Kahaani
Kahaani, director Sujoy Ghosh‘s latest offering after a miserable Aladin, was one film I was waiting to watch this month. If Vidya Balan was one reason, the movie’s intriguing first look was another. Was my wait worthy? Read on.
Two years after a massive terror attack at Kolkata metro, a pregnant Vidya Venkatesan Bagchi (Vidya Balan) flies from London to Kolkata in search of her missing husband, Arnab Bagchi. Unfortunately, Arnab is nowhere to be found even after relentless efforts and it is almost like he doesn’t exist at all.
But, the festive city has many surprises in store for Vidya. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) is on lookout for one Milan Damji, who is coincidentally a lookalike of Arnab Bagchi. Vidya feels the need to reach Milan in order to find Arnab. But none seems to know anything about Milan either.
The mystery forms – Who is Milan Damji? Where is Arnab Bagchi? The rest is about Vidya unfolding this enigmatic kahaani with the help of Rana (Parambrata Chatterjee), a local police officer.
Actors
Vidya wonderfully slipped into the character and remained equally amazing all through. Be it dialogue delivery, body language or facial expressions, she scores well in all of them. She might be on an award winning spree, yet again.
Parambrata Chatterjee’s performance was matured and very polished. Nawazuddin Siddiqui was brilliant as a tough IB officer. Indraneil Sengupta has a limited role and he was alright. The child actor at the lodge was simply adorable!
Analysis
Strong script, thoughtful direction, and gripping screenplay lead the movie. It was a pleasure to watch the story unfold intelligently. In such suspense movies, chances of obscurity or less clarity are always high. But, the story only got more interesting and clear as a couple of twists developed. Though few sequences look illogical initially, you’ll get your answers in the later part of the movie.
Though the movie is of a thriller genre, there are many inherent tender moments, causing a pure delight. Occasional humor only added to the engrossing mood of the tale. And, this is one of those rare films where every character has an importance of its own. Even if the appearance was for a few minutes, they could make a mark and the director has to be appreciated for this. Vidya’s costumes and realistic make-up deserve a mention.
Technically, the movie scores very high. Screenplay is the king of this gripping tale and keeps you on tenterhooks all through. Music wasn’t great, but background score helped in creating some nail biting moments here and there. Even amidst all the hustle, madness and suspense, the beauty of the superbly shot Kolkata couldn’t be missed. The movie was crisp, well edited and the mystery unfolds without you having to wait painfully. Kahaani is director Sujoy Ghosh’s well made tribute to women power and Kolkata. And, there’s nothing significant to talk on the bad side.
Kahaani is a smart small budget effort and the producers can bask in glory very soon. Word of mouth can do wonders and Vidya’s recent national award might draw substantial crowds to the cinemas.
Final word
It was worth my wait and is worth your time. Must watch! I’ll go with 4 out of 5.
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