When you have actors like Kalki, Naseeruddin and Rajat, what you expect is just mind-blowing acting. Kalki as Tara Deshpande is amazing and will win your hearts with the ease she gets into the role. Naseeruddin Shah, as always, is a complete delight to watch. He lets his eyes and body language does the talking. Both of them share a beautiful and realistic chemistry that makes this flick worth every penny. Though the concept of bringing two people, who are poles apart on a similar page, is a common one, but it is their characteristics and the presentation in ‘Waiting’ that makes the movie a delightful watch. The way every character has been minutely portrayed is praiseworthy. You get the detailing of the roles which gives ‘waiting’ realism. Also, the pinch of humour you get doesn’t make you feel bored. But the movie lacks drama and touch of sentiments. Unfortunately, the scenes you see in the trailer are the only highs of this film. The pace with which the movie continues is too slow for the youth. With some miraculous performances of the star-cast, and a light hearted content to make you feel at ease, you can give ‘waiting’ one watch.

“What is true love,” Kalki Koechlin’s Tara Kapoor asks Naseeruddin Shah’s Professor Shiv Natraj. The question might seem juvenile, but in their situation, the answer will decide their lives. Is it removing your wife’s ventilator support as doctors say she can’t come back to life after eight months in coma or is it not letting doctors operate on your husband because he’ll end up dependent forever – a choice he wouldn’t like? And that is Waiting for you, a movie about love, life and their complexities, subtly portrayed on screen by Anu Menon, and brilliantly so. In the end, Waiting urges for a life full of faith and laughter against all odds, but it also shows the troughs one must go through, especially when tragedy strikes. The movie does come off a bit didactic, but those moments are rare. And in an age of fast-moving storylines, this follows a leisurely pace. Packaged with Naseeruddin as the adorable old man struggling to understand a younger generation and Kalki as the charming young, energetic woman, Waiting is a delight. Powerful performances and a realistic approach make this a film you’d want to watch.

An understated and superbly acted film about loss, grief and the human need to cling on to the physical presence of loved ones, Anu Menon's Waiting is at once heart-wrenching and uplifting. The plot is wafer-thin because much of it hinges on episodic ruminations on love and death, but the restraint and lightness that the director brings to bear upon the solemn theme of life's impermanence gives the film its edge. Waiting is marked by deep philosophical undertones, but it is never unduly ponderous. Parts of the film appear just a tad affected and cliched. A husband admitting to a one-night stand or a wife suspecting her partner of infidelity don't quite belong in this subtle slice-of-life drama. But the core of the tale that Anu Menon crafts is rarely less than heartfelt and spontaneous. Kudos are also due to director Anu Menon for creating an authentic Kochi milieu with the aid of minor characters who nail the local accent without turning into caricatures. Waiting is beautiful and believable, a well-chiselled marvel that is watchable all the way.

Two people, waiting. This is an apt one-line description of a film about life, lasting love and impending loss which explores a zone Bollywood doesn’t bother with. Which is itself so refreshing that you want to champion the attempt, as well some of the outcome, even if it doesn’t hit all the marks, all the way. Some of the most effective moments in the film occur when the two leads are allowed to fall silent, to just be in that moment, to loosen up. That’s when you really see them, sharing what it is like to be on the opposite ends of the age spectrum, yet bound by that hardest question : will he/she live?  Kalki is a persuasive performer, making us watch, even if she comes off abrupt and forced in bits but that’s more to do with the way the part has been written. That’s something we can say for the plotting overall, which feels simultaneously underdeveloped and overwritten. Naseer comes off best, and that figures because he has the most life experience. He brings a quiet dignity and heart-breaking resilience to a man who has walked alongside his companion – theirs has been a marriage of companionship and abiding affection– for a long time, and who doesn’t want to let her go. Who does?

It is commendable that director Anu Menon has whipped up a warm tale about love, loss and surviving life's catastrophic blows, with such simplicity. Her lead characters - Shiv and Tara - have nothing in common. Menon plays on their generation gap to offer some genuine smiles. He can't utter the 'F' word. She is brash but awkwardly loving. His coping device is faith; hers is shopping. And yet, the two bond over the vital stats of their spouses. The layered screenplay poses some thought-provoking queries. In one of the film's best scenes, Tara rants how she has 1500 friends on Facebook and 5000 followers on Twitter and yet, she stands alone in her time of suffering. Shiv innocently asks 'what is twitter'. She calls it a notice board that helps one get more followers, making you wonder about its shallowness. In another flattering scene, a senior doctor teaches his junior how to give a patient bad news. These little moments have a far reaching impact. However, the writing wears thin in the latter half. Shiv's big revelation was unnecessary and the writers seemed unsure how to end it for Tara. And yet, none of it matters. For Kalki and Naseer's effortless performances, this movie deserves to be watched.