Aamir Khan’s career graph has drastically changed since 2001.His choice of scripts and his marketing strategies are unique and different from other actors but have proved to consistently successful (Mangal Pandey being the only exception) .In 2001 , Ashutosh Gowarikar’s story about the villagers who had to play cricket match to get their taxes cancelled was outright rejected by many top actors .But Aamir Khan had belief in it and Lagaan went on to become the only third Indian movie to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
In 2006 , his Rang De Basanti had a great impact on Indian society and evoked the youth to protest on public interest issues.In 2008 , when romances and comedies ruled in bollywood , he decided to remake a south Indian action movie- Ghajini which was the first bollywood movie to cross 100 crores. In 2009, at the age of 44 , he chose to play a college kid in 3 idiots which still holds the record for the highest collections in the country.
Aamir Khan has this exceptional skill to know what the audience really wants and which movies can actually fare well. The marketing genius who goes out to large extents to promote his movies decided to keep a low profile for Talaash and as the story unravels on the screen , you would know why. Talaash is yet another instance where the actor experiments with a different script and it is not your usual investigative thriller. Despite moving at a slow pace,Talaash has a gripping story and fascinating moments that keep you glued to your seat.
Getting Aamir Khan as the lead actor is no easy task and Reema Kagti has achieved that in her only second directorial effort.Her execution of a number of scenes is noteworthy like the one where a lady confronts Aamir and Rani saying she has a message from their son and the one where Aamir thinks over and over of how he could have re-done an action in the past. The big revelation in the climax will completely catch you unaware. Farhan Akthar’s dialogues adds depth to a number of scenes. Ram Sampath background score fits the movie proceedings and does a great job in the song – ‘Jeele Zara’.
Aamir Khan does a superb job. He yet again gets into the skin of his character effortlessly and just like Bhuvan in Lagaan or Ajay Singh in Sarfarosh, you dont see Aamir but just the character – Surjan Shekhawat. Kareena Kapoor has a meatier role than Rani Mukherjee and she shines. Nawazuddin Siddiqui who is having a wonderful year gives another good performance after Kahaani and Gangs of Wasseypur 2.
The movie is not without its flaws. Those who expect a fast paced investigative thriller might be disappointed. The movie takes its own time to unveil things on screen and the story does not progress as what you had foreseen after watching the trailers. I had read the reason the release of Talaash delayed was because of disputes between Aamir and Reema and it does show on screen at times. Aamir Khan would have wanted to up the entertainment quotient and you might wish it happened that way.
Talaash is an ‘Aamir Khan movie’ and like any other Aamir Khan movie in recent years, it is a product of high quality. Despite not being as entertaining as his previous blockbusters- 3 idiots and Ghajiini, Talaash has a story good enough to hold your attention throughout and superb performances from its cast. Talaash will be another success story for Mr.Perfectionist but how far it goes depends on how the audience react to the way the movie unfolds towards the end.
