2015 · Film
Talvar
Meghna Gulzar's crime thriller, loosely based on the 2008 Noida double murder case, examines one investigation from three conflicting points of view.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Talvar is streaming in India on Netflix with a subscription.
The story
One night in March 2008, 14-year-old Shruti Tandon is found murdered in her bedroom in Noida, and the family's missing domestic helper becomes the first suspect until his body turns up on the building's terrace. The local police's handling of the crime scene and the case draws public outrage, and the investigation passes to a central agency under Joint Director Ashwin Kumar. As different teams look at the same evidence, they reach very different conclusions about what happened inside the house.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
Made for viewers who like procedural, Rashomon-style crime dramas built on real cases. It deals with the murder of a teenager, with bloody crime-scene images and adult themes, so it is meant for adults and older teens.
Genres:True storiesCrimeThriller
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Talvar is loosely based on the 2008 Noida double murder case, in which a teenage girl and her family's domestic worker were found dead. Vishal Bhardwaj wrote and co-produced it after meeting officials involved in the investigation, and he and Meghna Gulzar researched the case for two years. The script shows events from the viewpoint of the police and two separate investigation teams. Names of the people and organisations involved were changed.
The film premiered as Guilty at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on 14 September 2015, played at the BFI London and Busan festivals, and opened in India on 2 October 2015 on 625 screens. Wikipedia lists a gross of about ₹45.9 crore against a ₹15 crore budget. Bhardwaj won Best Adapted Screenplay and Sanjay Kurian Best Audiography at the 63rd National Film Awards, and it won Best Editing and Best Sound Design at the 61st Filmfare Awards.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Crime thriller, Investigative drama
- Runtime
- 133 min
- Certificate
- U/A
- Director
- Meghna Gulzar
- Cast
- Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Neeraj Kabi, Sohum Shah, Gajraj Rao
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Talvar in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Talvar is streaming in India on Netflix with a subscription.
- Is Talvar in Hindi?
- Yes. Talvar is a Hindi-language film.
- Is Talvar suitable for children?
- Talvar has a CBFC U/A certificate, which means children under 12 should watch with a parent or guardian.
- How long is Talvar?
- Talvar runs for 2 hours 13 minutes (133 minutes).