Talvar Movie Reviews

Talvar’s compared to Rashomon but while that wandered through forests of fantasy, Talvar boldly tackles reality. It offers totally different takes on two murders. But it is unambiguous about a third – fairness, slashed to pieces by incompetence and callous crassness.In wiping away stains from the sword of justice, Talvar shines.

One believes that the laws that govern our land are competent if not entirely snag-free. But Meghana Gulazar’s Talvar subliminally suggests that while the system provides a framework for doling out justice, its construct can sometimes be a contraint. As a dialogue in the film explains, “Gathering information in an investigation is often called a legal act carried out illegally. The trick is to find a balance between what is legally right and what you, as an individual, feel is right.”

Talvar is a very well made film — despite its length and some brief scenes that could have been edited out. But it is also a very uncomfortable film to watch, and that is what makes it so good. A good film should be able to get into our skin, challenge us, shake us up and Talvar does all of that.

More than anything else, what Meghna Gulzar’s Talvar does is bring home that horrifying reality — that the life you knew could, in a blink, get flushed down the toilet, like an ‘alleged’ murder weapon maybe, never to be seen again.

Overall it’s the gritty storytelling and the remarkable actors who help make Talvar a mature, well-executed piece of work.This makes so much more sense than those noisy television debates!

Even if you have a whole lot to do this weekend, make a point to watch this film. I bet you haven’t seen a better whodunit in recent times in Indian Cinema.

Armed with in-depth research, powerful screenplay and brilliant directorial skills, Gulzar keeps the drama engaging and taut. Irrfan, Konkana Sen and Neeraj Kabi sink into their characters and yet their awareness about presenting the case is palpable. This ain’t just an intense story that needed to be told. It’s a must watch for facts, as they are presented and consumed, could be stranger than fiction.

Talvar shines because of its loftily detailed screenplay. It is hard to find suspense in a widely discussed case like Aarushi’s. It is inevitable to be aware of every detail, prominent and petty ones alike, given the amount of media interest in the murder.

The extensive research done in constructing this film speaks for itself. Re – visiting the same tale with the intention of creating clarity in the minds of the audience was the purpose behind making Talvar which may or may not be achieved.

One of the high points of Talvar is a long climactic sequence in which two investigating teams sit across a table and have a go at each other as they strive, with no holds barred, to get their respective points across. Talvar is a must watch.

TALVAR is not breakthrough cinema. Neither is it exciting or informative. In fact, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth as most in India have seen ad nauseam on national television the ‘live’ findings of the double murder on a daily basis when the murder rocked the nation in 2008. Same is happening now in the Sheena Bora murder case. I feel the industry could have spared Aarushi and her parents this embarrassment.

It’s an extraordinary feat that Gulzar keeps the finger-wagging at bay, and delivers a sharply scripted and angry look at mishandling of the case.

As the movie draws to an end, and you find your own truth, you will be left haunted by the images of a giddy teenager flashing on your screen…

It’s after a long time that I’ve seen a film that has spent so much time and effort on research. Hats off to Gulzar and Bharadwaj for their digging and making a documentary thriller, a genre that is largely unexplored in Indian mainstream cinema. To make a film like this with a cast that has no commercially viable star, you really need to believe in the story you are telling.

For all its positives, “Talvar” fails to keep that distance, and therefore compromises its ability to be an impartial, unbiased chronicle of what is India’s most sensational murder case.

Talvar makes an elegant and convincing case for the Talwars, but it ignores one of the biggest factors behind their conviction. A separate, cautionary tale can be spun on how news anchors in hot pursuit of ratings and tabloid-influenced editors stacked the odds against the couple. Avirook Sen’s book Aarushi provides several instances of how unverified claims about the private lives of the Talwars created an unassailable image of the dentists as scheming and swinging monsters.