Review of Kahaani (2012) by Shoaibuddin A — 09 Mar 2012

Itâ(TM)s difficult to not let my love for contemporary Bengali cinema colour this review for Kahaani. No harm done either way if you ask me, for this is essentially a â~Bengaliâ(TM) film on many counts. In fact, with so many familiar Tollywood faces in the ensemble, the Hindi dialogues almost seem out of place - especially in case of conversations between Parambrata and Kharaj (the other, chubbier inspector for the uninitiated). I am not sure if a Bengali version of the movie has been shot, but I am sure I will like it just a tad better in the least.

The trailers promised a racy crime thriller and thatâ(TM)s exactly what Kahaani turns out to be. The search for the ever elusive â~Arnab Bagchiâ(TM) takes on twists and turns and features the length and breadth of the â~City of Joyâ(TM) like no other movie I can recall. To the regular movie goer, the start of the story roughly foretells whatâ(TM)s to come. It makes you instantly infer that clever goons, psychotic killers, heart-in-mouth chase sequences, flying bullets and a crazy twist at the climax are to follow. Thatâ(TM)s not a bad thing as long as the other elements of movie making are done due justice to. And on most counts, Sujoy Ghosh and his crew were bang on target.

What excited me in the trailers of the movie was the romanticizing of Kolkata. I was keenly anticipating the Kolkata elements in the storytelling and I didnâ(TM)t have to wait long for it. For me, Kahaani does more justice to the romance of the contemporary city than what Dhobi Ghat could do for Mumbai or Delhi 6 attempted to do for the capital. From the dingy lanes of the northern part of the city to the posh restaurants of Park Street, from the ostentatious Durga Puja celebrations to the grim realities of cityâ(TM)s administrative facilities, the storyline delightfully weaves into it a most nonpartisan reflection of modern day Kolkata. The Kolkata Metro gets featured prominently- a first for me. The host of quality Bengali actors only add more magic. The camera work is delightful and so is the background score.

Kahaani is an out and out Vidya (not Bidya; a joke not repeated ad nauseam thankfully!) Balan movie. She is one of the very few female actors in Hindi cinema capable of carrying an entire film on her shoulders and follows up her stellar performance in âThe Dirty Pictureâ? with a thoroughly professional effort in this movie. In some instances, I did feel her character was too high on life for a pregnant lady looking for her missing husband, but I am nit-picking. She looks strikingly gorgeous, and has a noticeable Bengali air about her throughout. Parambrata sketches the role of the unassuming side-kick to perfection once again. From âBong Connectionâ? to âBaishe Srabonâ? and the numerous Feluda movies in between, he has definitely come of age as an actor and can now be easily rated as one of Bengalâ(TM)s finest. Kharaj is charming in his police inspector role. Bob Biswas (played by Saswata) is an indolent insurance agent by the day and a cold-blooded contract killer by the night. The seasoned actor delivers a stirring performance and his was by far my favourite character in the movie. Nawazuddin (who plays the role of Khan from the Intelligence Bureau) essays his pissed-off foul-mouth inspector role with à (C)lan. Even the bits and pieces characters are all executed to perfection and in fact, there is little to be complained about as far as the acting performances are concerned.

The script, in all honesty, does not have much to write home about. While it appreciably resists from meandering into romances and unnecessary side tracks, the screenplay does get a little befuddling at times. It can be forgiven I guess in such a fast paced mystery where the performances are good as they were in this case. The Kolkata charm is infectious, at least to this Kolkata born writer. I liked the scene where Vidya inadvertently gets touchy feely with Parambrata- nice and raw. The overtly friendly relationship between Vidya and the kids (at the hotel, chai stall) and the all-conquering hacker persona were a bit overdone but I guess that much creative trespassing can be slighted. It is after all, a mass market movie. Kudos to Sujoy for no dance sequences, not even a Durga Puja one. How I wish we completely grow out of this ridiculous fad soon. The âekla cholo reâ? effort by Amitabh Bachchan is cute but out of tune.

All in all, Kahaani is an engaging story brilliantly told by wonderful acting performances. For a Kolkatan, it also provides the âHey, look! Kalighat Metro Stationâ? and âEta New Market er kacheâ? moments to exclaim in the movie hall. I would still love to see a completely Bengali version though because I am certain I would like it even more. Aami shotti bolchi!