I Want To Talk Review: Abhishek Bachchan brings dying man's euphoria to life in Shoojit Sircar's weakest film

One of the underrated star kids of our time, Abhishek Bachchan is back on the big screens after 15 months with Shoojit Sircar's 'I Want To Talk'. The film is based on real-life incidents of a dying man. The man who was told he had cancer and only had 100 days to live. 'I Want To Talk' deals with a lot of things in the background while two things remain stagnant, a middle-aged man trying to defeat death and his evolving relationship with his daughter. Sardar Uddham and Piku famed filmmaker Shoojit Sircar is back but the bangs could have been louder. While Sircar has opened a lot of gates for criticism with his new release, Abhishek Bachchan has grabbed this opportunity with both hands. 

Story

'I Want To Talk' begins with an IITian and NRI Arjun Sen, who is rocking the marketing world from California. In the first few minutes, it is made clear that Arjun had split with his wife after a few years of marriage. He has a daughter named Reya who stays on Tuesdays, Thursdays and alternate weekends with her father. After coughing blood amid an office meeting, Arjun is taken to hospital, where he finds out he is suffering from Laryngeal cancer. He later meets another doctor (played by Jayant Kripalani) after he's told there are only 100 days left to live. 

Arjun then goes through majorly 20 surgeries on most of his body parts to not only survive but also try to mend ways with his daughter. The man who once wanted to commit suicide runs a marathon for the friend who saved him. At the start of the film, Arjun says that he hates when people use the word manipulation as he only tries to convince and remains persistent. And that's exactly what 'I Want To Talk' is all about. But does he defeat cancer? Is he able to dance at his daughter's wedding? Watch the film in theatres to find out. 

Acting

One thing about Shoojit Sircar's films is that he never hires an actor who cannot deliver the role they are chosen for. 'I Want To Talk' is no exception. The captain of this ship remains Abhishek Bachchan from the first go, till the end. From several physical transformations to acting his his eyes and expression, AB Junior does it all, and with what ease. The actor who was once titled as not up to the mark has kept raising the bar over the years with several performances in films like 'Guru', 'Manmarziyaan', 'Dasvi', 'Ghoomar' and now 'I Want To Talk'. While we appreciate Abhishek Bachchan's performance in this film, it is equally important to applaud the prosthetics and make-up team who make you feel for the character with each changing look. 

'I Want To Talk' also has a bunch of good actors like Johnny Lever, Jayant Kripalani and Kristin Goddard among others, but if after AB one would notice, it would be actors who played the role of his daughter Reya. While Pearle Dey, who plays the younger version is cute, speaks her mind and struggles with her parent's broken relationship in silence; Ahilya Bamroo who plays the older version is a walking portrait. She has the best emotional outburst scene, looks perfect in the role and her monologue in the end is as perfect as it can be. 

Writing and direction

One thing about Shoojit Sircar's films is that there is no spoon-feeding, the filmmaker contributes to mature cinema and expects the audiences to join the dots. While has been able to do so every time in past films, examples being Piku, October and Sardar Uddham; Shoojit was not able to re-create his magic this time. 'I Want To Talk' has to be his weakest film in terms of writing. Ritesh Shah, the writer of 'I Want To Talk' left lots of open ends to savour the climax. Moreover, there was so much the makers could have explored, like Arjun's relationship with his wife, who was nowhere to be seen in the film except for the divorce settlement scene. Then Johnny's lever goes wasted as there is not much for him to do. 

On the other hand, it is understandable that Abhishek Bachchan's character's spirit had to be in a certain way as he's a survivor by heart but several scenes, where AB has to convince the doctor could have been handled with much more diligently. Moreover, several jokes didn't land well, while Shoojit's forte was nowhere to be seen. With 'I Want To Talk' we also have a Shoojit Sircar film, where not even one song will last long in our minds. 

Verdict

'I Want To Talk' has a lot to tell but only to those who want to listen and have patience. The film will also remind you of October a lot. Moreover, the scene where Reya confronts her father will also jog Piku's memories. While the filmmaker should be helmed for going wrong in writing and screenplay, the cast has done a fab job and should be rightly credited. Despite derailing and slowing down 'I Want To Talk' presents a modern-day picture of a broken home, father-daughter relationship and survival. Hence, Abhishek Bachchan and Shoojit Sircar's film deserves 3 stars.