Movie Review - Talvar

 

   There wouldn't be many Indians in this age who would have never come across news or conversations about the double murder case that rocked the nation - That of Aarushi Talwar, the 14 year old teenager from Noida and her house servant Hemraj, or the years of investigations and trials that followed in order to bring their killer to justice. So when I heard that a movie was being made to shed light on that incident, and that Blogmint was arranging a special private screening for a select few to view it, and that too well before the official date of release, I knew I had to be there to attend it.

   For those clueless few, Aarushi Talwar was a 14 year old school girl who was brutally murdered in her own bedroom, while her parents were sleeping in the room next to hers. Investigators thought of this as an open and shut case, due to the missing nature of their in-house servant Hemraj at the time, until the next day when his decomposing body was found on the terrace of the Talwar residence. The focus of investigation then turned to Aarushi's parents as the main murder suspects initially while that to an assistant working in her father's dental clinic, their driver and a servant from the neighboring house when the investigation turned hands from one department to another and then finally again to the parents, sentencing them to a life of imprisonment.

 

   The main star cast of Talvar consists of Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Neeraj Kabi, Tabu, all critically acclaimed actors to name a few, a drawing point for the audience, which suit the characters that they portray very well. Also, care has been taken while choosing actors even for minor roles making for an all round good performance by the entire team. The movie gripped my attention from the first scene itself and kept me engrossed in the story-line till the very end. I could not help but feel a range of emotions ranging from sadness to joy to pity and at times even disgust while watching the movie, the story striking a chord with me on a personal level. I admit that I wasn't much aware about the facts of the case, but after reading up on it and also watching the movie, I can definitely say that a lot of in depth study and research has been done to portray the facts right, though few discrepancies can be found between the two, while few details have been left out. The many twists and turns that the case takes over the period of years can sure confuse a few in regards to minute details, but the broad picture that is presented is sure to get imprinted in the mind. Despite of being based a serious incident, the script has been written in a way to give us a few chuckles and laughs, making it acceptable to a larger base of audience. The soundtracks are pleasant to the ears and suit the theme of the movie well.

   Also, the title name - Talvar, fits the story very aptly. One might think its plainly based on Aarushi's family name, but no, as fictitious names are given for all the characters in the movie. The actual reason is revealed in the movie, and has a much deeper meaning, which has got to be my absolute favorite part of the movie.

   All in all, I found Talvar to be an entertaining and a very deep, thought provoking movie. Highly recommended!! Official release date - 2nd October, 2015. Don't forget to book your seats well in advance for this. It seriously made me wonder if even after years of investigation and judicial proceedings, has justice really been served?? You decide!