Reema Kagti knows how to build suspense. Afilm star gets killed as the car he drives veers off and falls into the sea mysteriously.
The viewer does his Sherlock bit, and keeps smelling for all possible whodunit rats... till Kagti hoists up an unbelievably rotten surprise. And there goes the Talaash twist, light years off the thriller track.
Of course, it's a gripping tale on the surface. There is cop Aamir Khan tracking a high-profile killing and, in the process, tailing an A-list hooker (a colourful Kareena, mouthing even more colourful solicit lines).
Kagti then throws in the other pieces of her jigsaw puzzle — Rani Mukherji who drifts apart from husband Aamir as both try to come to terms with a tragedy; a pimp played with raw conviction by Nawazuddin Siddiqui; and a Shernaz Patel with a sixth sense who spends time talking with all the spirits around.
Aamir, the nocturnal officer, roams the lovely, dark and deep Mumbai streets (captured beautifully with all the red-light lust and loathing), as he explores an extortion angle to the case. An all-knowing Kareena drops enough clues as she waltzes into the night, and Aamir picks them up on time.
It's the performances that save Talaash. Aamir is equally good as the tough cop and vulnerable parent. Rani sheds make-up and does a good job, while Kareena carries off her garish 'Rosy' with elan, and even makes a good splash underwater .
Talaash is a not-so-bad ride. But it takes you nowhere.