Talvar Movie Review

Vishal Bharadwaj. Irrfan Khan. Gulzar. Meghna Gulzar. Konkona Sen Sharma. Neeraj Kabi. Tabu. These are just a few of the esteemed names associated with the movie Talvar which is a fictionalized retelling of the Arushi Talwar – Hemraj double murder case of 2008. It was a case which kept the whole country in tenterhooks, with millions of spoken words on TV and millions of written words on print being dedicated to this case and the varying theories related to this case. The parents were adjudged to be guilty by a local court and they are now currently awaiting trial at Allahabad High Court. But do we really know for sure if they did it or not? Can we ever? The film Talvar might hold a key.

Story: We all know the basics of this story. A 14 year old girl was discovered murdered with her throat slit on her bed and the servant was accused of being the one who murdered the girl. But then his body was discovered in the terrace in the same manner. The blame fell on the parents who were accused of killing their own daughter and their servant. Ashwin Kumar (Irrfan) of the CDI (department instead of bureau) is the leader of one investigating group and discredits the theory that the parents were the murderers. However, his assistant backstabs him and the case is taken away from him. The new team proves that the parents are guilty in a haphazard manner.

Screenplay and Direction: The whole case is seen from 3 different angles and there’s a certain documentary feel to it. The insane amount of research that has gone into this movie is clearly evident and makes the feel so much more credible even if they are not allowed to use the original names. The approach by the makers to make the story into a film that seeps of dark humour about the divides in the social conditions of people in our nation. They highlight the difference in the thinking between the ones who are in the UP Police and the parents who belong to the upper strata of the society. Talvar is a taut, entertaining and groundbreaking thriller for everyone, more so for the ones who don’t know much about the case.

Talvar looks as realistic as it is possible to shoot a film in India. The camera work is not showy, the editing is not too flashy and the costume design is very good. The background score once again makes sure to not attract too much attention to it and keeps the proceedings focused on the story and drama on the screen.

Acting: Irrfan is the heart of the movie but Konkona Sen Sharma and Neeraj Kabi are the soul of the film. Infact, Talvar is one of the best cast films in a long time. Everybody is at the top of their game in this one. Irrfan is mindful and probably the one logical character in the movie. Konkona plays the stunned mother to the tee. Neeraj Kabi does a great job and his voice is enthralling. Every single actor in Talvar is fantastic and Meghna Gulzar manages to extract great performances from all actors.

Conclusion: Talvar is taut, enthralling and one of the best thrillers ever made in India. It is an almost perfectly written procedural. The pace never falls off, the entertainment and the revelations never stop coming. It is one punch after another and is a literal eye opener. Anybody with any interest in good cinema should be made to watch Talwar. It is a fantastic case study of one of the most talked about cases of post-independence India. Must must watch.

Pros:

• Everything

Cons:

• Nothing

Rating: Must watch!