Title: I want to talk

Director: Shoojit Sircar

Cast: Abhishek A Bachchan, Ahilya Bamroo, Johnny Lever, Jayant Kripalani, Pearle Dey Kristin Goddard

Or: In cinemas near you

Rating: 3.5 stars

So how do you take a break? How to let the magic happen in pure silence? Well, you take a masterful director, of the stature of Shoojit Sircar, and a seasoned performer, of the caliber of Abhishek Bachchan, to tell a story that is as tender as it is heartbreaking. “I Want To Talk” is this delicious blend where performances and silence intertwine to make a pointed and distinguished commentary on the ephemeral and eternal nature of life as we know it.

Mind you, Sircar has used these meandering, meaningful pauses in his previous efforts such as October and Piku, but in this film he offers more gravitas as he refuses to overlay these tender moments with soulful melodies. The pauses here are used to reflect, instead of using them to highlight, or even intensify, the key subtexts the narrative is rife with. Bachchan Junior’s performance therefore becomes remarkably poignant and sophisticated for those with the most discerning palette.

Watch Abhishek stare into nothingness, see him see the seasons change and the landscapes change, watch him embrace the moment he is in, characterizing the fleeting nature of it. The sheer visual delight of it all, coupled with the proverbial ‘thehraav’, will leave you with a lump in your throat. It’s too much to process, let alone delve into, and yet the warmth of the film makes you smile.

Abhishek plays a marketing genius, someone who can negotiate anything and win almost anything. Manipulation is the key word here. His marketing talent is such that he can even sell the word manipulation under the guise of finely decorated beliefs. When life throws him a curve – that of the Shakespearean proprion, both in terms of degree and curvature – he decides to manage the situation and the sensitive timetable to which he is ultimately reduced (less than four months). But then again, as they say, you’re never ready for the final goodbye, even when you think you’re ready. Sircar’s story offers this precarious preparation at the limit of uncertainties which weigh heavily!

The creators here are not exactly paraphrasing, but most certainly reconstructing patterns to mean the message: Is this how I lighten the burden of my being? Perhaps by forgiving some and asking for forgiveness from some! How do you find that perfect balance? The emotional landscape here is much more difficult to navigate for a film that may appear on the surface to be a slice of life, but exposes the deeper contexts and complexities.

Watch the banter between a father and his daughter, staged to leave you watery-eyed as much as it tries to make you laugh. See how the doctor uses a few simple words (oh, the pauses again) and a few choice superlatives to ease the enormous tension of the tragedy. Both individuals are placed in a precarious situation and Sircar captures the smallest dots that ultimately form the common bond.

For those who have admired Abhishek in films such as Yuva, Guru and Dasvi, to name a few, would consider this performance as one of his best. The sheer maturity, necessary maneuvering, and credibility he brings to the table makes him adorable to watch. His altered physicality only makes him more realistic, and the vulnerability in his eyes makes you want to listen to him even when only his silence speaks!