I Want To Talk REVIEW: Abhishek Bachchan impresses in this slice-of-life film about pain & perseverance

Film:
I Want To Talk

Director: Shoojit Sircar

Writer: Ritesh Shah

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Ahilya Bamroo, Johny Lever and Jayant Kripalani

Run Time: 122 minutes (2 hours, 2 minutes)

Platform: In Theatres

I Want To Talk Review

Directed by Shoojit Sircar and starring Abhishek Bachchan as Arjun Sen, I Want To Talk is an emotional real-life drama that is sure to touch your heart and make you teary. The 2-hour-long film is based on the life of Arjun Sen, Shoojit’s NRI friend who a cancer survivor. Over the last several years, Arjun underwent many life-altering surgery to beat cancer and live past the 100 days doctors had original given him. Alongside his battle to preserver and live a long life, the film also sheds light upon his complex relationship with his daughter since her childhood.

Arjun is a marketing whizzes who has after completing his MBA and getting a well-paid job is now a divorcee who has his daughter, Reya (Perale Dey), every Tuesday, Thursdays and alternate weekends. A man who prioritizes work more than anything else, Sen is diagnosed with cancer after coughing up blood during a pitch meeting.

While he refrains from telling his daughter the truth about his health, he makes her videos while in the hospital. Over the next couple of months, he looses his home, job and ability to talk and almost gives up when the 100-day-mark the doctors initially gave him nears. However, his nurse manages to change his mind and motivate him to stay alive and fight his illness. He then not only fights it all for his friend, but also for his daughter who wishes to have him to dance at her wedding. The film depicts Arjun’s journey through countless hospital visits and over 30 surgeries to win against cancer. Before you make up your mind regarding whether you should watch I Want To Talk in theatres, read our honest review below.

What’s Works

Abhishek Bachchan has delivered one of his best works to say with I Want To Talk. The storytelling – even though not plot-heavy, will touch your heart and make you emotional.

What Doesn’t Work

The first half is slow, background music is MIA during crucial emotional scenes and the film leaves you a little unsatisfied as there was scope for a lot more bonding to be added.

Technical Analysis

Story

Written by Ritesh Shah, I Want To Talk is based on Shoojit Sircar’s USA-based friend Arjun Sen. Given that it’s based on true, there aren’t many liberties taken in developing the narrative. However, he fails in telling the life-long story of Arjun Sen in a mere 2 hours. We hope there added some more to show how Arjun and Reya rebuild their bond.

Direction

This isn’t one of Sircar’s best works. The director has done his best in telling the story but it’s more than evident it’s lacking when it comes to giving the characters a good arc, in telling the story between then and more.

Cinematography

Avik Mukhopadhyay has done a good enough job in giving the audience a glimpse into the places Arjun, Reya and their close ones lived in. From the hospitals to the lake side and even Arjun’s 2BHK apartment and then 2-storey home, the set design and cinematography are true to what we would have expected to see in the State around the time the story unfolded.

Editing

Though Chandrashekhar Prajapati has done his best while editing I Want To Talk, we wish him- along with director Shoojit Sircar, would have increased the pace of the flick. Especially in thew first half.

Music

When it comes to music and background score, I Want To Talk disappoints. Intense scenes – which could have been made more emotional with a touching BGM score, fall flat. We wish George Joseph had put in a bit more effort and made this film on par with Paa.

I Want To Talk Star Performance

Abhishek Bachchan has undoubtedly delivered one of his best performances to date. He makes you loath him during the initial few minutes before having you root for him to come back stronger after every surgery he undergoes. From the expression to the voice modulation to his mannerism, Abhishek has given his all to bring Arjun and that’s clearly visible. He deserves a round of applause for slipping under the skin of a potbellied, scarred and ordinary man without any apprehension.

Ahilya Bamroo as Arjun’s grown up daughter Reya has managed to hold her own even when sharing screen space with Abhishek. From emoting the feeling of kid growing up in a broken home, to teenage rebellion and love for her father, Ahilya has impressed in her maiden outing.

It’s amazing to see Johnny Lever on the big screen again. Alas, he has too little screentime and his character seems to not add much to the narrative aside from being a more personal Uber driver-cum-handyman. Jayant Kripalani effortlessly stands out as Dr Deb. His banters with Arjun remain the highlight of the film and his expression when his Sundays are spoilt will make you chuckle.

Conclusion

Shoojit Sircar’s I Want To Talk is a film meant for a niche audience. Those who loved films like Amitabh Bachchan’s Paa and Varun Dhawan’s October will enjoy the Abhishek Bachchan starrer despite its slow-paced narrative. For others, do not head to theatres, but do watch it once it premieres on OTT (Amazon Prime Video) to see Abhishek shine the brightest he has ever as an actor.

Watch the trailer of I Want To Talk here:

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