily from the Hollywood flick The Sixth Sense (1999). So even if the suspense might have not been predictable, there is a sense of betrayal. For loyal fans of the genre, the M Night Shyamalan film is a cult, thereby making the concluding shocker lead to a been-there-seen-that effect.

Aamir Khan is resourcefully restrained and is persuasive in his multifaceted character. While he is a commanding cop at work, he is a vulnerable man at home. Rani Mukherji is poised in her portrayal of a woman who has come out of a personal tragedy yet made to believe she is locked in it. She is wonderful in that one scene where she confronts her husband. Kareena Kapoor, despite the deliberate garish look, has an appeal but seems to be in the Chameli character hangover. Nonetheless she doesn't disappoint. Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the limp pimp is perfect in his part. Rajkumar Yadav makes for a convincing subordinate cop to Aamir.

There are some mystery elements in Talaash that will fascinate you even more on second viewing as you would be able to notice the finer nuances in the bigger scheme of things. However the bigger question is would you have the patience and proclivity to sit through the film again? Nevertheless, if you are not searching for the finest suspense film ever, Talaash is a good one-time watch!

Verdict: Good

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Neeta

@U-No-Poo

Stunner

+ 5

Posted: 12 years ago

#28

Firstpost

Bollywood

Movie Review: Talaash captures just the right shade of Bombay noir

by Trisha Gupta 28 mins ago

#Aamir Khan #Kareena Kapoor #MovieReview #Rani Mukerji #Reema Kagti #Talaash

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There's a great scene in Talaash where the laconic Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Aamir Khan) gets a phone call from a Times of India reporter, probing for details of the high-profile case he's working on: the death of a Bollywood star in a mysterious accident on Mumbai's Seaface Road. Shekhawat bangs the phone down in irritation, goes out and asks his staff who has good connections with the media, and promptly confiscates the cellphones of all those who put their hands up. Nothing about this case should get out in the public domain, he says sternly – not until the mystery is solved.

A promotional still from Talaash. Image courtesy: Facebook page.

The scene could well be a nice little in-joke cracked by the film's makers—substitute 'case' with 'plot' and you have before you the problem of reviewingTalaash. Reema Kagti's second directorial outing (after 2007's delightfully quirky Honeymoon Travels) is a film whose effect depends heavily on plot. And because I think you should all have the pleasure of that plot unfolding, slowly but surely, on screen as well as in your head, I am going to try and write the impossible: a review that tells you everything you need to know, but gives away nothing.

So the film begins with an accident. A famous young man is found dead, and a quietly determined inspector is put on the job. But his investigation throws up more questions than answers. The dead man had sent his chauffeur home and was driving himself from a late-night shoot, which he never usually did. He hadn't consumed any alcohol and his car was in perfect condition, yet it swerved clean off the road, into the sea. Then there is mention of a bag of money that ought to have been with him, but is missing. The one lead Shekhawat is sure of is a smalltime pimp named Shashi, but he's missing as well.

Shekhawat isn't doing too well on the home front either. His wife (Rani Mukherjee) is depressed, he's all wound up inside, and the lines of communication between them seem to have broken down. As the case gets more and more opaque, his emotional life gets foggier. The one person who appears as a beacon of hope is a flirtatious young hooker called Rosie (Kareena Kapoor) who seems like she might both help him solve the case and soothe his frazzled nerves.

As you can see from the bare bones of this plot, this is pure Bombay noir, of the kind that has been immortalised by countless books and films in the course of the twentieth century: a seamy urban underbelly populated by sassy prostitutes and ostensibly kadak policemen, high class clients with low-level morals, hopeless pimps who turn hopeful informers. It is a bleak take on a bleak world, in which everyone is on the make and people are too caught up in their own day-to-day survival to care for much else.

As early as the 1940s, Saadat Hasan Manto had inscribed the city with this sad burden of unfeelingness. "No one in the building felt any sympathy for her, perhaps because their lives were so difficult that that had no time to think about others. No one had any friends," he wrote in the story 'Ten Rupees'.

Talaash certainly belongs in this tradition, setting the high life of the rich up against a seedy brothel complete with the requisite filmi-style madam and requisite low-life hanger-on (the marvelous Nawazuddin Siddiqui). But what it achieves is a rare balance. It isn't a throwback to the happy-go-lucky noir of a Howrah Bridge, where there's never any doubt that Madhubala's lovely dancing girl will be redeemed – but neither is it interested in bludgeoning us with unrelenting tragedy, the way a Chandni Bar did.

Bad things happen, for sure, but not only bad things. And no one is an unmitigated bad person. Yet the film's moral universe is underpinned by a satisfying sense of justice: acts that hurt people, whether by omission or commission, get their just deserts.

This balancing act extends to the look and feel of the film as well – there is grit, but there is also gloss. The film is beautifully shot, and comes with achingly lovely songs. It seems quite clear – right from the title sequence, where smoky streets filled with destitute chillum-smokers and brittle hookers are made the stuff of a late-night nostalgic-romantic tour of the city – that we are not here to see a realist police procedural.

That's fine, and it's a pleasure to see a film which pays its loving homage to everything fromDirty Harry to Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam to Shaan with such elegance. But the film's desire for glossiness has its problems. For me, for example, the Rosie character, though beautifully written for the most part, often failed to work simply because there was such a hopeless eliding of the class differences that would exist between a Rosie and a Shekhawat.

It's not that a cop can't fall in love with a hooker, but surely there would be a clearer sense of what separates them, even if to provide additional frisson? The film's weird refusal to acknowledge class status (while speaking incessantly of it) is made concrete, of course, by giving the role to Kareena Kapoor, whose ineffable poshness makes her attempts to sound like a streetwalker fall flat. One must concede that she has s**ttiness down pat – she oozes sexuality with every gesture. It's just that the gestures are Kareena's, they never quite seem like Rosie's.

There's also the fact that Rosie's role as ministering angel to the troubled hero is a reprising of every golden-hearted wh**e that you've ever seen, from Devdas to Muqaddar ka Sikandar. But my growing annoyance at the Kareena character's other-regarding and self-sacrificing nature did receive a blow before the film was done, so I have no grounds for complaint. Meanwhile, as the Madonna to Kareena's Magdalene, Rani Mukherjee does rather well with a small role.

As a sad-eyed housewife with the ironic name of Roshni, the actress brings a profound and identifiable pathos to her dark and solitary days in an even darker house. Rani has always had the capacity to be heartbreaking – and then unexpectedly feisty – and here she does both with aplomb.

I reserve my last words for Aamir Khan: if, like me, you have a lingering memory of the affecting boy-man with inner steely core – the one you fell in love with way back in Raakh, or Dil, and have been wondering about for years, you need look no further. Your Talaash has ended.

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Neeta

@U-No-Poo

Stunner

+ 5

Posted: 12 years ago

#29

Movie review: Talaash

Talaash movie poster

Movie: Talaash

Cast: Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Direction: Reema Kagti

Rating:

Whooo... a street dog ominously howls on a deserted road by the dark sea and you know something ghastly is about to happen right away. A celebrity death follows, even as the opening titles end. Ghastly leads to ghostly soon enough. By the first hour, as the sinister quietly soaks the frames, you are sure there is a ghost lurking amidst the cast.

Like most character cliches in our films, Bollywood ghosts can be good or bad depending on who is playing them. If it is a leading star essaying the role of a ghost, he/she is on the prowl strictly to settle scores baddies and has no negative intention otherwise. Invariably, the starry ghost will have a heart of gold.

If you overlook the fact that the most intriguing character of Talaashsuffers that snag, Aamir Khan's new film is one hell of a ride. Suspense thrillers in Bollywood are rare commodity, films within the genre that create scope to delve deep into the minds of its protagonists are even rarer. Talaash creates its chills primarily tapping into the dark side of the mind, which makes it an unusual Bollywood film. Any resemblance to Joseph Payne Brennan and Donald M. Grant's 1979 novella, Act Of Providence, is purely coincidental.

Writer-director Reema Kagti and her script associate Zoya Akhtar have created an enigmatic screen cop for Aamir Khan- in command at work, yet out of control in personal life. Aamir's uniformed avatar, Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat, is a bundle of bottled angst. He is summoned to probe the bizarre death of a Bollywood superstar. In the dead of the night, eyewitnesses recall, the superstar skidded off an empty road and swung his car right into the sea. Primary tests reveal no trace of alcohol or drugs in the victim's body and most in the force feel the case cannot be solved.

Kagti adds to the puzzle with each new character that enters the tale, as Shekhawat goes about scouting for clues with his sidekick (Rajkumar Yadav). We get to know his wife Roshni (Rani Mukerji) is still coming to terms with the drowning of their only son. The over-friendly Parsi woman next door (Shernaz Patel) talks of communicating with the dead. Shekhawat meets a sex worker, Rosie (Kareena Kapoor), who could possibly provide some leads. The red-light underbelly where Rosie lives is home to an interesting mix too, chief among them being Tehmur (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), slimeball with a limp who obviously knows more than he pretends to.

The parallel subplots of Shekhawat's trauma as a bereaved father and a cop obsessed about cracking his case set up the backbone of the story. Aamir strikes a balance between the two tracks with trademark subtlety, the way only he can. Kareena Kapoor's Rosie is underplayed till a point. Although she seems ill at ease with the mannerism of a sex worker, Kareena adds the essential glam quotient.

Say, can ghosts smell flowers? One scene in Talaash sure seems to suggest as much.

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@DB_reloaded

Trailblazer

+ 5

Posted: 12 years ago

#30

Review: Talaash takes your breath away

A thumping good supernatural thriller

More on: Talaash, Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor, Reema Kagti, Farhan Akhtar

WRITTEN BY

Written By Devesh Sharma

Assistant Editor

Posted Fri, Nov 30, 2012

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Director: Reema Kagti

Cast: Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor and Nawazuddin Siddiqui

It's rare to see a layered film. It's rare to see a film where everything falls into place. It's rarer still where actors leave their stardom behind and behave like normal people, have normal conversations, have normal reactions, normal emotions. It's like watching a story unfolding in your neighbourhood. You sort of get involved in their stories without meaning to. Kudos to Reema and Zoya Akhtar, who have written the screenplay and the story. The film hooks you from first shot onwards and refuses to let go. The suspense is maintained throughout. There are enough red herrings to keep a convention of Agatha Christie fans happy. Rationalists may baulk at the supernatural elements but at the end of the day it's a film and a little poetic leeway is justified.

Superstar Armaan Kapoor (Vivan Bhatena) meets with an accident in the wee hours of night and newly transferred inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Aamir Khan) is made in charge of the high profile case. Surjan Singh has problems of his own. He can't reconcile with his child's death and as a result is drifting apart from his wife Roshni (Rani Mukerji). He meets a prostitute Rosie (Kareena Kapoor) who acts as his informer and helps him crack the case.

Reema has taken care to make a human drama rather than just a hi-jinks whodunit. You wish for Surjan's and his wife's reconcilement. You wish that they break their shell of silence and communicate. You wish for a closure and feel good when they finally get it. One may complain about the slow pace but life evolves at its own pace. The mellow pace is justified because it gels with the story. Mohanan has mostly made use of natural light and that keeps its texture grim and real. Editor Anand Subaya's scissor work is seamless. The underwater sequences reportedly shot in London look real as well. Also, the slums, the red light area, the police station with the plaster peeling off walls, all carry the air of living, breathing environments and not newly erected sets. Such detailing too is a nice surprise.

Let's get to the acting front. The real mystery is why Kareena Kapoor couldn't be this good in all her films? Where was she hiding this talent? She's as good as Aamir in their joint scenes and dare I say it, actually overshadows him in some. That maybe because her character is more fleshed out than his. She's supposed to be extrovert and muffat while he's all restrain, all pain. He towers as the inspector who blames himself for his child's death and yet not has his personal demons eat into his job. He isn't cynical or bitter about the system and believes in making a difference despite it all. Aamir has the chameleon like ability to make each film his own. One couldn't have imagined him playing a mustachioed cop with conviction. But two seconds into the frame and you forget Aamir Khan the chocolatey lover boy and remember only Surjan Singh. Those remaking Zanjeer missed a cue. Rani too excels as the grief-stricken wife and mother. One wants to reach out and hug her and tell her things would come out alright. Mention also should be made of Nawazuddin who plays Tehmur, the lame errand boy working in the redlight district. You want him to rise above the flotsam and escape away.

I wish I could gush forever but a reviewer's job is to point out the flaws as well. The last ten minutes could have been wrapped up faster. Everything that was to be done and said was over at the climax and the film would have logically ended there. But one is ready to forgive the director this blip after such a moveable feast.