Talaash: The Andhadun that wasn't meant to be

On 30th November 2012 Amir Khan starring “Talaash” was released in theatres. It was at the time in Amir’s career when he was experimenting with his films. The film was supposed to be his major comeback in the lead role after the 2009 blockbuster 3 idiots and was Amir’s debut in the thriller mystery genre. The film juggled around with the idea of the supernatural while telling a story of a grieving cop who had lost his son in an accident and how that moment changed his relationship with his wife. Although the film seemed to have all the ingredients of a great movie it just didn’t come together but that isn’t to say that it didn’t have its moments. Following are some of the elements from the movie that should have been appreciated a lot more:

1. Cinematography

Getting the most obvious one out the way the film is a complete visual experience. From the first shot itself, the film lets you know who’s story they are going to tell. The composition of the frames and the strategic placements of shots translated amazingly on screen. The mise en scene was a delight to notice and it shows how technically this film was shot as is expected from “Mr Perfectionist” production.

2. Lighting

For a movie that was based around the red-light area of Mumbai, it was imperative that they capture that bright and vibrant ambience perfectly. They held up to that challenge and beautifully integrated the glimmer and glitter elements with real to life and more dull elements that culminated into the visually appealing experience. There were some shots that brilliantly used the element of light to enhance the impact of the shot

3. Creating a believable world

Talaash as a film was an oddball of the Bollywood of that time. It was nonconventional with its approach to creating a universe inside the screen that felt close and real to life. Although the film majorly focuses on the story of Suri (Amir’s Character) at no point in the movie it feels that the world revolved around him. The biggest success of the movie was that it manage to capture the crucial of the side plotlines and use them to supplement and add to the main plot. All the characters of the movie feel like individuals and are allowed to act independently which feels natural and far more believable as compared to what the usual trope was in Bollywood at that time

4. Side Character Performances

This is one of those things that holds this film together the entire time. Nawazuddin, Rajkummar Rao, Subrata Datta and many more gave truly amazing performances that let the audience immerse into the world the film created. They complemented Amir in every way and some of them actually managed to outdo him on the screen which is kind of inescapable when you have a cast as talented as this. 8 years later and now we know and appreciate the talent of some of the performers that made this what it was

5. Rani Mukerji

Yes, she is that good! Rani Mukerji’s performance in the movie stands apart from anyone else in the movie( including Amir Khan). Her character in the movie was of a reserved personality yet so prominent in every scene she was that it is hard to not acknowledge her presence on screen. Her character was “yearning” for something that had been away and is searching that missing happiness for herself and her husband. Her motivations are of a true partner of someone who really cares but she is grieving at the same time and that comes out really well in Rani’s performance. In a way, Rani’s performance was really crucial for Amir’s performance to look good because it was on Rani’s shoulders to create that ambience of a dysfunctional family dynamic and she couldn’t have done it any better. Not to mention she wore no makeup the entire film to look more genuine onscreen