Talvar

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 Aarushi Talwar – Hemraj double murder case of 2008. It was a case that kept the whole country on their toes, 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 story of the movie, as inspired by the Aarushi Talwar murder case, revolves around a 14-year-old girl Shruti Tandon who was discovered murdered with her throat slit on her bed, and the servant Khempal was accused of being the one who murdered the girl. But then his body was discovered on 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.

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 them feel so much more credible even if they are not allowed to use the original names. 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 an entertaining and groundbreaking thriller for everyone, more so for the ones who don’t know much about the case.

Irrfan is the heart of the movie but Konkona Sen Sharma and Neeraj Kabi are the souls of the film. In fact, Talvar is one of the best cast films in Hindi cinema. 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.

The pace of the film 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 Talvar. It is a fantastic case study of one of the most talked-about cases of post

independence India.

Must watch.

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