Talvar
Director: Meghna Gulzar
Writer: Vishal Bhardwaj
Stars: Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Neeraj Kabi
Strength: Story, Acting, Direction
Weakness: Slightly complicated for younger audiences
Runtime: 132 minutes
Rating: 4.5/5
Plot: An experienced investigator confronts several conflicting theories about the perpetrators of a violent double homicide.
Review: Neeraj Kabi and Konkona Sen essay the roles of Ramesh and Nutan Tandon, parents of 14-year-old Shruti (Ayesha Parveen) who was found dead in her own bedroom. Their servant Khempal's body was also found the same day. Irrfan Khan plays CDI officer Ashwin Kumar who steps into the scene when the double murder case is handed over to the agency.
Vishal Bhardwaj's narrative is an insightful commentary on the media's tendency to jump to instant conclusions and the prejudices and limitations of India's judicial and investigating systems. Vishal also highlights several socio-political issues which are woven seamlessly in his narrative. The uninterested police officer who is more inclined toward getting his next promotion than examining a crime scene; investigation officers who are eager to get their friends on board for a new case on their hands; the gossip-hungry neighbours - the writer mixes a lot more than just the murder case and investigations at hand, and does so brilliantly. The portrayal of media's sensationalism and desperation for eyeballs is to the point.
As for the performances, Konkona and Neeraj are as detached as their characters demand and Gajraj and other cops and investigating officers are impressive and identifiable. Irrfan Khan, expectedly, stands tall over everyone else in the film.
A tightly written narrative and mostly rational view of the investigations ensure Talvar is an edge-of-the-seat, engaging thriller that seeks to shock its audience and boasts of brilliant performances, witty dialogues and much more. You should definitely not miss this one.
Reviewed by Intisab Shahriyar
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