[2] The film stars Abhishek Bachchan in the lead role and is based on the true story of Arjun Sen, a cancer survivor facing life-altering surgery as well as navigating a complex relationship with his daughter since her childhood.

[7] Arjun Sen, a USA-based NRI facing life-altering surgery, looks at the brighter side of life whilst navigating a complex relationship with his daughter (Reya) as a single parent.

[17] Catherine Bray of The Guardian gave 2 stars out of 5 and said "A greater degree of setup would have given this story of a Don Draper type’s determination to beat a terminal diagnosis more dramatic heft".

[18] Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and observed that "Abhishek Bachchan conveys the numerous chapters and challenges of his mind, body and soul with a never-before candour".

[19] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 2.5/5 stars and observed that "Abhishek Bachchan lets go of vanity, revealing a thickened gut, and scars-on-the-belly, and an ability to bare.

[20] Devesh Sharma of Filmfare rated 4.5/5 stars praises the performance saying "The actor has completely immersed himself in the character, showcasing a side of Abhishek we haven't seen in quite some time.

[22] Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times said about the film that "Bachchan fully utilizes his real-life demeanor as a chill guy with some of the best one-liners in the room, for his character.".

[23] Zinia Bandyopadhyay of India Today gave 4 stars out of 5 and said "Shoojit Sircar masterfully uses silence to enhance Arjun Sen's story in I Want To Talk and Abhishek Bachchan delivers a flawless performance as Arjun Sen.[24] Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India rated 3.5/5 stars and said "In book terms, ‘I want to talk’ may not be a page-turner but it’s not a sob story either.

"[26] Anuj Kumar of The Hindu said in review that Caught between moments of introspection and inertia, Shoojit Sircar’s human drama on the impermanence of life and relationships struggles to find its bearings".