Kahaani: What I think of it

"Kahaani" (Hindi for "Story") is a Bollywood drama-thriller film starring Vidya Balan as the main protagonist. It also has other actors in various supporting roles, of which Parambrata Chatterjee plays the second-most significant character of the film. Directed by Sujoy Ghosh (most notably of the "Jhankaar Beats" directorial fame) and screenplay by Advaita Kala (author of "Almost Single"), Kahaani is a staunch women-centric film.

Film Synopsis:

The entire film is set in Kolkata. The film opens to a gas attack in the packed, rush-hour Kolkata subway (or "Metro" as we call it in India) that leaves over a hundred passengers dead. After that, the film quickly moves to Kolkata two years later. Vidya Bagchi (played by Vidya Balan) lands at the Kolkata airport and goes directly to a police station. She is a resident of London and is in the city to find her missing husband. Her complaint is that her husband, Arnab Bagchi, had come to Kolkata on a software project assignment, but has been out of touch for the last couple of weeks.

Vidya Bagchi is heavy into her pregnancy, and the mission she has set for herself is intimidating. The young police officer whose "daak naam" (Bengali for "pet name") is Rana (played by Parambrata Chatterjee) offers her his help in the daunting task that lie in front of them.

It is a journey that Vidya has to make, and the entire film is about the roads they take and the inroads they make. What happens to Vidya? Does she manage to find her missing husband? What were the odds like? These are the questions that the film seeks to answer.

My views:

Truth be told, it was refreshing to see a film set in Eastern India after a long time. Most of the Bollywood films are either Mumbai-based, or London-based, or Delhi-based. Kahaani's selection of Kolkata as its backdrop, for me, was perfect. The film needs vibrant, chaotic, baabu-istic, dark shades and Kolkata gives it those colors very well.

This film, in my opinion, is a director's film. The pace is fast - you are not allowed to be lazy in the entire duration of the film. That is the backbone of any good drama-thriller genre, and Kahaani does that perfectly. The scene editing is excellent, the cinematography brilliant. The entire film is an accumulation of all the scenes to a bang of a climax amidst the perfect loud drum beats of the Durgaa Puja. And the cherry on the cake - a Durgaa Puja in Kolkata (please click that link with audio on!).

Vidya Balan has proven yet again that she is the unrivaled queen of Bollywood today. It does not matter how many Sheelas and Munnis come and go, you need talent to survive in the lonely spot at the top, and Vidya with her performance in Kahaani shows us what talent really is. With this film, she has set the bar extremely high for all the films to follow this year, and I really doubt if any other actress is even going to come close to it. Also, it would be grave injustice to not mention how well Parambrata Chatterjee has done his part in the film. Without his character - the shy, innocent, helpful police officer - the film would have been incomplete, and Parambrata's performance makes this character come alive in true Kolkata style.

However, the winner in the film is the story. Excellent script by Advaita Kala, who unfortunately did not fare so well with her earlier script attempt in "Anjaana Anjaani", but what a comeback she makes with Kahaani! The story is the hero of the film, and it works so well with a very competent director and some very good performing actors.

I will rate this movie 4.5 out of 5. This is a movie that you cannot afford to miss.