Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012)

Not a sequel to the similarly titled Talaash: The Hunt Begins... (2003), The Answer Lies Within is a search for a different truth. Namely, why popular film star Armaan Kapoor (Vivan Bhatena) was seen speeding in a car through a shady part of town, before veering off the road and into the ocean depths.
Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Aamir Khan), a man with a crippling tragedy in his past, leads the case. The tone of the film reflects Surjan's feelings mostly, with moody lighting and music to match. The investigation becomes two-tiered, professional and personal, affecting the inspector's life and that of his wife Roshni (Rani Mukerji), who deals with the past in her own way.
One crappy train station scene aside, I feel that Dir. Reema Kagti respected both the psychological and unnatural threads of the story equally.

4 white petals out of 5

3 Idiots (2009)

Tentative fears of having purchased a Dumb and Dumber style comedy were thankfully completely unfounded and besides one instance of 'boy band music video' I didn't cringe or consider the stop button even once. Phew!
It begins with two of the titular idiots (Sharman Joshi and Madhavan) searching for the third (Aamir Khan); it then jumps back to show their time together as roommates in a College for Engineering undergraduates.
While all the actors fit their roles well, Aamir is perfect for his - he's a free spirit, a cool breeze that invigorates a runner in the race of life on a hot day.
The script also has a few prudent and pragmatic things to say about the state of the education system as a whole, not just as it stands in India.

4 time pieces out of 5