TALAASH the answer lies within: A REVIEW.
Dir: Reema KAGTI
Starring: Aamir Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Kareena Kapoor and Nawazuddin Siddique.
The new Reema Kagti film, lets call it that and not Aamir Khan starrer; had for the starts made all the right noises. An actor, known for breeding 'different' kind of films in a manufacture oriented film industry, a strong actress in Rani Mukherjee and a noir-thriller to boot. However, after seeing the film, one cannot but feel, that with all the potentialities that had made themselves available for the film, it somehow lets them down. I am not saying the film to be a bad film, mind you. But, I feel that what the film lacked, is what it needed most, the support of a good skeleton, a brilliant plot and a supporting conclusion. The film's premise had all in it to be a wonderful thriller, but what it requires is not to be seen as a thriller. There is an unsolved death, mystery in the hearts of the Mumbai myriad lanes and red light areas, shady characters and a cop who tries to investigate and look beneath this quagmire of deceit and crime.
One thing, that is noticeable and commendable is that the advent of numerous upcoming filmmakers has given the popular hindi film, a new lift. The producers are not shy of treating different subjects and treatments, and back filmmakers with interesting ideas. Gone are the days when the Hindi cinema used to be three hours long, with songs and trees and dance. Talaash, has that sense of newness. The collage of sequences that open the movie presents a kaliedoscopic panorama of the Mumbai by-lanes. Amongst the glitzily clad prostitutes, the slight image of one hiding a bruised cheek through makeup is eye catching. The eye for detail of the filmmaker is really praiseworthy. Mohanan's cinematography is astute in capturing the dingy lanes through some interesting angles. The space in which a drama unfolds becomes important in a film as such and the visual images do not disappoint.
Talaash is the story of Surjan Singh Shekhawat, who is investigating the accidental death of Armaan Kapoor, a filmstar, whose car apparently swerved out of control and splashed into the ocean dead at night. As he gets entangled in it, and the search, the 'talaash', his personal life gets entangled as his own life and relationship with his wife, Roshni (Rani Mukherjee) gets into turmoil and he is made to confront a suppressed demon, the death and the possible guilt of losing his only son. 'Talaash' should appropriately be seen as the quest for this man, our protagonist and his quest to be finally at peace with himself. As he battles with himself, and embroils himself more to avert his own conscience of holding himself responsible for the death of his son, he meets a sex-worker, Rosie (Kareena Kapoor) who helps in his search, both within and without. And it is where the film starts to run haywire. The problem that I have with the film, is that if the film was to be structured as a man's inner quest to fight his own demons, the entire premise of the film and the plot structure should have been different than what it is, which is in the mould of a typical noir-thriller and a whodunnit story. The audiences's expectations of the film as a thriller is not quenched as the series of bizarre events are easily explained by an equally bizaare supernatural element in the plot. Though we agree that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophies, yet the handling of something as tricky as a supernatural element requires a maturity which lacked in the film, which ultimately concludes with a supernatural revenge motif. Thrillers of the highest order, even if incorporating supernatural elements require plot construction of the highest order which the story lacked, and I am afraid to say the conclusion puts the film down as it resorts to sentimentality which degrades the film.
Other than that, acting wise, there should not be any complaints, Aamir Khan is good, Rani Mukherjee with her restrained self plays her part well, as does Kareena Kapoor. However, once again, I would have to admit the class of Nawazuddin Siddique as Tehmur, who is in two words, brilliant and outstanding. Ram Sampath's music revives the mood of the noir thrillers of the 60's Hollywood and one might say, he is turning out to be a brilliant composer. 'Jeeh le zara' sung by Vishal Dadlani, is a wonderful song, and comes at a perfect moment in the film.
'Talaash' or search, is again a reminder of what could have been. It is a person, with a well toned body, having brilliant eyesight, brilliant heart, digestive system, without any disease and extremely healthy except for a very very very brittle skeleton. Filmmakers should I feel, try to adapt quality thrillers by authors and adapt them to suit the Indian space. Adapting foreign authors and moulding them on Indian contexts has been done in the past and at least it would give a film a basic skeleton to thrive on, and not leave all its cast and members in a 'talaash' for a story.
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Talaash_poster.jpg
