I’ve been quite the ass. I know - Not the most self-promoting way to start a review but that’s exactly how I felt after watching what is probably the best movie of 2015, so late in the day. So affected was I by all the talk of this movie, though well made, being depressing and a mood spoiler, that I kept putting it off. However, one look at the trailer ( something I normally avoid) and I knew I had made a mistake.
Talvar cuts you deep – there is no doubt about that. It is unforgiving and relentless in its presentation. The camera does not shy away from showing the murder in its macabre form and the grieving parents played exquisitely by Konkana Sen Sharma and Neeraj Kabi will hit you hard. Parents will definitely find this one a difficult watch.
I am not going to debate whether the movie presents the case in the right light, whether it supports or refutes the actual events or whether it helps shed any kind of light on the proceedings at the time. Very aptly, the movie itself doesn’t direct you regarding that either (though it does lean very hard, on one version of events) – instead choosing to let you experience the events as they actually unfolded and arrive at your own conclusions.
What this movie does wonderfully well is to have a sense of balance. It is easy for any film maker, especially for such a subject, to take the audience deeper into the dark abyss that sets the movie’s context and show the utter hopelessness of the situation from different angles. However, the film goes a step further and brings in wry humor and comic relief, especially after intense scenes. The combination works particularly well and gut-wrenching thought the storyline is, there are welcome moments of relief every now and then. Further, the movie makes no attempt to dramatize beyond what is necessary preferring to make sequences more realistic than oriented towards commercial impact.
The first half of Talvar is taut and gripping. You want to hang on to every word, look through every clue and follow the investigation. In the second half the movie dips a bit with the final analysis coming across as farcical and unusually light. However, one glimpse at the parents is all it takes you to relegate you back to a state of despondency.
Irrfan puts in a stellar performance – his passion and anguish coming across particularly well on the screen. Special hat tip to Konkana Sen Sharma and Neeraj Kabi for agreeing to play such a heart-wrenching role in the first place. Not once do the two stalwarts look like they are putting on an act.
Despite its controversial subject and presentation – Talvar is an indication of a grand leap forward by Bollywood – one that should be applauded and promoted. Scarcely does one get to witness such a well made movie without the unnecessary razzmatazz. There’s scathing commentary of the state of affairs of our police and investigative departments, the adverse impact of clashing egos and the futile attempt to fight a corrupt system – without actually saying any of those in words.
The content is depressing no doubt, but you still can’t miss it. After all, these events have actually occurred even if the truth and facts around them are blurred. At the very least, the movie will have you wanting to go back and re-examine the facts of the case, that’s the kind of impact Talvar leaves you with.
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