By Hindustan Times
Direction: Reema Kagti
Actors: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherji
Rating: ***
To watch Talaash is to embark on a passionate love affair that results in frustration for the reason that object of your desire reveals itself to be
shallow and depressingly ordinary. In short, a profound anti-climax.
If I sound like a lady cheated, it is only because I USED TO BE so invested in Reema Kagti's suspense drama. The film has one of the crucial terrific first hours I've seen this year. It's taut, twisty and absolutely thrilling. Reema creates a superbly textured and atmospheric portrait of Mumbai, where neon lights and garish make-up just barely disguise the hollowness within. And the story, co-written by Reema and Zoya Akhtar had me hooked from the primary frame.
A famous actor drives his expensive car into the Arabian Sea. Inspector Shekhawat is named in to research. The tough-talking cop, played by Aamir Khan, is definitely a walking wound. His son died in a sad accident and Shekhawat blames himself for it. He's haunted by his actions - the things he did and, more painfully, the things he didn't do. His wife, Roshni, played by Rani Mukherji, finds solace in secret conversations together with her dead son through a medium.
Shekhawat immerses himself on the subject of the drowned actor. But just when it kind of feels like they've reached a dead end, a tantalisingly seductive prostitute named Rosie, played by Kareena Kapoor, provides a clue. She continues to assist and their relationship becomes more entangled. At one point, Rosie looks on the cop and says: 'Pyaar ho gaya kya mujhse, saheb?'
Talaash had me in a vice-like grip till the interval. And then, the curse of the second-half struck like lightning. The rationale of the deliciously intriguing mystery was so lame that I refused to believe it. I hoped that Reema and Zoya would spring one final twist on us and redeem the film. But sadly, that never happened.
Still, there are such a large amount of things to admire in Talaash. Reema and Zoya have written layered characters and all three lead actors are first-rate. Aamir, Rani and Kareena work beautifully off one another. Every one creates the sort of palpable sense of ache and damage.
The dialogue by Farhan Akhtar, with additional work by Anurag Kashyap, is perfectly pitched. Ram Sampath's mournful music underlines the melancholy. And the strange fascination that the cop develops for the prostitute is mesmerising.
I enjoyed these characters such a lot that I demand another film for Shekhawat, Roshni and Rosie. This one didn't serve them well enough.
For once, I also feel the necessity to explain my rating: I WISHED to present four stars to the primary half and two stars to the second one half, so it averages out to a few. See Talaash and do post comments. I'm curious to peer what number of were as furious as me.
