For all its positives, “Talvar” fails to keep that distance, and therefore compromises its ability to be an impartial, unbiased chronicle of what is India’s most sensational murder case.

Overall, it’s a well-rehearsed, well-meaning film highlighting the ineptitude of our legal system. You leave the auditorium with the feeling that Aarushi will never get justice, that a re-examination of the way our judiciary functions has become necessary… You feel angry and disillusioned. Maybe things may change if enough people got angry…

It’s an extraordinary feat that Gulzar keeps the finger-wagging at bay, and delivers a sharply scripted and angry look at mishandling of the case.

…there is no denying that Talvar is easily among the best Hindi films of the year. It is in equal parts absorbing, heartbreaking, and infuriating, much like the case it’s based on.

As the movie draws to an end, and you find your own truth, you will be left haunted by the images of a giddy teenager flashing on your screen…

Vishal Bharadwaj’s retelling of the Aarushi-Hemraj murders will leave you shaken and heartbroken…

It’s after a long time that I’ve seen a film that has spent so much time and effort on research. Hats off to Gulzar and Bharadwaj for their digging and making a documentary thriller, a genre that is largely unexplored in Indian mainstream cinema. To make a film like this with a cast that has no commercially viable star, you really need to believe in the story you are telling.

The film has an engaging plot and is backed with superb performances. If you are planning to catch a film during this long weekend then Talvar should be your first choice.

Its intentions might be blunt but as a piece of cinema Talvar is a sharp procedural.

Talvar makes an elegant and convincing case for the Talwars, but it ignores one of the biggest factors behind their conviction. A separate, cautionary tale can be spun on how news anchors in hot pursuit of ratings and tabloid-influenced editors stacked the odds against the couple. Avirook Sen’s book Aarushi provides several instances of how unverified claims about the private lives of the Talwars created an unassailable image of the dentists as scheming and swinging monsters.