Kahaani

Leave your bag of popcorn outside the theater. You would honestly not have the time to crunch it as you watch this fantastic film with bated breath. For Kahaani is a ride so thrilling, your mind would be tripping with a million possibilities, even as your tongue invariably ends up either tied, or hanging in the air with anticipation.

Kahaani is essentially the story of a heavily pregnant London based Tamil woman's search for her missing Bengali husband in Kolkata, underplayed exuberantly by Vidya Balan. The supporting cast comprises a helpful cop Parambrata, a selfish detective - Siddiqui, an eccentric life insurance agent - Saswata, and a bhadralok Police officer - Khwaraj, and last but not the least, of a 300+ year old city - Kolkata seeped in the throes of celebrating the mother of all festivals - Durga Puja.

The film unfolds like the pages of a gripping novel by Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes and is shot like that of an Alfred Hitchcock or a Satyajit Ray. Using real people, places, and situations to underline the nuances of the story is a task that's handled brilliantly by director Sujoy Ghosh (also the co writer) whose recent claim to shame - an abysmal Aladdin, or a horrendous Home Delivery shall soon be forgotten just as Madhur Bhandarkar's debut dud was.

In addition to the sterling performances and the plot is the terrific technical support. Be it Amitabh Bacchan's rendition of Tagore's 'Ekla Chalo Re', the background songs (mostly of RD Burman), playing innocently as the characters travel the length and breadth of the city, the costumes by Sabyasachi, the 'just right and yet dramatic' background score, the non-condescending cinematography that captures the city as if it were a character, and the supreme screenplay with a spattering of real Bengali, act as just the right spices to turn this into a delicious dish, that's both exotic as well as commonplace.

Watch this film to experience something so satiating, you would surely ask for more (a rare for a thriller!). I give this a 10/10 not just because this is one of the best thrillers ever made in India, but definitely one of the best films to have ever come out of Bollywood. Kudos to the whole team! Trust me! Ami Sotthi Bolcchi!

P.S: Please do not discuss the story with anyone else, unless they have watched this film.

Genre --- Suspense, Drama

Review --

Kahani is indeed a worth for your money. A sincere effort to portray an incredible story, which would leave you baffled, would leave you keep guessing what is going on and what would happen next. We have seen several suspense movies that have a good build up but are utter disappointing in the end. Even after the climax, it would keep surprising you till last shot. Truly a nice movie that you can with you Family and kids without hesitation. No abusive language, no "story Ki demand" type intimate shots. A clean and gripping storyline. I liked that fact that story did not pushed a possible romantic element neither unneeded songs between characters and kept it straight and focused.

Story of Girl (Vidya) looking for her missing husband, is just the start. Movie is shot is Kolkata with characters that are real, you can relate and can smile to natural gestures. Movie keeps you clutched to your seat. Its a story of nice people stuck in their own mess up routine, offer help to the pregnant lady.

Even with new actors, jumping in with their cameo every now and then, each has done full justice to their role.The story has been wisely written binding intelligent writing along with actual Kolkata.

Verdict-- If you have been awaiting for a Good Bollywood Flick, with original narration and quality acting, the movie worth's every penny. A pleasure to watch with family or friends.

Music -- Consists of two songs, different from stream line cinema. Amitabh Bachhan has brought a new spirit to Rabindra Da's "Ekla Chalo Re". The other song -- "Ammi Shotti Bolchi" is a authentic rock song on Kolkata theme in Usha Utthup's evergreen Bengali voice.

Rating -- 8.5/10

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Anjaneai

Do not listen to what people tell you based on the rumors, go and watch it!! The story is just fantastic!! A lot of thought has been put into every minute detail of the movie!! All of it to culminate in an awesome finish. Vidya Balan has as always done her bit perfectly and is supported well by her co-star Parambrata Chatterjee.The cinematography in the initial stages is fair. The direction is legendary. Every single scene has a part to play in the climax. Go watch it \m/. You'll be glued to your seats for sure!! And don't bother to think of what's gonna happen next, cos just like any awesome thriller, you're gonna be proved wrong ;P

Let me say right now that this is not your usual Bollywood run-of-the-mill. If you are expecting typical Bollywood masala with hide and seek romance, dancing around trees, superhero fight scenes and 'filmy' dialogue, you will find it in the remaining 999 films that the Indian film industry has on the 2012 assembly line. What works for "Kahaani" is its atypical narration arising from a well written story, first class cinematography in tandem with good soundtrack, and the performance of a leading actress whose very mention signals the changing face of Indian cinema.

Arriving from London, a heavily pregnant Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan) heads straight to the Kalighat police station in Kolkata to enquire about her missing husband. With the help of Rana (Parambrata Chatterjee), a rookie cop, Vidya begins to unravel the mystery behind her husband Arnab's disappearance. Together, their investigation leads to dead ends, but not before learning that Arnab may be linked to a terrorist agent operating as a mole within the Indian Intelligence Bureau. Wrestling with this possibility, Vidya finds herself digging into a high profile federal cover-up, even as an assassin trails her every move.

Co-written by director Sujoy Ghosh, "Kahaani" is a well crafted thriller that is simply too good by Bollywood standards, current or past. Gosh has not only set a new benchmark in Indian cinema, his overall production quality is far superior to some of his counterparts across the globe. Even so, the true mettle of his work is in resisting the temptation to glorify India's stand on terrorism through nation-wide propaganda. Instead, Gosh pays close attention to the screenplay and how it develops through the narration. Pacing is consistent with a serious tone, but well punctuated with some suspense driven moments and subtle humor when you least expect it. Another strongpoint is in keeping the audience guessing all the way to the diabolical twist in the end. To avoid spoiling the surprise, I will just say that this could be borrowed from a certain Angelina Jolie film, but be that as it may, the conclusion here is totally unpredictable and forms the icing on the cake. There are some factual and chronological goofs but there is no point going there because no film is 100% perfect.

Dating back to the late 17th century, cinematography captures the historical essence of one of India's oldest cities – a 300 year old artifact if you wish – in superb celluloid rendition. Gosh gives Kolkata a pulsating heart without unnecessary exaggeration, while simultaneously capturing the hustle and bustle and nooks and crannies of the city with deft camera work. Using this huge backdrop along with the festival of all festivals, The Durga Puja, Gosh underlines the film's formidable theme of motherhood in seamlessly integrating the fragility of a woman with her in-built yet God-given power to sustain life. From joy to heart-wrenching sorrow, Vidya Balan personifies this ideology with perfection. Fresh off the critical success of "The Dirty Picture", Balan is emerging as a powerful force in female driven plots. While this could very well change the perception on Indian cinema, this a welcome change and one that is long overdue. I am smitten as I am awestruck. Also worth mentioning are Parambrata Chatterjee as Rana and Nawazuddin Siddiqui as a difficult IB agent. Together, their roles add vital support to Balan's as well as holding up the plot structure.

As this is my first Hindi movie review, I only hope that I have given this movie the recognition it deserves. Considering my fondness with all things Hollywood, Ms. Vidya Balan and director Sujoy Ghosh have renewed my faith in Indian cinema. I cannot wait to see Balan's next movie. Watch this space.

Kahaani directed by Sujoy Ghosh is one of the most finest,efficient thrillers I have witnessed in recent times.

The first half may be a bit stretched but still its good but it is the second half that keeps you engaged thoroughly and the climax is superb.

Story:- Vidya Bagchi(Vidya Balan) playing the helpless , who has arrived from London to Kolkata in search of her missing husband Arnab. With a sympathetic cop helping her on this mission, Vidya combs every corner of Kolkata. But all leads go cold – the guest-house he was staying at, the National Data Center where he'd been assigned, even the Indian immigration authorities have no records of Arnab Bagchi. When it seems like her husband's disappearance might be inexplicably linked to a most-wanted terrorist, Vidya pokes her nose around in dangerous places, angering the Intelligence Bureau that is trying desperately to keep some secrets hidden.

Sujoy Ghosh,who directed the disastrous Aladin in 2009, is excellent this time.

Although there are many sequences in Kahaani which work,but since mentioning them would spoil the fun.

The screenplay is taut and brave.

The dialogs are very good.

The editors could have trimmed the movie,to make it more sharper.

The cinematography by Setu is stunning.The locales of Kolkata are a treat to the eye.

The music is very good."Ami Shotti Bolchi" sung by Usha Uthup and "Ekla Cholo Re" sung by Amitabh Bachchan stand out.

Performances:- Vidya Balan rocks in Kahaani.She is an actor to watch out for.She is amazing.Parambrata Chatterjee as Rana is sweet.Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Khan,the Intelligence Bureau officer is superb.Saswata Chatterjee is good too.Special mention of the two boys,one in the Mona Lisa hotel and the other as the tea vendor are cute.Amitabh Bachchan's narration at the culmination is fine.

I am giving nine out of ten for Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani.It is not only to be watched for fans of Vidya Balan but it is also for those who are not.Its your loss,if you miss it.