Talaash addresses something we all do in life. Search. A police officer grapples for answers to a suspicious accident, his wife searches for closure after the death of their son. From a better life to self respect, we all search for something that has been denied to us - sometimes, even after death.
When a movie star dies in a mysterious accident on the seedy "Seaface Road", officer Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Aamir Khan) puts his heart and soul into getting to the truth behind it. His search takes him to Mumbai's seedy red light area, pay-by-hour hotels and whorehouses, where he finds himself getting attracted to a seductive call girl named Rosy (Kareena). With his own marriage to Roshni (Rani) in trouble after the death of their young boy, Suri's constant nightouts raise uncomfortable questions for his friends and family. Is he disturbed by his child's death, is he obsessed with finding the truth behind what is increasingly looking like a preplanned murder, or is he simply having an affair?
The real star of the movie is the cinematography - right from the credits and the opening scene, the amazing capture of Mumbai's underbelly, the seedy Kamthipura and its hell holes is worth appreciation. The music is enticing and haunting, although not something you are likely to put on your playlist for too long. The screenplay is brilliant in parts, but drags towards the middle, and especially after the climax scene, when the closing credits seem to completely miss their cue.
In terms of performances, personally, I thought Aamir was very one dimensional, and many of this emotional scenes lack conviction, leading the audience to start laughing. In the SRK-Aamir battle, this is one round that always goes to the King Khan - he makes you cry, because you believe in him, even when he is hamming at his best. When Aamir tries it, you generally end up laughing or squirming in your seat. Check out the scene in which he admonishes Rani for talking to the neighbour, or the scene in which he tells Kareena he is tired, or the final scene in which he cries for his son. He also looks unfit and fat in some scenes, and somehow the wierd moustache doesn't suit him (his boyish look in Sarfarosh as a young but tough officer rocked). He also hams in many scenes, trying to portray the troubled and angry officer.
Kareena looks absolutely delicious as the devilishly seductive Rosy. She's put on weight, and is perfect endorsement for the anti-gym lobby (along with my fav Kat and Sona)! :) She also does a fantastic job with her dialogue delivery, her demure looks and her enchanting talk absolutely mesmerizes. Rani, sans makeup, plays the perfect troubled partner in a difficult marriage, and her fight scene with Aamir shows why she is such a highly rated actress.
Raj Kumar Yadav plays a nice cameo as Suri's junior officer, and Wasseypur's Nawazuddin Siddiqui, as the sidekick of the pimp playing his own games, is also brilliant.
The story itself has a good dose of intrigue and suspense - but there isn't really anything unique in it, once you figure out the main track half way through the movie. With a suggestive sound track, flitting camera shots, and even scenes of planchets, the director actually hints at the "truth", long before the climax. So if you have been paying attention to the signals, it doesn't come as much of a surprise.
Not a bad movie, and if this was Emraan, I would go gaga (of course, you would expect a kiss with the Kapoor babe). But, coming as it is after a 3 year hiatus, I expected a lot more from AK.
No comments:
Post a Comment