Talaash…The Search Continues

You leave a screening of Talaash with only one impression – that of Aamir Khan’s portrayal of a tortured dad who happens to be an efficient cop.

That’s precisely both the strength and weakness of Reema Kagti’s second movie as director. A powerful actress like Rani Mukerji ends up being underutilized, not for want of screen time but for want of a stronger author-backed role. The one scene where she is pitted against her husband, Aamir as Inspector Surjan Shekhawat, she sparkles. But that’s the only scene she gets to make a mark.

Talaash, as I see it, was intended to be a relationship tale – one between a man and his wife who have suffered a monumental tragedy and another between a cop on duty and a sex worker who may hold a clue to a mysterious death. The investigation is a mere excuse to play out the relationship dynamics. Unfortunately, the husband-wife story suffers at the hands of the cop-sex worker story.

How I wish the movie had focused more on how the tragedy painfully unravels the once-happy man-and-wife relationship

Interestingly, Talaash also happens to be the first (if I’m not wrong) urban legend tale on the Bollywood screen. This is a familiar genre for those who are fed on Hollywood. Reema Kagti has sufficiently Indianised the genre but some of the characters, despite the impressive performances, are staple stereotypes from formula films. For instance, the crippled odd-jobs boy Taimur, the good-hearted sex worker Rosie, her ageing colleague, the nosy neighbour Frenny, the dangerous pimp Shashi, and his abused sex-worker girlfriend.

Talaash doesn’t give us any new characters or even a new take on stereotypes. Where the movie could have made a difference was in the relationship dynamics but that ends up lopsided.

The performances are the life of this film. Not one actor can be faulted – from Aamir, Rani, Kareena (who looks both carnal and ethereal) to a memorable Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and even Subrat Dutta, who looks convincing but has little to do. Talented veteran Shernaz Patel’s Frenny is the weakest link.

Ram Sampath’s soundtrack rises to its zenith in ‘Jiya Lage Na’ (a heartfelt composition) but the rest of it is strictly okay. ‘Laakh Duniya Kahe’ and ‘Hona Hai Kya’ have a pronounced Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy hangover.

Reema Kagti has made a watchable movie, no doubt, but one that needed more originality, a tauter pace and crisp editing (some scene transitions are jarring). Talaash is not tedious but its lazy tempo tends to test the audience’s patience.

And the twist in the tale is one I would have preferred to go without. If only all the characters had been kept real, the impact would have been far more immediate.

But this is, overall, a competently-made movie that deserves a watch. Talaash scores an 8 on 10. Do watch but don’t go with heightened expectations and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Refreshing 'Ishaq' but...

Ishaaqzade is perhaps a victim of its promotional trailers. The trailers are so good that the actual film fails to live up to the promise.

You get the idea that the lead pair, who are young lovers, are perhaps outlaws facing off against a cruel world. They seem to be fighting with their back against the wall to keep their love alive and thriving.

The film belies this premise, which I believe would have been an interesting take on love. Something like a desi Bonnie and Clyde or a violent Bunty aur Babli. Ishaqzaade is neither. It’s more like a vaguely Indian Romeo and Juliet, with contemporary twists thrown in such as sleazy MMS clips, the mandatory violent heartland politics, and a broad hint of honour killing.

Only, the director doesn’t seem to be sure what should be the crux of the film – a violent love affair or families betraying (more like, throttling) young love for the sake of religion/caste and political gains. Honour killing would have made for a gripping, telling theme.

Ishaqzaade is a relentless tide of shootings, car/bike chases, and long sprints with sudden longish pauses of tranquility that hurt the film’s pacing, given its theme. For a movie that has refreshing, heartfelt performances from its very young lead pair (Parineeti Chopra and newcomer Arjun Kapoor), it’s peppered with clichés – the strong, widowed but ignored mother, the heartless grandfather, the rowdy brothers, the goodhearted kothewali (that nearly vanished staple of Hindi cinema), the prickly but benevolent brothel madam. Man, what a line-up!

After the ‘hatke’ beginning, Ishaqzaade lapses into familiar gimmicks – the family rivalry, the face-off between mother and grandfather, the lovers’ break-up and make-up, the brothel turned refuge, and the final stand-off.

The climax has serious issues. Despite the excellent staging, the gunbattle never once reflects the sense of desperation and hopelessness that a cornered young couple would feel in the last throes of their doomed love. Remember Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (which, by the way, recycled clichés to great effect). Now, that’s the template director Habib Faisal should have worked on.

Ishaqzaade could have been the QSQT for the 21st century if only more heartfelt effort had gone into the promising script.

The music by Amit Trivedi is a real saviour though the songs don’t seem too intrinsic to the plot. ‘Main Pareshaan’ is a revelation – excellent singing and choreographing. The title song is so good and the item (Gauhar Khan beats Shilpa Shetty to ‘The Body’ title) song is great fun. ‘Jumma Chumma’ choreographers Rekha and Chinni Prakash are still in fine form.

I score Ishaqzaade an 8 on 10, if only for the lead pair, the music and a promise that fell short.