I Want To Talk
Rating- **** (4/5)
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Ahilya Bamroo, Pearle Dey, Johnny Lever, Kristin Goddard, Jayant Kriplani & more
Directed by: Shoojit Sircar
There’s just something about Abhishek Bachchan going through these rare but incredible physical transformations that makes for a movie-viewing experience like no other. Years ago, he did it for Guru, for which he earned all the accolades possible and years later, he does it for I Want To Talk, for which I envision him winning the same amount if not more. Of course, this is just a parallel for the sake of putting across what Bachchan has been capable of – always and when he gets a director who he submits to physically, mentally and emotionally – it creates magic.
There’s so much to like about I Want To Talk which solidifies what people keep talking about persistently – Shoojit Sircar is amongst the finest filmmakers we have and we don’t acknowledge that enough. But it seems we are living in denial even though Sircar proves it time and again. Once you see the film, you’ll perhaps notice the little nuggets I have planted in this piece so far drawn from the film and the character Arjun Sen’s journey – a journey so incredible that it seems unbelievable but not for the trope-filled underdog story we have been pounced upon with millions of times now.
A seemingly arrogant yet successful marketing salesman, Arjun Sen (Bachchan) is at the peak of his career but as he says himself his success came at the risk of sacrifices – mostly in his personal life – separation from his wife and a broken relationship with his young daughter. His world figuratively falls apart when he learns he has laryngeal cancer for the first time but little does he know, that’s just the beginning of one demon after another. Ironically, as his physical health continues to deteriorate further and further, his broken relationship with his daughter is repaired but not for what you think and expect. The tale of Arjun Sen – who was given less than 100 days to live and how he managed to beat insurmountable odds is what follows the rest of the film.
Sircar is a master at portraying and telling a story with emotions that hit you right in your gut without ever being obvious, loud or even spelt out. You keep thinking just what is it and how is it that Arjun Sen is getting this motivation to power through each and every day in his life with pain, medications and more pain and more medications! You don’t find the answer because that is perhaps something that can never be put into words. Sircar never portrays Arjun as a ‘hero’ or ‘fighter’ where his flaws are subtly and consistently highlighted and there’s not one sob scene that you might anticipate in a film like this where any character might just say, ‘Arjun, you’re a fighter, you can do this’. None of that and that’s the beauty of it. Story and dialogue writer, Ritesh Shah pens lines just how and where they are needed and still creating the maximum impact. I might just go ahead and make t-shirts out of lines like ‘Denial – The Best Medication’ or ‘Pain is a promise that life always keeps’.
And what can you say about Bachchan and his willingness to go all out with this character and embodying the pain the real-life person went through! He is overweight, bald (in a few scenes), bruised with surgery scars, has braces and mouthpieces stuffed inside his face, uncomfortable, vulnerable and everything you can think of – thus having you forget that this is a film and you’re seeing an actor performing and not getting those surgeries. Bachchan has given his finest and unlike Dr. Deb in the movie, I don’t use this term ‘loosely.’
Ahilya Bamroo and Pearl Dey as the elder and younger versions of Arjun’s daughter, Reya respectively lend able innocence, frustration and chemistry to Arjun thus making the core relationship the hook for you to cling on. The beauty of showcasing a pure friendship might just be lost otherwise but that is also done impeccably by showing the bond Arjun had with his nurse and friend, Nancy (Kristin Goddard).
I Want To Talk’s pacing might be a factor for many to highlight but it didn’t bother me because I was invested. I do wish (though that’s not going to happen) that there was a way people would see the film interval-free in theatres.
I Want To Talk is a testament to how intimate movies with an incredible story and heart-warming performances is what a movie-viewing experience is also all about and not just the big event potboilers.
I continue to be optimistic and hopeful despite being slapped by the reality of how many people will actually come to the theatres to watch the film! I sincerely hope more and most do.