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| Irrfan Khan investigates. |
The 2008 murder of Aarushi
Talwar, the 14-year-old daughter of two dentists living near Delhi, transfixed
India. After seeing this film, which recreates events and examines the
incompetence of the investigation, I can see why. It is an extremely strange
case.
In the film Aarushi is
renamed Shruti. One morning her parents wake up to find her dead in her bed,
her throat slit. Immediately the family and police suspect their servant, who
is missing. But things aren’t as simple as that. Inspector Ashwin Kumar (Irrfan
Khan, giving a strong performance) from the Central Department of Investigation
takes over the case from the local police when it becomes clear that they are
not up to handling something so high profile and complex (I loved Gajraj Rao as
the amazingly bumbling local inspector). But the politics in Kumar’s own
department frustrate his every turn.
Director Meghna Gulzar and
writer Vishal Bharadwaj did a lot of research to cover all the details of the
crime and the investigation, and they use a gritty style to enhance the realism.
They decided not to pick a side, but instead show the night of the murder three
times throughout the film, letting the different explanations put forward by
the police play out. Some of the scenarios are more believable than others, but
none completely explains all the evidence. These scenes are, however, some of
the most effective parts of the film, which does unfortunately drag a little
towards the end when it focuses on the internal politics of the police.
For those drawn to real life
crime stories, this is a genuine mystery that will grip you but unfortunately
(for everyone involved) does not offer a satisfactory conclusion. For those
interested in India, Talvar paints a
picture of a very under-resourced and overloaded criminal justice system,
unable to cope with the modern world.
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