Directed by Sujoy Ghosh
Rating: **1/2
“Computers are like a cycle for the mind,” is something the late
Steve Jobs once said. His analogy works just as well for suspense
thrillers. Some love them for the uneasiness of being unsure of what
will happen next, others enjoy putting the pieces together before the
climax. And if they can’t, they love it even more. ‘Kahaani’, with a few
loose ends, manages to score with an ‘unpredictable end’ but the
tension on the screen doesn’t translate into an anxious audience. Not
throughout the film at least.
A pregnant woman seeks her
absconding husband. She has flown down from London for the very first
time to our colonial junkyard- Kolkata, precisely to do that. Now just
this as a starting point could be used to terrorize the audience. A
strange city full of people speaking an incomprehensible language can be
portrayed cinematically through sweeping shots of crowds, flashbacks
and noises of the city to create an unwelcome vibe. Or perhaps do the
entire scene with no sound but all the drama? The director picks
neither. Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan)- the woman in question seems oddly
indifferent and only offers a distant look to convey her discomfort as
she casually plops into a cab like any other tourist and orders to go
straight to the police station. Neat and realistic, if not as dramatic.
Finding
a partner in police sub-inspector Rana (Parambrata Chattopadhyay),
Vidya lugs her heavily pregnant belly into the underbelly of Kolkata to
pursue even a hint of a clue. Often disappointed, her investigation
takes a turn for the worst, when she discovers certain inglorious facts
about her missing husband. Naturally, this allows for a few
emotionally-charged breakdowns but Vidya comes around surprisingly well
in the very next scene (the only hint you’ll get in this review).
When
her name is localized as Bidya by one and all (In Bengal, V=B in
pronunciation and otherwise), it may not be bhery funny but it manages
to cut the tension – something thrillers use to amplify the next
shocker. And the wait isn’t much, as one revelation follows another as
you try to stitch it to a conclusive end in your head. But to no avail.
While
references to ‘The Departed’ or other mole thrillers may be easy to
point out, it doesn’t have the same appeal. Alphabets pierce through the
screen like a semi-automatic that has suddenly gone automatic to
mention names, designations and places. But this Hollywood format of
offering precise but inconsequential information intermittently on the
screen has never been a game-changer in Hindi films and won’t now.
V for Vidya and B for Balan and not the other way around!Vidya
Balan’s performance will be applauded as she manages the highly intense
breakdown scenes as well as the chirpy playful ones with the same ease
and excellence. Her companion, assistant and committed to being obedient
cop played by Parambrata Chattopadhyay is a strong contender for Best
Supporting trophies and might attract curious character roles in
Bollywood. Regrettably, Nawazuddin Siddique’s arrogant agent role
doesn’t lend him an intimidating or even an abominable image to break
into being a regular baddie in Hindi films. That said, it was refreshing
that his character was consistently harsh and brash and didn’t have a
hidden golden heart unlike most similar characters in other films. A
special callout needs to be made for the deliciously devilish contract
killer Bob Biswas played by Saswata Chatterjee (the one wearing
spectacles in the top picture) who is easily the most terrifying of all
in this film.
The cinematography is strictly average and it
doesn’t really contribute or take away from any scene. The background
score however blends well and that is why you can hardly distinguish it
in many crucial scenes. But the ‘Ekla Cholo Re’ by Amitabh Bachchan
isn’t any more than a publicity stunt and doesn’t fill up your senses or
anything. Hope he doesn’t use it to lull his granddaughter to sleep.
While
a thriller’s credibility isn’t equally proportionate to the number of
action scenes, the only chase sequence and a couple of point-blank shots
fired casually at unsuspecting victims generate enough excitement to
keep your eyebrows raised.
The suspense in Sujoy Ghosh’s
‘Kahaani’ may not be nail-chewing-worthy but he succeeds in getting
Kolkata to perform at its peak and look like it’s on a wire between
vintage and decrepit. The overall attitude of the city and the city’s
voice is consistent in the story and the characters too. But forcing the
goddess Durga metaphor in the end seems less like a tribute and more
like ticking every Bengali stereotype imaginable to suggest the shooting
location. Long shot of Haaauraah Breej. Close shot of travelling inside
a traaam. Bhhictory!
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Vidya talks about 'Kahaani': Video
The truth about Kolkata: Video
Why Vidya took time to decide on Kahaani
Check out the making of Kahaani in this video: