I WANT TO TALK rests on award-winning performance by Abhishek Bachchan

I Want To Talk Review {2.5/5} & Review Rating

Director: Shoojit Sircar

I Want To Talk Movie Review Synopsis:
I WANT TO TALK is the story of a man whose life takes a shocking turn. Arjun Sen (Abhishek Bachchan) lives in a city in California, USA and is a ruthless marketing genius. He is separated from his wife Indrani and his daughter Reya (Pearle Dey) visits him 3-4 days a week. One day, while sharing his pitch with a client, Arjun falls sick and is hospitalized. The doctors inform him that he is suffering from laryngeal cancer, a type of cancer that develops in the tissues of the larynx, or voice box. Arjun is even told that he might not live to see Christmas that year. Arjun is shattered and to make matters worse, he loses his house in an alimony battle. His company also fires him. At the insistence of his friend Subodh, he takes a second opinion and approaches Dr Jayanta Deb (Jayant Kripalani), a top cancer specialist. He patiently explains to Arjun about the multiple surgeries that he’ll have to go through and also lets him know that he can extend his life by two years. Arjun accepts and undergoes the surgeries. He has to shave his head and his relationship with his daughter further gets fractured. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

I Want To Talk Movie Story Review:
I WANT TO TALK is based on the book ‘Raising A Father’ by Arjun Sen. The story is unbelievable. Ritesh Shah’s screenplay (additional screenplay by Tushar Sheetal Jain) is devoid of typical entertaining moments but is peppered with subtle emotions. Ritesh Shah’s dialogues are realistic and straight out of life.

Shoojit Sircar’s direction is niche and yet engaging. He doesn’t use the commercial tropes that others do or which even he did, in limited doses, in films like PIKU [2015]. The lead character is not instantly likeable and is socially awkward. Yet, one gets drawn into the world and the battle that the protagonist has to go through. Several scenes stand out but the ones with his daughter Reya are special. Two scenes that are memorable are when Reya asks Arjun to show her his scars and when a grown-up Reya (Ahilya Bhamroo) suddenly hugs him. The track of Nancy (Kristin Goddard) is very moving and would be loved. Arjun’s bond with his doctor is amusing yet lovely.

On the flipside, the story jumps timelines and at times, it becomes difficult to understand how many weeks or months or years have passed. Certain aspects should have been better explained. For instance, the daughter’s bond with her mother and her having to switch between houses. Moreover, Arjun’s family is nowhere to be seen in the first half, and they appear all of a sudden in the second half. It is not shown if they contacted him and gave him moral support. For a major part of the film, one actually assumes that Arjun has no family members apart from his daughter. Also, one never gets to understand how Arjun managed his finances all these years, especially when he didn’t have a stable job. Lastly and most importantly, the treatment of the film is very niche, and this would alienate a major chunk of the audience. The title of the film also makes it clear what the zone of the film is.

I Want To Talk – Trailer | Shoojit Sircar | Abhishek Bachchan | Rising Sun Films | Kino Works

I Want To Talk Movie Review Performances:
Abhishek Bachchan delivers one of the greatest performances of his career. One forgets that one is watching Abhishek on screen as he goes into the skin of his character effortlessly. He even alters his dialogue delivery and that adds to the impact. He’s sure to benefit big time with this film. Pearle Dey leaves a huge mark as the young Reya. Ahilya Bhamroo, meanwhile, is outstanding and it’s difficult to imagine that it’s her debut performance. Jayant Kripalani lends able support and is great as a doctor who is irritated by Arjun’s behaviour but still has a soft spot for him. Kristin Goddard is adorable, and she rocks in the scene when she talks to Arjun on the phone and a day later at his residence. Johny Lever looks a bit out of place but nevertheless, he’s lovely. The actor playing Subodh lends able support.

I Want To Talk movie music and other technical aspects:
Taba Chake’s music is forgettable. George Joseph and Koyna’s background score is very minimal but impactful.

Avik Mukhopadhayay’s cinematography is stunning. The lensman, going by Shoojit Sircar’s style, doesn’t shoot at the usual tourist spots and yet manages to make the city seem appealing. Veera Kapur Ee’s costumes and Mansi Dhruv Mehta’s production design are straight out of life. Shabana Latif’s make-up and prosthetics and Petr Gorshenin’s special prosthetics deserve a special mention as it is very praiseworthy. Chandrashekhar Prajapati’s editing is neat. Though the film is just 122 minutes long, it seems a bit long in some scenes and hence could have been shorter by 5-10 minutes.

I Want To Talk Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, I WANT TO TALK tells an emotional story and rests on award-winning performances by Abhishek Bachchan and Ahilya Bhamroo. But due to its niche treatment, title and execution, it is meant for a minuscule section of the audience, and this would affect its box office prospects.