I Want to Talk Review: Abhishek Bachchan's stubborn fight against fate is the beating heart of this tale of hope

I Want to Talk is the only Abhishek Bachchan movie releasing in theatres this year. Directed by Shoojit Sircar, the trailer received immense appreciation. Shoojit earlier worked with Amitabh Bachchan in Piku. Therefore, moviegoers anticipate an equally impactful story in this Abhishek starrer. So is the movie worth watching on the big screen? Continue reading further...

Movie: I Want to Talk

Starring: Abhishek Bachchan, Ahilya Bamroo, Johnny Lever, Pearl Dey

Director: Shoojit Sircar

Writer: Ritesh Shah

Release Date: November 22, 2024

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

What is it about?

In I Want to Talk, we're introduced to Arjun Sen (Abhishek Bachchan) , a marketing genius who uses his vocal power to make things work his way. Arjun Sen, at the height of his career, faces a devastating diagnosis of laryngeal cancer. The doctor informs him that he only has approximately 100 days to live, and we follow Arjun as he navigates through the illness. The story also focuses on his bond with his daughter Reya, which is a crucial element.

I Want to Talk Review: What's Hot?

Human stories are always beautiful to watch on screen. What I appreciated from the outset of Shoojit Sircar's I Want to Watch, written by Ritesh Shah, was their refusal to portray Arjun Sen as a saintly figure. He fires people simply because he wants to, and he knows how to use his manipulation skills as a convincing tool. However, from the moment of his laryngeal cancer diagnosis, we eagerly anticipate the unfolding of his unexpected and unforeseen journey. Arjun has several flaws in his personality that irritate us. He is divorced and his wife never shows up when things go downhill for him. It makes you wonder, what she must have endured with him. Yet, the beautiful writing and performance compel us to hope that things will not get worse for our character.

Arjun Sen, who loves talking, channels his entire energy into fighting death. As he says, he's stubborn and undergoes more than 20 surgeries that leave us wondering how his body parts are even attached to each other at this point! But it's that adamancy that keeps us inspired. One way to understand this is how he can't control the fact that he got cancer, but he would control how it impacts his life, just as he can control how his daughter Reya's life is affected. Another aspect I liked about Shoojit's movie is the hospital scenes are never made to appear distressing. After all, it's also a place where we get the positive news. So not turning the entire hospital setting gloomy, despite, as a viewer, not knowing what's going to happen next really pushes the hope factor. Every time Arjun is in the hospital bed, he turns the moment cheeky with his never-ending questions and observant nature.

While we see Arjun's determination to stay hopeful and punch death harder at any given instance, his relationship with daughter Reya is also a crucial part of the story. I see their equation like the two halves of the movie. The first half sometimes feels disjointed; we're still trying to make sense of what's happening because of the slow pace, and that's how Arjun and Reya's relationship is. However, the moment Arjun gets a grasp of finding ways to deal with his condition, even if it means putting his body through innumerable surgeries, his relationship with Reya also intensifies. However, it doesn't come until a much-needed emotional breakthrough between the duo. To be honest, it's one of the most impactful sequences in the film, leaving a lasting effect.

Abhishek Bachchan has delivered one of his career-best performances in I Want to Talk. We see the conviction in him to show the character's dilemma, pain, anger, and need to win when life has hit him hard. While he perfectly portrays the required emotions in every scene, the physicality of his character, which changes with every surgery or leap, is also commendable. Ahilya Bamroo as Reya brings the much-needed calmness in the story while also stirring emotions when things feel a bit mundane. The actress has done a fantastic job matching up to Abhishek's brilliant act. Pearl Dey plays young Reya, and even through the silences, she effectively conveys the perplexity of her character, seeing her father behave completely differently.

I Want to Talk Review: What's not?

I Want to Talk is a straightforward story that is certainly about hope, but you sometimes wait for that one big moment that hits you in the gut. Johnny Lever's character is used as comic relief to not make the story depressing, but the jokes don't land.

Final thoughts

Overall, Shoojit Sircar again manages to tap into emotions with a story of hope and resilience with another character who is determined to challenge his fate. Will Arjun survive to dance at his daughter's wedding? It's a question that lingers on our minds till the very end. The sincere story and its remarkable execution, the frequent stillness on screen amidst the chaos in our protagonist's life, the breezy music that soothes our mind, and the solid performances all make it a wonderful watch.