Talaash (2012)

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Don't Believe the Hype

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Late at night on a deserted road, well-known actor Armaan Kapoor (Vivan Bhatena) loses control of his car for no evident reason, apparently trying to avoid something, and drives into the sea. Inspector Surjan Shekhawat (Aamir Khan) with his assistant Devrath Kulkarni (Rajkummar Rao) begins an investigation into Armaan's death. Surjan's personal life is in turmoil since his 8-year-old son, Karan, drowned recently during a family outing. His wife, Roshni (Rani Mukerji), is still grieving and Surjan has developed a guilt complex.Surjan learns that on the night of Armaan's accident, Armaan was travelling with 2 million rupees in cash, which is missing from the car. Armaan had given the money to a blackmailer, a pimp named Shashi (Subrat Dutta). Three years back, Shashi had performed a cover-up for Armaan and his friend Sanjay Kejriwal (Suhaas Ahuja). Once he learns of Armaan's death, Shashi takes off with the cash, leaving behind a mistress, Mallika (Aditi Vasudev). Shashi's friend, Tehmur (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), steals Shashi's discarded sim card. Shashi begins blackmailing Sanjay. In panic, Sanjay employs some thugs to murder Shashi. Tehmur begins to use Shashi's old sim card to blackmail Sanjay with Shashi's murder.

I have never seen a slower movie than this. Initially the viewer thinks that the movie would be at a good pace and will move in the flow. But as the mystery gets deeper the film get slower. Most of the time you can actually predict what is gonna happen next. But I think it was a 131 minutes of drag. For actors, Amir Khan plays a very convincing Inspector. While he cant convince us with his dedication to the role, but he portrayed it nicely. Rani Mukherjee looked like a very unprepared and loose act. At same time, Kareena's acting is so bad that you might want to turn while she acts. I wont recommend this movie to anyone.

I knew the suspense already but it did not spoil the fun for me. It is perfect execution with no non-sense and no unwanted scenes. All three leads Aamir Khan as sincere cop, Kareena Kapoor as call girl and Rani Mukerjee as hurt wife give their hundred percent and amaze you with their charisma and talent. Special mention for Nawazuddin Siddiqui who plays a key role and tops all performances. He is the one actor in the range of Om Puri and Nseeruddin Shah. Great music and back-ground score. It's Reema Kagti's second movie but she executes the subject with utmost sincerity, utter conviction and full control. Yes, I also did not buy the surprise like many others but apart from the climax everything seems so just perfect.

Reema Kagti's previous film 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd' was a thoroughly enjoyable viewing experience. However, the same cannot be said about 'Talaash'. To start with the flaws, it gives the impression of being a thriller until the very end when it turns out to be something else. Even though the Shernaz Patel track is thrown in every now and then to hint towards the end, it feels somewhat forced. 'Talaash' also tends to spoonfeed the viewer. Considering the tone, some mystery would have worked in its favour but instead it attempts to answer all questions. The pace is also slow at times.As for the plusses, it's a well crafted film. Cinematography, lighting and art direction are first rate. The characters are well written (except for the Frenny character). The performances are splendid especially that of Rani Mukherjee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui who are superb. Aamir Khan does a decent job. Kareena Kapoor is average at best.Despite its many flaws, 'Talaash' is still a watchable film. I didn't find it boring at any point. There's something intriguing about the characters, including the minor ones that draws your attention.