[EzequielTMann]

Kahaani directed by Sujoy Ghosh is hit in theaters. The credit goes to director who came up with such a unique concept & shocking climax in the end.

[BodeOmissemia]

i want to see the movie everyone saw

[UriyVlasov]

Thanks

[GrottereewNus]

Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Nawazuddin Siddiqui




Kahaani rightly lives up to its name and reinstates the fact that the core criterion for a decent film is a strong story. And if that story is in competent hands, you don't need anything else. No big stars, songs, budget or even a customary male lead. For a (pleasant) change, the script is indeed the hero here!

The story is of one pregnant Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan) who comes to Kolkata from London in search of her husband who was in India on an assignment but suddenly went missing. There is little that the cops can do since they are unable to trace any records of her husband in the guest house, office or even airport immigration. Things take a drastic turn when Vidya learns that her husband had a lookalike and perhaps that could get him closer to her search. But soon her personal quest turns into a political conspiracy.



Though Kahaani gets to the point from the very start, the actual graph in the narrative ascends when Vidya's individual search for her husband takes a bureaucratic twist, with the intelligence department coming into picture. The local affair suddenly turns into a governmental concern. The writing by Sujoy Ghosh, Advaita Kala, Suresh Nair and Nikhil Vyas is articulate and immaculate, investigating the matter gradually and building up the mystery at every step. The story explores the case systematically, credibly and logically.

While the initial pacing is moderate, the proceedings pick up rapidly in the latter reels as the story gains multiple dimensions. The brisk storytelling calls for your absolute attention but the narrative has been so gripping since start that you never lose a moment. And like any good story should boast of, the actual brilliance of Kahaani comes in its climax that shall leave you spellbound. Amidst a horde of predictable plots and conventional culminations, Kahaani has one of the most impressive climaxes for a Bollywood film in recent times. The exquisite detailing in the writing adds conviction to the going-ons as the mystery unfolds at every step. In that respect, Kahaani is the kind of film that will fascinate you even more on second viewing as you would be able to notice the finer nuances in the bigger scheme of things.

Amidst the few improbable or avoidable aspects in the otherwise authentic film is a young cop's over-willingness to go out of his way to unofficially escort and aid Vidya throughout her pursuit. Also his faint romantic inclination towards Vidya seems out of place. Thankfully the director refrains from stretching it into any dream song zone. In fact Sujoy Ghosh shows utmost sincerity in keeping the narrative clutter-free, sans any songs or side-tracks. Incidentally what seems to be a human drama at first glance is smartly moulded into a suspense-thriller. But at the same time there is much sensitivity in the direction to not leave it as a mere mechanical mystery tale but lend requisite heart. A dose of dark humour is wittily integrated through the track of a clerk-cum-contract killer who maintains a constant smirk while terminating his targets.

Namrata Rao dexterously edits the film, never letting the viewer stray for a second. Cinematographer Setu captures the vibrant shades of the busy city of Kolkata with panache. The dialogues are crisp and effective.



Kahaani essentially banks upon the prowess of Vidya Balan, one of the most blessed actresses of the times, who impresses more with every new film. She brings depth and poise to her character and adds conviction in every scene. Parambrata Chattopadhyay is charming as Vidya's cop-companion and makes for a good supporting character. Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the crude intelligence officer exudes solid screen presence and confidence. Indraneil Sengupta does well in his cameo. Several other character artists lend adequate support.

Kahaani, undoubtedly, is Sujoy Ghosh's most accomplished works till date as he emerges as a skilful storyteller with the film. If story is what you seek from a film, Kahaani is a must-watch. Aami Shotti Bolchi!

Verdict: Very Good

[Andoror]

The movie looks amazing thanks for the review..

[Clunlippibe]

Rating: 4/5
Vishal-Shekhar get the chance to explore a different territory and they make the most of the opportunity

After rendering music for several romcoms and big budget flicks like RA.One, Vishal-Shekhar have found a perfect opportunity in Kahaani, which allows them to work on the melodies freely without having to worry too much about the commercial value of the songs.


The album has a strong Bengali flavour since the film is based in Kolkata and the tracks are situational. The strongest song in the album is Shotti bolchi. Last year Usha Uthup shone with Darling from 7 Khoon Maaf, and Shotti bolchi is a fitting follow-up to that one. Uthup is in top form and in her comfort zone as she sings this energetic heavy metal number. She gets great support from Vishwesh Krishnamurthy, the lead singer of the metal band Scribe, giving the song a fresh vibe. An ode to Kolkata, this is the best in the album.


Next up is a track that will totally surprise you. Can you imagine the fusion of the manjira and an electric guitar? Vishal-Shekhar have used the two beautifully in Piya tu kaahe rootha re. Pakistani singer Javed Bashir’s powerful alaaps and his harkats to the hard-core electric guitar and the manjira constantly ringing in the background make this song stand out.
The title track Kahaani is soft and is composed with the idea of evoking the nostalgia that you feel when you come to a city that has several memories attached to it. It describes the sound of taxi wheels, tram bells and the dreamy streets in the simplest manner. The song has two versions – one sung by KK and the other by Shreya Ghosal. KK’s version is fast-paced and groovy, while Shreya’s moves slowly, one guitar strum at a time. Both are equally good, and I hope that both find a place in the film.
Sukhwinder Singh has a song that does justice to the high pitch and high energy singing he is good at. Tore bina speaks of longing and of day dreaming about the moment when a lover will be back. It doesn’t sound like a Vishal-Shekhar song and that is a great achievement for the music directors, because it makes you believe that this duo hasn’t stopped experimenting.


But the composers have one more ace up their collective sleeve with the last song on the album – Ekla chalo re. It sure is a huge challenge to rework a song like this one, which has great historical significance and has been sung and composed by several music artistes at different points in time. The patriotic song written by Rabindranath Tagore is a poem composed to the tune of the famous Bengali dhapkirtan. Vishal-Shekhar’s version has a mix of English, Hindi and Bengali lyrics, and it’s done quite aesthetically. Getting Amitabh Bachchan to sing it was probably the best creative decision; his voice suits the tone of this track perfectly. The song says that if no one is willing to support you and if people are too scared to join you, don’t be discouraged, but continue to walk alone. The song fits the theme of Kahaani and has been used beautifully.


Vishal Dadlani, Anvita Dutt and Sandeep Shrivastava, who have worked on the lyrics of this album, add a zing to all the songs. It is not a soundtrack that will be as popular as it should be, considering its musical quality. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that it rocks.