Talaash

For every thriller film, the makers are very cagey and protected about its suspense. Obviously, they have to. And when it has some glamorous quotient attached to it, audiences are in for it since the very first day of the release. Among these audiences, there exist fools of the highest order who find it "oh-so-cool" to blurt out the spoilers on social platforms. Idiots do exist thanks to whom I knew the so-called-spoiler of this film at some time around noon of the Friday, by when hardly two or three shows would have been screened at any theater. It didn't spoil any entertainment for me though, when I saw it today. Neither did it elevate it to another level. But I unregretfully think that my 100 bucks could have been more worthy.


Anyways, if you are not cheated by other movie-goers, it's likely that you'll be cheated by the director of such film. Basically, a suspense drama is a story hidden somewhere in the plot, told in any order but linear. But that's a genre every filmmaker must put themselves to test on. Not only it needs a special skill of storytelling that would grip the audience but also a keen eye for detailing. Reema Kagti doesn't cheat you and somewhere shines up in such skills. She has rooted us with the lead character's (Inspector Surjan S Shekhawat, Aamir Khan) perspective to see the suspense surfacing and learn things as he does.

Shekhawat has lost his 8 years old child Karan. After which his wife Roshni (Rani) is under a psychiatric  treatment. Her new neighbour Frenny (Shernaz Patel) makes her believe in the occult of spirits and the supernaturals, which Surjan dismisses as rubbish, only to communicate with the free spirit of his son. Otherwise, she is a lonely wife as Surjan is busy solving the riddling accident case of Arman Kapoor, a film star, and has turned insomniac.

The accident is one of its kind and cases of similar accidents that have happened some years back could never be solved. We are informed this through some constable Rane. This accident in question marks the opening scene of the film with the dogs barking around. You will come back to remember this once you know the reason of its happening and realise how Frenny was right and what Rane spoke was just another flaw of the film. The template shifts to supernaturals, somewhat reminding you of M. Night Shyamlan's The Sixth Sense, but the toning and treatment of each scene remains rightly suitable.

The film superficially explores the concept of supernaturals and occult science, and gives one-sided view upon them. However, I would have enjoyed it more if it was left as a debatable matter of belief for the viewers. But the other aspects of the film shouldn't be overlooked: like that of neglected prostitutes, and the whole underlying motif of karma.

The talaash led by Inspector Shekhawat results in believing the visual presence of a supernatural element. And if you know what I'm talking about, we could also see it in reflections of mirror and table. Because, nigahein jhoothi hain...