Manoj Bajpayee is absolutely brilliant as an opportunistic and philandering womanizer in Mukul Abhyankar's ambitious psychological drama Missing that is largely led by Tabu. Hers is the main character here, who steals focus from her audience as this worried mother of a young girl named Titli, who goes missing later in the film. Missing narrates the story of these three characters as Annu Kapoor, playing an Indian cop in Mauritious, heads the investigation of the missing child. Abhyankar's writing is tight and you are going to be hooked since the first frame itself. Apart from the gradual unfolding of events, and thereby the truth, there's an air of suspense throughout the 120-minute running time as you try to predict what will happen with the characters. Sometimes funny but always thrilling, Missing works because of writer-director Abhyankar's solid direction and execution. Bajpayee shines better than Tabu, although it is the joint effort by the entire cast that makes this more worthwhile. I am also impressed by the score by M M Kreem, which compensates the issues I have with the plot and the several holes in it. Even if you regard these issues as problematic, the unexpected climax and the consequences of all the proceedings makes Missing an above average thriller. They hardly make such films in Bollywood, so it is important for us to take note and appreciate when they do. Catch it when you can. TN.
