Movie Review: Talaash

Talaash

The search, referring to the movie's title Talaash, begins when actor Armaan Kapoor (Vivan Bhatena) is found dead in what appears to be a freak car accident. Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Aamir Khan), baffled by the modus operandi, hopelessly combs through the city of Mumbai in search of answers when he receives help from an unexpected quarter in Rosie (Kareena Kapoor), a sex-worker. Battling his inner demons, Surjan immerses himself in the investigation while his lonely and depressed wife Roshni (Rani Mukerji) undergoes psychiatric treatment to cope up with the loss of their 8-year-old son.

An admirably gripping first half has the writers deftly mixing in several threads - Armaan's death, Surjan's insomnia, Roshni's secret tryst with the supernatural - at the same time brilliantly depicting the underbelly of Mumbai. It's post intermission things begin to go downhill. The writers become a victim of their own creation seemingly unsure of how to take the story forward. Logic becomes a casualty, the investigation takes a backseat and the emotional subplot involving Surjan's dead son takes undue precedence needlessly bogging down the pace of the movie. While the denouement isn't exactly in the realm of reality, it doesn't take long for one to put two and two together. Talaash, backed by restrained performances from its leads, ultimately brings an intriguing mystery to the table, but fails to capitalise on its positives. The result is a film that's sincere but half-baked. A sequel could perhaps serve some justice.