Guilty

A movie stands on four pillars in my understanding - Storyline Cast Direction Performance

The storyline of Talvar is woven excellently. It portrays the Aarushi Murder Case and related facts in such an impacting manner that every bit of the movie is engrossing and intense. You need to pay attention to every stream of the reel. The intensity that is built quite early in the story stays intact after interval too. The ending is not at all abrupt. It goes with a number of intriguing questions that keep floating in mind even after leaving the theater. The story gets absorbed in your mind and heart and unknowingly or even if unwillingly it travels with you, stays with you and keeps haunting you and probing you with many questions. What if? Why that? How could it be? are the few questions that keep floating in your mind. It has been well written by Vishal Bhardwaj and the similar credit for screenplay too goes to Vishal. The movie runs for a little less than 2 hours and 15 minutes.

The cast has been well chosen and what I feel is that these days there is some scientific mechanism behind the cast selection. Irrfan Khan as Ashwin - a CBI investigating officer. Tabu as Reema is Ashwin's wife and this time I would give her full credit for playing her role well. Ayesha Praveen playing the role of Shruti (based on Aarushi) had little to do but still in her short stint she impressed well. Neeraj Kabi as Shruti's father (based on Rajesh Talwar in the real incident of 2008 Aarushi Talwar's murder) resembled Rajesh Talwar and justified his role by playing it quite perfectly. Konkona Sen Sharma has played the role of Shruti's mother and she too did well. Some new faces like Sohum Shah, Gajraj Rao, and Atul Kumar were able to put substantial impact in the story through their role. It is Irrfan who must get full scores for outperforming so magnificently. But that is his foray and he has mastered to outperform whatever role he is given in any kind of story. He fits well in intense stories.

The direction is by Meghna Gulzar and she must get full marks for creating such a great impact through her directorial skills.

Performance by each individual has been fantastic. It will be difficult to find out who has done less as even the bad roles have been played in such a good way and with perfection.

Overall the movie reflects how politics, media and judiciary can change directions of the justice. Finally, the blind justice symbol's unnoticed weapon has been highlighted but did justice finally win? You watch the movie and decide.

It is a must watch movie, quite serious, intense and intriguing with no excessive and non-digestible masala; and/or item numbers. Good to watch with friends and family.

I have never watched a movie like this. The direction of the movie was superb all credits to Meghna gulzar for giving us such a wonderful film and irrfan khan was as always giving gossebumps with his acting and my favourite Neeraj kabi just stunning.

Okay, it was difficult for me to watch Indian movie again. Last I watched Indian movie was like 8 years ago, 3 Idiots. I always have this prejudices toward Indian movies. Lately, I've been craving for suspense or thriller genre movies. I watched a lot in the last 2 years. Then my friend suggested me to watch Talvar, an Indian movie. I literally watched this movie because my friend swear on it. And damn, he was right.

Talvar is a very good investigation movie. The pace is medium enough, and we were showed how Indian police work and how CDI, the elites, work. The story is intriguing, the acting is superb, and the depiction of real life is so detail and moving.

I like this movie, because I felt like I'm in the middle of the investigation. I am surprised that the case is from real life. Wow.

Now, I have a plan to watch some others Indian movies such as Kahaani, A Wednesday, and Byomkesh. I think I will fall hard for Indian movies again.

Based on Arushi Talwar's murder case. Written by Vishal Bhardwaj. Directed by Meghna Gulzar. Starring Irrfan Khan, Konkana Sen Sharma & Niraj Kabi. I was not aware of what was happened to Arushi. I only knew that her parents have been proved guilty and they are still in jail. But this film describes something else. And after watching the movie, I can't imagine the life of her parents. Pannel Discussion scene is one of the best scene I've seen this year. Serious topic with a light humor, is Vishal's cup of tea. Irrfan can do everything. Neeraj Kabi is growing faster and faster. What should I say about Kankana! Tabu has a cameo too. Music by Vishal and Lyrics by Gulzar. Insaaf is the perfect song. No background music makes the movie real. Just a one superb background score, during the scene of murder. I have never seen any movie, in which the audience is sitting so quietly and enjoying, as this is not for single screen type audience. People are changing, so it's a good hope for the better Indian cinema. I've read in some of reviews that the movie is very disturbing. I found it too. Questions and questions are there in my mind. With an addition of sorrow. One poor mistake of policeman leads the case to nowhere. Just watch it and it will come in your thoughts for some days for sure. Not writing much, as I've to come out from the film.

The 2008 murder of Aarushi Talwar and Hemraj Banjade and the subsequent investigations, of which Guilty/Talvar is the fictionalized account, are complex, with multiple official points of view, compromised evidence, and of course breathless media accounts with unnamed sources, rumours and innuendo. The views on this case are polarized and often hardened, so how to make a movie about it? Vishal Bhardwaj and Meghna Guzzal took the time to scrupulously research the case, and present a Rashomon-like telling of the story with multiple viewpoints, allowing the viewer to conclude which case is most compelling.

The acting is superb, and despite the many details, the editing it tight so that the movie is gripping from start to finish. Highly recommended.

For those who want to go deeper into the case, and into the trial that followed (which isn't covered in the movie), Avirook Sen's 2015 book "Aarushi" is detailed deconstruction of the case.