Review of Kahaani (2012) by Murali D — 08 Apr 2012

The Kahaani review: Bidya and Kolkata concoct a stupendous tale in Kahaani.

Midway through the Woody Allen masterpiece, Midnight In Paris,I wondered if anybody from our very own bollywood had the finesse to re-create the magical aura that came to surround the city of Paris in the movie .Which of the current crop of Indian directors had the talent to showcase an Indian city with such resplendence and make the city a character in the plot itself,I said to myself. 5 minutes into the Sujoy Ghosh's brand new movie,Kahaani,I got my answer.I can't remember a Bollywood movie in recent times in which the city was so close to being termed a character in itself. The city Kolkata is brimming and bustling with activity during the Durga Puja period and Sujoy Ghosh does a wonderful job to capture all the colors of the city on the celluloid. Coupled with one of the best performances by an actor in recent times(Im getting tired writing the "best performances" line for each nd every Vidya Balan movie) Kahaani tells the tale of a woman in an alien city in search of her husband and is one of the best flicks in the thriller genre to be churned out by Bollywood ever.

Frankly speaking, the connection between Allen's movie and Khaani ends, as we are introduced to Vidya Bagchi, an IT professional residing in London who comes to visit the city. After a disturbing first scene in which a gruesome bio-terrorsist attack is shown and the viewers are left to wonder wats its connection with the plot; a heavily pregnant Ms Bagchi embarks on one-(wo)man mission to search for her husband who has been missing since his visit to the Bengal capital. Playing a pregnant lady searching for her husband in the ragged streets of a metropolis where every you can't differentiate between friend and foe was never going to be a walk in the park, but with every minute of her on screen presence you can't help but wonder this is an actress with some special talent and boy does she excel in her unique role. She's assisted in her treacherous ordeal by one sympathetic Inspector Rana(Bengali actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay). What follows is a breath taking and edge of the seat journey to discover the whereabouts of Arnab Bagchi, Vidya's husband,through dingy lanes and small villages that form the heart of Kolkata amongst others. All this in the mesmerizing backdrop of the Durga Pooja festivities and you have one hell of a hankering to go and visit the city yourself at the end of the movie. Vidya is a picture of moxie filled with varied emotions as she comes to terms with her pregnancy which will mark the arrival of a new human being in her life as opposed to the shock of a departure of an important part of her life as her husband goes missing. With all its beauty and goodness (most notably in the form of Rana and the kid at her motel where vidya stays) the city is also shown to have a much darker side to it with the most curious of contract killers you will ever see, on Vidya's trail. Bob Biswas,the contract killer even with his limited time on the screen manages to create a huge impression. To complicate matters the Intelligence Bureau also gets involved as it emerges that Arnab Bagchi's face matches with a dreaded terrorist,Milind Damji who infact is a trained IB agent who has defected to the enemy's side. Coherent synchronization of myriad characters and plot and subplots had to be an arduous task but the wonderfully talented Sujoy Ghosh weaves the plot ever so intricately and meticulously. The flawless execution of the same is reminiscent of the work of another great Bengali director,Satyajit Ray. In a way the film with its slick screenplay and editing and its ability in managing to hold the viewers till the end,has definitely set the benchmark(a high one at that) as far as the thriller genre is considered and has only taken the industry forward in terms of quality of film-making. Kudos to the team for that!!!

Well now, coming to the important part regarding the performances. Leading the pack and ruling the roost is the leading "actor" of the story,Vidya Balan. After sweeping away almost all awards at award functions for 2011 with her sublime portrayal of Silk smitha in the Dirty Picture, movie buffs were salivating with the expectation of another stupendous performance from Balan after the promising promos. And she delivers big time. Every single emotion, from the gritty pregnant lady to the wife hankering for her husband is presented flawlessly by her. Her role of Silk Smith gave the word "bold" a new height and meaning and with her turn as Bidya Bagchi,as she's often called in the film,Balan takes the word to dizzying heights albeit in a different direction. So, silk smitha transcends into Vidya bagchi almost with terrifying non-chalance. With her meticulous selection of roles Vidya has broken free of the usual run-of the mill roles that actresses usually portray in the industry and is by far the most talented actress of her generation, and I dare say rubbing shoulders with the likes of Smita Patil, such are her supreme acting skills. The supporting cast comprising mainly of some wonderfully talented Bengali actors are the icing on the cake with their stellar performances . Saswata Chatterjee, as Bob Biswas the contract killer cum LIC agent is a revelation, but you wish that he had more of screen time. I so wish someone would create a spin-off movie on his character. The rest of the cast including Rana and Khan,the IB officer, also give solid support to Vidya in taking the movie forward. Sujoy Ghosh with an extremely well written script and slickly directed flick delivers one of the best movies of recent times. The promise post the success of Jhankar Beats which went missing and hit rock bottom with Aladdin is now back and back with a bang,as a matter of fact he has outdone himself here. The way in which, every single part of the complex plot and every little detail has been coherently stitched together leading upto the gripping finale is really worth appreciating and commendable on his part. The background music and soundtrack by Vishal-Shekhar take the film forward and keep the adrenaline flowing in sync with the mood and pace of the movie.

In the end as you walk out of the theater having watched one of the most compelling and complete Bollywood flicks in recent times you can't help but wonder that movie was an experience in itself and a satisfying one at that. This is top drawer stuff we are talking about, a coming of age flick, one that is complimented by sublime performances not only by the leading lady but the entire cast and flawless execution of a solid script. Critics, who have dismissed Bollywood as one stagnant cesspool, watch out, there is still a ray of hope and air of freshness that this industry can offer. Please step forward monsieur Sujoy Ghosh and Ms Vidya Balan. Clap,clap!!