MUMBAI: Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan returns to the big screen on Friday in his first commercial film release after three years, taking up the role of a mustachioed police inspector in a Mumbai crime thriller.

In “Talaash” (Search), promoted as a darker tale than the industry's typical mix of glamour, action and comedy, Khan stars alongside popular actress Kareena Kapoor as a prostitute and Rani Mukerji as his wife.

Producer-actor Khan has given little away about the eagerly-anticipated film, which is set in the underbelly of India's entertainment capital and has been described by the star as an “intense suspense drama”.

“I want the suspense to be there, that's part of the promotions. Sometimes being quiet also promotes the film,” Khan said.

“I found it fulfilling... the suspense part of it. But at its heart, it's a story about someone coming to terms with loss... it is a very emotional story at its core,” Khan told the Press Trust of India ahead of the release.

The star reportedly had to learn to swim for scenes in “Talaash” , a film that “proves once again this actor's films are not to be skipped and completely worth the wait”, said a review in the DNA newspaper.

Directed by Reema Kagti and co-produced by Khan, “Talaash” marks the 47-year-old's first appearance in a movie since art film “Dhobi Ghat” (also known as “Mumbai Diaries”) was released in 2010, directed by his wife Kiran Rao.

Khan's last commercial hit was “3 Idiots” in 2009, a coming-of-age comedy about three engineering students which became the highest grossing Bollywood movie of all time.

His 2001 film “Lagaan” (Land Tax) became the third Hindi-language movie to be Oscar-nominated for best foreign language film.

This year Khan launched a 13-episode Sunday morning television show that won plaudits for tackling some of India's darkest social problems, drawing comparisons between him and US chat show host Oprah Winfrey.