Besides being lapped up by the audience and critics alike, the film also went on to win five National Awards and as many Filmfare Awards too. The same team of Haider, led by Bhardwaj, collaborated to work on director Meghna Gulzar's Talvar that stars Irrfan, Konkona Sensharma and Neeraj Kabi.
Irrfan, who played a pivotal part in Haider, essays the role of investigating officer Ashwin Kumar in Talvar. Vishal, who has scripted and composed the music of the upcoming drama, has teamed up with veteran poet-lyricist Gulzar, and hopes to repeat their magic yet again. Other important crew members include cinematographer Pankaj Kumar, production designers Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray, and sound designer Shajith Koyeri.
Talvar is based on the Aarushi Talwar murder case, a controversial subject that captured the nation's attention. Says Vishal, "Haider and Talvar are based on interesting subjects that kept me hooked for a long time. I found them compelling stories for films. I had to write them so that they reach a wider audience." The movie centres around unbiased investigations by three different teams that differed on their opinion on whether the parents were guilty or not.
Talvar had a world premiere at the recently-concluded 40th Toronto International Film Festival where it garnered immense appreciation and accolades. Talvar, produced by Junglee Pictures and Vishal Bhardwaj Pictures, releases October 2.