Not all Indian films are musicals! Talvar is an easy to watch and clever film from Meghna Gulzar which lacks the music and dancing of most Bollywood films. This one is mostly crime, with a touch of humour.
Why Watch Talvar?
- What!? You haven’t seen any Indian films yet?
- You like a good ‘whodunnit’ film.
- Is this a contemporary take on Kurosawa’s Rashomon?
- You can see a future in criminology.
The film starts in a special event, hosted by the Indian Central Department of Investigations (CDI). We are introduced to Ashwin, a lawyer who likes to play games on his mobile phone and carry out detective work at a local street food vendor. These things make him ‘normal’. He stops to look at one of the photos of the crime scene… and cut. [The discovery of the murder scene is re-enacted].
Here’s a few film tributes to look out for:
- The Paparazzi who swarm the crime scene is shot just like they are shot in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita. The camera moves with them and gets very close to the victims or protagonists they are chasing as if we are one of the paparazzi.
- The vigil for the victim is cut in between reports from the news questioning who committed the crime. The way the news reports and snappy interviews with the public are cut around the candle-lit vigil reminded me of Gone Girl. Count Gulzar as a fan of David Fincher.
- Those multiple murder narratives are inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon. (A Japanese classic which you must watch if you haven’t already).
Otherwise listen out for the character’s seamless transitions from speaking Hindi to English in the same sentence. And watch out for the ‘water-container’ shot – a beauty!
In all, Talvar is worth a watch. An entertaining film with an clever message.
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