The Tashkent Files is a bold, if messy, conspiracy thriller probing Lal Bahadur Shastri’s mysterious 1966 death.
Vivek Agnihotri’s direction leans into melodrama, using a dialogue-heavy, docudrama-style format where a fictional committee debates theories. It’s a unique setup – think Rashomon meets a courtroom drama – but feels like a lecture, with sloppy editing and a preachy tone.
The cast saves it: Shweta Basu Prasad shines as a fiery journalist, Naseeruddin Shah brings gravitas (though underused), Mithun Chakraborty adds intrigue, and Pankaj Tripathi’s charisma grounds the chaos. Pallavi Joshi’s supporting role even nabbed a National Award.
The film’s strength is its provocative take on history, blending facts with speculation, but it sacrifices nuance for sensationalism, leaving you intrigued yet unsatisfied.
Perfect for conspiracy buffs, it’s less a cinematic gem and more a conversation starter. Flawed, biased, but gripping -watch it to question, not to marvel.
6.5/10.
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