Imitiaz Ali is known for showing us the darker side of love stories and this is what he does once again. Not easy to digest, Tamasha too is a story of Ved’s ambivalence towards Tara. Even though at the core, Tamasha is a love story, mid way it touches too many angles. The crux of it all comes to the distance between the two main spheres of life being ‘Dil’ and ‘Duniya’. The underlined themes of monotony, gloom, absence of love, freedom run through the film.
Ved’s character is multi-layered. As Don, he may be crazy as hell, mouthing corny dialogues, his other side is stark opposite. A byproduct of civilization and societal pressure, he is like a machine set in motion. Towards the second half, when we are introduced to Ved’s distinct nature, it comes across as though he has a personality disorder. Imtiaz is trying to show how anxiety can take over a person and how it controls him but it lacks clarity and many may find this sudden neurotic break down of Ved mind boggling.
Tara on the other hand seems an emotionally difficult person. She is obsessing over someone whom she met years back in a role-playing act and yet she is certain that it is love. Other side characters in the film such as Ved’s Punjabi boss and even his father seem too gimmicky. The only light moments in the film are when Ved and Tara meet at Corsica but unfortunately their conversations are too juvenile. Also one would wonder, why Ved cannot put his foot down and explore his life from there on, rather than going back to his monotonous job and conventional father.
After a strangely riveting story, the climax comes across as a sheer disappointment and is the epitome of predictability.
Imtiaz offers a wide array of emotions in the plot, yet only a few strike the right chords.
Tamasha is different but not perfect. Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone deliver fine performances, making this film a one-time watch!
Rating - 3/5 Courtsey - Koimoi
