Directed by: Sujoy Ghosh
IMDb link: Kahaani (2012)
“Kaun ho tum?”
“Kya fark padta hai…”
I love watching thriller films. For a director to keep me guessing until the final sequence of the film is a huge achievement. Kahaani definitely falls into that category.
Warning: Spoilers ahead…
Kahaani Movie Review: The Search for a Missing Husband
Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan) comes to Kolkata in search of her missing husband. Rana (Parambrata Chatterjee), a police sub-inspector, helps her a lot in the search. But all the clues lead to another person who looks exactly like her husband. Now, whether both men are the same, or if her husband got hurt by this look-alike, is the big answer Vidya and I wanted to know.
The Magic of Editing and Sub-Plots
There are very few hints in the whole story where I could feel that Vidya was lying. The reason I ended up ignoring them is the fast editing. Namrata Rao is a major reason the film becomes such a tight, edge-of-the-seat thriller. The way she cuts scenes of Kolkata and gives Vidya a grand entry with the song ‘Aami Shotti Bolchi’ is mind-blowing.
The various sub-plots increase the impact and emotional feeling of the film. For instance, the relationship between the kid Vishnu and Vidya. Later on, I realized how special those moments were for her. Then there is the secret love Rana has for Vidya. I loved the small details, like Rana talking to his mom on the phone in his mother tongue, and later ignoring her call because he was upset about Vidya.
There is a brilliant scene where Rana tells Vidya, “Aap bahut acchi maa banegi” (You will be a very good mother), and Vidya quickly turns away with a painful sigh. My first guess was how badly she missed her husband. Later, I found out what the real pain in that conversation was!
Brilliant Performances by the Cast
Vidya Balan outdoes herself once again. I believe if an actor is successfully fooling me for 110 minutes out of a 122-minute movie, then I have to adore her acting! I would rate this among her top 3 best performances. She is tough while talking to Khan, friendly with Rana, like a child with Vishnu, and always fighting a deep pain she cannot reveal to anyone until the climax. Her dialogue “kya fark padta hai” in the final scene was a huge “Wow” moment for me.
Parambrata Chatterjee gives a very honest performance. He is not the typical strict policeman you normally see. Saswata Chatterjee was both hilarious and scary as Bob Biswas. “Nomoshkar, main Bob Biswas… ek minute!” Dhiskiyaaun. His small habits were amazing, like playing with his fingers, sleeping, or smiling right before killing a person.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui brought a lot of attitude into his role as Khan, the IB Officer. His look slightly reminds me of Manoj Bajpayee. He has so much confidence and power in his acting. The rest of the supporting cast also did a fair job.
Music and the City of Kolkata
Kolkata is beautifully captured throughout the film. I loved how old songs were used in various places, including a classic Bengali song.
The background score is fantastic. The bells ringing when Vidya blends into the crowd of women wearing the same saree during the puja gave me goosebumps. The emotional music used when her truth is revealed is perfect. Only two main songs are used, which was a very smart choice. ‘Aami Shotti Bolchi’ shows Kolkata to me, while ‘Ekla Cholo Re’ (sung wonderfully by Amitabh Bachchan) perfectly matches Vidya finding her own path.
The climax is completely shocking. The flashbacks are perfectly thought out, and when I analyzed them later, they were totally logical. The final scene also brings a strong devotional feeling with Amitabh Bachchan’s voiceover.
Final Verdict
Overall, Kahaani will always be remembered as one of the best suspense thriller Hindi films.
My Rating: 9/10
If you loved Kahaani like me, then check where did it come in my – The Best Hindi Films of The Decade (2010-2019)
