Disturbing the status quo

Nonika Singh

Seven years ago Aarushi-Hemraj double murder in Noida shook the entire nation. What followed thereafter was botched-up investigation in the initial phase, insinuations, character assassination and finally the conviction of the parents. But if you thought justice was done…. think again. At least Talvar, a fictionalised account of the same, forces you to. As it brings all the gory details (some true, some canards) and much more on the table without flinching, it has your attention just in the same way the case had you transfixed.

Sure Talwars here are Tandons. Aarushi is Shruti and the CBI is CDI. But for these minor altercations and slight tweaking of names, Talvar stays on the course chosen. And that is to tell the story. No, not of Aarushi or her bond with her parents, but of an investigation gone awry, of the loopholes in the system. 

As it dovetails the three different investigations and their conclusions and the inconclusive evidence, it puts a question mark. However, it’s not just the investigative process that it indicts, it’s not only the police which is in the dock but all of us, including the bite hungry media who believe the Chinese whispers, who lend credence to it by echoing it without verification.

Of course, the strength of the film doesn’t only lie in how well and how realistically it integrates fact with fiction. Sure as viewers one doesn’t know what all in the film is true and what is mere conjecture or interpretation. At several points it veers towards the parents and seems to be batting for them. Indeed, if there is even an iota of doubt that they are not the culprits, it is the greatest travesty of justice. And no civilized society should condone it. 

The film that takes you through all the three investigations (step by step from the beginning till the end) is so well plotted and knit that there isn’t a single ‘blink your eye moment’. Riveting is an understatement to describe the narrative that moves from the familiar to the unfamiliar from the unsettling to introspective. No doubt the film is disturbing but not merely for it brings alive the tragic murders. Rather, for it makes us think, ponder and question. Nowhere does the film manipulate your emotions. The couple is fleshed out exactly as the parents have appeared in the media—now distraught, now killers, now innocent.

And both Neeraj Kabi and Konkona Sen Sharma play it just right understated and effective. Irrfan Khan as the investigative officer Ashwin, somewhat sympathetic to parents, shines as only he can. A back story (a troubled marriage with Tabu playing out in the background) humanises him. But for this creative license and brief interjection that even refers to Gulzar’s film Izazat and the evergreen song Mera kuch saaman, there are no distractions. 

In fact, the film steers clear of unwanted family flashbacks, overt sentimentality and yes, though each frame underlines the tragedy there is no rona dhona. Yet you have goose bumps all through. 

And here let us confess. Like many of you out there one had promised oneself to give this movie a skip. After all who wanted to relive the murder of a 14-year-old girl? So if you are faint hearted, kindly do stay away. However, if you have the heart and the gumption to look at truth from an altogether different angle, there is no way you can miss this gem of a film. Kudos to Meghna Gulzar’s directorial acumen and Vishal Bhardwaj’s sterling writing for creating this investigative thriller that perturbs more than it thrills. It’s that rare whodunit that holds you in a vice-like grip even though it doesn’t tell you who did it.