Movie Review: Kahaani

It has been a long time since I wrote a movie review. A year!! Not that I stopped watching movies. I didn’t even write a review of the most anticipated movie of the year 2011 even when I had seen the movie on the first day itself. The movie – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Sigh!! Is it too late to write now?? 😉  There are many Harry Potter haters who may decide to watch the movie ( and hopefully read the books too) and many persons not been born yet who may like to check out the review and when I have already reviewed every HP movie released after the time I started blogging, it would only be justified to review the last one of the phenomena! What do you think? 😀

Looking at my news feed on Facebook, I feel bloggers have started to write movie reviews as status updates. Also I guess writing book reviews are the “in-thing” now. Anyway, so here goes my review of Kahaani.

We had planned to see it on March 8 itself but weekdays and movies do not mix. So we had to watch it on Friday. And I am so late in writing the review. All due to two job interviews and being little unwell.

The story – A woman in her last trimester of pregnancy, Vidya Bagchi, arrives in Kolkata from London in search of her missing husband Arnab Bagchi. She finds a friend in Inspector Shotyoki Sinha and together they begin a relentless search. But there seems to be a conspiracy afoot when all the clues of her husband seem to have been wiped out and everyone tries to convince Vidya that her husband does not exist. Will she find her husband? What is the mystery behind the disappearance of Arnab Bagchi? What is the conspiracy?

The review –

# There have been many suspense thrillers movies but none of them have hit a mark like Kahaani. Sujoy Ghosh, the writer and director, has managed to bring it all together to fall in place and make sense in the end, without making it easy for the audience to guess the climax and the end. The story is systematic, credible and logical. The screenplay is precise, clear and builds up the mystery at every step. Tinges of comedy and romance add to the story further.

# Vidya Balan’s acting is great. I think she didn’t do much “acting” in the movie “The Dirty Picture” and did not deserve so many accolades for “acting”. But in this movie she has proved she does have the talent. If Bollywood continues to make more of such great and different woman-centric films, Vidya Balan may become the Meryl Streep of India..what say?

# The co-actors are also impressive. I liked the selection of the actors; no famous ones (well known in Tollywood though) who will overshadow the hero of the film and mostly Bengali ones so able to communicate the bong factor and the accents better.

# The Bengali background is the USP of the film and it did succeed in drawing in the Bong audience. Though there was nothing crucial spoken in the Bengali dialogues. I feel subtitles should have been included for the non-Bong audience to not feel left out.

# Speaking of the Bengali – Kolkata backdrop, loved the little things of Bengali culture shown in the movie unlike the stupid “Isshhh” and “Shotti” of Devdas. But the B vs V issue was taken a bit too far. 😐

# Also so less of sweat and humidity shown in the movie, especially at the time of Durga Pujo i.e. October, makes it hard to believe it is Kolkata 😛 Just kidding! And why the hell would anyone need hot water to bathe in Kolkata during October??? Pure madness. 😀

# Loved how the crescendo of activity during the duration of Durga Pujo is reflected simultaneously with the events happening in the protagonist’s life.

# No songs and duration of movie just 2 hours!! That is one of the requirements of making a good thriller. No useless stretching and prolonging. Loved the song “Aami Shotti Bolchhi” sung by Usha Uthup shown at the beginning. There are so many songs on Delhi and Mumbai!! At last one on Kolkata..not that I am a big fan of the city still the Bong in me is bit happy 😀 [Hits the bulls-eye with “bilkul naya hai fir bhi beetey kal mein giraftaar hai” ;)]

# Including the famous Rabindra song “Ekla Cholo Re” in the end added to the portrayal of the courage and determination of Vidya. Though Amitabh Bachchan killed the song in the 1st line itself by pronouncing ड as द but I guess the music director should have paid attention.

# Won’t spoil the movie for you by revealing it here but I loved the analogy at the end. And that, in fact, explains the reason behind the whole Kolkata – Durga Pujo backdrop of the story.

After a long time, this was one movie which made D and I discuss it after it was over. Don’t you love discussing a movie, picking out its whys and hows after watching it? I feel it adds to the movie experience. As for Kahaani; a Must Watch. Bollywood may not offer such a movie again anytime soon!