Review of Kahaani (2012) by Prasad P — 20 Apr 2013

Sujoy Ghosh's superb thriller boasts a committed, star turn from Vidya Balan, but what really makes it work beyond the boundaries of its genre and cultural origins is tight pacing, strong direction and powerful storytelling.

Kahaani certainly is Balan's show, from the time we first see her making her way out of a crowded Calcutta airport, clutching her passport, wheeling her baggage and being harried by taxi drivers to her determined quest and its shocking conclusion.

She exhibits a winning mix of charm, determination and grit - all the while being heavily pregnant. She plays Vidya Bagchi, who has risked all to come from London to find her husband Arnab, whom she says has gone missing in the city of six million people.

She starts off by checking into the fleabag Guest House where her husband was staying and proceeds to try and trace his whereabouts. She is helped by a smitten policeman Rana (an unassumingly charming Parambrata Chatterjee) and brash IB agent Khan (a terrific Nawazuddin Siddiqui, whose roughhouse screen charisma should have Hollywood calling very soon).

Writer-Director Ghosh keeps the action moving briskly, refusing to be distracted by hometown filmic sensibilities, but instead taking pages out of the Hollywood thriller handbook. He also uses his film to beautifully showcase the city of Calcutta in all its idiosyncrasies, his deft use of location adding a strong sense of place in taking this gritty thriller forward.

Ultimately its denouement is far-fetched (much like any thriller) and there are a few loopholes, but the film's believability is never in doubt, with Ghosh's strong script deftly keeping the story from lapsing into contrivance, overkill or hyperbole.

Great acting, powerful pacing and tight craftsmanship make this film that rare beast: a Bollywood thriller made for those who don't watch Bollywood thrillers.