I Want to Talk

Shoojit Sircar once again concocts a beautifully moving drama with Abhishek Bachchan delivering one of his finest performances to date. The film takes a short while to draw you into its dramatic, often humourous, occasionally guilt-ridden, frequently painful, surgery-filled universe. But once you're in, there's no turning back. The ride that Arjun Sen, the true-blue marketer takes you on, is poignant and hard-hitting. At its core, the film is a drama that's primarily told from Arjun's perspective, replete with interestingly philosophic, pun-filled voiceovers.

But the world that Arjun lives in, is full of equally fascinating characters. His daughter Reya (played by Ahilya Bamroo, with Pearle Dey playing the child version), Dr. Jayant (Jayant Kripalani), adorable nurse Nancy (Kristin Goddard), caretaker Johnny (Johnny Lever) all have key roles to play. They're all so well-written (Ritesh Shah's the screenwriter) and performed. Taba Chake's music is at once soothing and soul-stirring. DoP Avik Mukhopadhyay candidly captures Arjun's life, including his physical and mental transformations. Bachchan Jr gives it his all, in a superb performance that needs larger discussion.

I feel sad for Bollywood - they don't even want to appreciate some of their greatest storytellers. Can Shoojit Sircar come over to Malayalam and work with some of our finest? 2024 just wasn't the year for several content-driven filmmakers in Bollywood-Vasan Bala (wasn't a big fan of Jigra but still), Dibakar Banerjee (did not watch LSD 2), Shoojit Sircar (case in point), plus an honorable mention to Anurag Kashyap who has apparently decided to move on from Bollywood. The fault is on the larger Hindi-speaking audiences for not supporting them, especially in theatres.

My admiration for cancer survivors knows no bounds; their indomitable spirit, unwavering determination to never give up serves as a source of inspiration.

And I feel director Shoojit Sircar has captured their struggles with remarkable sincerity here.

Arjun's journey of grappling with his recent diagnosis, his tumultuous relationship with his daughter, and his on-going conflict between his will to fight and temptation to surrender once and for all are poignantly showcased.

The portrayal of a man in anguish is executed with the necessary depth and empathy.

While the frequent medical terminology and discussions surrounding surgeries may seem overwhelming to some, those who appreciate slow-paced, hard-hitting dramas will find this narrative resonates deeply.

Moreover, Abhishek has invested his soul into this role. I have always believed that he was a remarkable talent when paired with a fitting script, and he has once again validated my opinions on him.

Right off the bat, one thing is undeniable. The film is quite slow paced. The movie mimics life it, doesn't boast of extraordinary vantage point views or sudden twists or out of the blue drama where things seem magical. We see a life flowing in colours though faint and hard to appreciate through every shade in the spectrum. The movie gives a pretty normalistic view of the life in the eyes of the protagonist and how things are unfair yet beatable through sheer will.

This movie has its own audience and it's not for the people who seek story with twists and turns with fantastical elements which are non-lifelike.

But this is for the people who are pushed to their boundaries of the personal comfort zone and are seeking some relief in the silence between the lines which are loud for the right audience.

When everyone is running towards making larger-than-life movies, a film like this comes as a breath of fresh air. This is a trademark Shoojit Sircar movie, and if you are a fan of his work, you're going to embrace this one with love too.

The story revolves around a divorced, middle-aged marketing professional who is diagnosed with cancer. His relentless will to survive and his dynamic relationship with his daughter are the core focus of this film.

Although the movie deals with a serious subject, its treatment is light-hearted and doesn't emotionally exhaust the audience. The characters are so endearing that you find yourself falling in love with each one of them. The camaraderie between the father and daughter is organically built, and their complex relationship is portrayed beautifully. Dialogues by Ritesh Shah are another highlight, adding a touch of humor and relatability to the narrative.

Abhishek Bachchan has literally breathed life into the character. He delivers an outstanding performance in this unique role, truly making it his own. Ahilya Bamroo (older version) as the daughter is equally remarkable, ensuring her performance stays with you long after the credits roll. The young girl who plays the younger version of the daughter also does a commendable job. Johny Lever's special appearance provides light chuckles, while the other supporting artists fit their roles perfectly too.

The background score and music blend seamlessly with the narrative, enhancing the film's emotional depth. If the movie reminds you of Piku, you're not alone-it carries a similar essence, though this one leans more towards serious storytelling with less comedy. The most beautiful part of the movie is its use of silence, which communicates more effectively than words. Shoojit Sircar's brilliance shines through as he refrains from spoon-feeding the audience, allowing viewers to interpret and connect with the story on their own.

Shoojit Sircar has done it again, and this is a work of art you shouldn't miss. With many English dialogues, the film might not appeal to the masses, but it will resonate brilliantly with urban audiences. Watch it right away.

#PranuReviews #IWantToTalk #IWantToTalkReview.

Abhishek Bachan starrer and directed by Shoojit Sircar, inspired from the real life story of Arjun Sen, an NRI senior position marketing professional who is running the materialistic self centred ambitious race to Success, suddenly is tripped and dragged down to ground, to stop and look at Life as a limited God given precious gift which he may lose very soon. This brings out a different side to his character which now values life and all the people around. Struggling to connect with his young around 6 years old daughter who has a strangled relationship with her Dad, because of the Divorced situation and he very rarely being available because of his Career. Arjun, the character played by Abhishek so brilliantly keeps you smiling because of his this wonderful transition and coping up with some life threatening 20 surgeries, with so true emotions of humbleness and in the same time some kind of unwavering Resilience which he gathers, even when he has just few but strong reasons to Survive. You always don't need a massy self glorifying movie, we do need this kind of Life encouraging true to the Heart movies, which make you Love life & near ones more.