Kahaani (2012) Movie Review

***Reader-Submitted Review***

By: Raksha
(Mumbai, India)

Directed by: Sujoy Ghosh
Written by:
Sujoy Ghosh
Ritesh Shah (dialogue)
Starring:
Vidya Balan - Vidya Bagchi
Parambrata Chatterjee - Rana
Nawazuddin Siddiqui - Khan, IB Officer
Saswata Chatterjee - Bob Biswas
Indraneil Sengupta - Milan Damji
Abir Chatterjee - Vidya's Husband
Dhritiman Chattopadhyay - IB Chief
Darshan Jariwala - IB Chief

Moview Review for "Kahaani" by Raks!

Sujoy Ghosh's long awaited "Kahaani" hit the theaters today amongst all the hype and curiosity surrounding it. This being Vidya's next release after her National award winning portrayal of Silk Smitha in 'The Dirty Picture' sets the expectations high for this female-centric thriller. And the film is not disappointing in anyway. The story is set in the colorful and rustic city of Kolkata in eastern India which is depicted beautifully both through visuals and sounds. Vidya Bagchi who arrives in the city from London is 7 months pregnant and with a mission to find her missing husband Arnab Bagchi, who no one seems to have a clue about. The story unfolds and in her quest for the truth she stumbles on various facts that seem to link the disappearance of her husband to The Kolkata Metro gas explosions that killed several people 2 years earlier.

From here on begins the unraveling of mysteries with involvement of the police, bureaucracy and terrorism, all of which is handled with absolute skill of narration. The supporting characters depict the genuine flavor of the city which is interesting and laid back at the same. Each one does justice to their role. However, it is Vidya who steals the show in Kahaani... she put all the wannabe size zeros in town to shame width the simple girl next door look! This girl surely has got the size 16 look in vogue now. The way she carries herself in the role of a pregnant woman desperately searching for her missing husband with ease is mind blowing! She once again proves with her superlative performance that she is an actress who can carry an entire film's responsibility on her shoulders without a Male Actor in the Lead, which is such an unheard of phenomenon in Bollywood. The story, narration, direction is all captivating and ensures that you don't get off your seat, even for the much required loo break! Parambrata Chatterjee as Rana is adorable. Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the crude second-in-chief of the Intelligence bureau is believable. The climax is startling, well-picturized and unexpected and hence makes the entire journey worthwhile! All in all a must watch, you cannot afford to miss this one!