Going into ‘I Want To Talk’, I had no idea that that the character Abhishek Bachchan plays is based on an actual person called Arjun Sen. That knowledge would have added a certain layer to the story of a man who bests certain death- a diagnosis of laryngeal cancer and the consequent grim prognosis of a limited future—and is still around on planet earth.
A valid question arises, after you’re done: anyone surviving 19-20 tough surgeries, and finding the energy to bring up a daughter, and run a marathon, is worthy of respect, but is that enough to engage us for two hours? Director Shoojit Sircar has an affinity for characters dealing with life-and-death situations, set in the innards of hospitals (October), as well as exploring filial connections (Piku). Both themes are here, but the depth and emotion which elevate his plots surface only occasionally.
Also read – Ghoomer movie review: Saiyami Kher, Abhishek Bachchan go full tilt in this tale of damaged characters
Bachchan’s Arjun Sen, a US-based marketing honcho who thinks life is all about manipulating suckers, feels like an interesting, if not very likeable individual, in the initial few minutes he spends in his office, rapping out instructions, and sacking a sobbing junior who ‘wasn’t good enough’.
Post diagnosis, as Arjun gets into his long, arduous journey of repeat surgeries involving practically every organ, while trying to parent Reya (Pearle Dey), he turns into a patient. And that’s pretty much what happens in the first half: Arjun wheeling in his trusty brown leather trolley for yet another appointment with the knife, followed by bouts of chemo and radiotherapy, and the pain and discomfort that goes with the territory; Arjun coming back home, and settling in, readying for the next.
It’s only much later when there’s a spike in our interest again, when we see him having vaulted past the doctor-patient constraints with his crusty surgeon (Jayant Kriplani), his daughter now a spirited teenager (Ahilya Bamroo), his continuing banter with a local handyman (Johnny Lever), and his close relationship with his nurse (Kristin Goddard). Bachchan gets a couple of solid scenes, which lift a performance better than anything else he’s done so far. He lets go of vanity, revealing a thickened gut, and scars-on-the-belly, and an ability to bare. Sircar doesn’t get into melodrama, which is good, and there’s no sad background music to tell us when to feel, which is even better. But the film is restricted, for the most part, to being a two-hander between father and daughter (both Dey and Bamroo do their job well): as soon as it broadens its ambit and includes other characters, even if for a few moments, it feels fuller.
Also read – Sardar Udham review: A turbulent slice of India’s colonial past
‘I Want To Talk’ left me taking note of Arjun’s amazing grit and gumption, and perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds. But it should have also made me feel more: where are the tears when you need them?
I Want to Talk
Director – Shoojit Sircar
Cast – Abhishek Bachchan, Pearle Dey, Ahilya Bamroo, Jayant Kriplani, Kristin Goddard, Johnny Lever
Rating – 2.5/5
