One almost always associates a crime thriller to have a gripping storyline, an edge-of-the-seat-suspense and matching action. Though Aamir Khan’s “Talaash” barely manages to deliver on the first two, it seriously lacks the third element. There are no dramatic entries and no stylized action.
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. 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.
The basic narrative essentially involves two fundamental tracks - Shekhawat's professional investigation (murder of the film star) 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 Katgi puts an "emotional core" at the heart of "Talaash", but it doesn't serve much purpose except to slow the film down. What should have been a taut thriller about a murder that doesn't seem like a murder becomes a film that fails to deliver.
To me it seemed like Kagti dwelled on Shekhawat's personal tragedy far too long, with songs and flashbacks, taking away from the urgency of the mystery at hand. Another major letdown is that at its pinnacle, the film derives heavily from a Hollywood film, as is quite common in Bollywood. So even if the suspense might have not been predictable, there is a sense of betrayal.
Aamir Khan, as one has come to expect, is resourcefully restrained and is persuasive in his multifaceted character. While a commanding cop at work, he is a vulnerable man at home. The deglamorized, often sloppily-dressed Rani Mukherji is poised in her portrayal of a woman who has come out of a personal tragedy. Kareena Kapoor, as Rosy the call girl, despite the deliberate garish look, has an appeal – almost like an extension of her character in “Chameli.”
Though every frame is crammed with dramatic and spatial details, the film appears to be somewhat sluggish - there isn’t a single scene that comes across as superfluous lifting “Talaash” well above the ordinary. But to me the greatest strength of “Talaash” is its array of supporting character – which are merely not just that – but a lot more. Most haunt you even as the end credits roll.
Most memorable are the voluble Parsi widow (Shernaz Patel) who summons the spirits of the dead in secret sessions or the lame and artless criminal (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who works for a pimp and dreams of making it big one day. The other minor characters, too, leave a mark. Among them are a rookie cop (Raj Kumar Yadav) who is often left befuddled by his superior’s ways and an ageing sex worker (Sheeba Chaddha) who is resigned to her fate until a lucky break sets her free.
Nevertheless, if you are not searching for the finest suspense film ever, Talaash is a good one-time watch.
