One story. Ek Kahaani.
Alert: Contain spoilers!
Bollywood is revolutionizing. Age old notion of movies muscularly built is mellowing by the feminine touch. Dangling locks, mesmerising eyes are giving pumped up muscles a run for their money.
Kahaani is dominantly scripted with captivating stratagem, tongue-in-cheek humour with several thought provoking moments commanding interest.
A massacre had hit Kolkatta metro railways. The story does not stop there to investigate. It moves 2 years ahead.
A pregnant woman takes center stage. Vidya Bachi (Vidya Balan) arrives in Kolkata from London. Stormed at the airport by the hoards of taxi walla’s with their broken Hindi she is flustered, agitated but to the amusement is not driven to popular destination as a hotel or residence rather it’s a police station at Kalighat.
The trueness of Bengali culture of inquisitiveness is impeccably projected. This sets the tone for the movie. Sujoy (Director) acts as a master story teller. The vibrancy, peculiar hustle and bustle engulfed in a claustrophobic yet liberating world of intrigue and deception. A sense of anxiety and stress succeeds in keeping me glued to the story from the first scene.
She starts with a journey but not to motherhood, one of the sacred journeys of a woman. But she begins her search for her missing husband. Her husband is only a projection of her fading memory. The quest is no longer a cake-walk as the harsh reality of humanity is exposed. All the clues she has learnt meets dead ends as time and again people she reaches out to be trying to convince otherwise. She finally realizes nothing is what it seems. They try to break her with harshness but the hunt is spirited with every fall. She is not here to hear NO for an answer.
For a moment I’m made to believe the Kolkata police are kapurush (incompetent) which serves correct to my memory as I hail from the city. But I’ll stick to the movie for now.
Rana (nick name/daak nam) superbly supports Mrs. Bagchi in pursuit of her cause. At times the chemistry didn’t seem to work. Spiritedly that is what enticed me. A part he played with great élan. He is even drawn to her beauty; it would be odd had he not been. From helping hand to acting as integral part in using Vidya to track down the suspected Milan. Speaking of which I have nothing but accolades for Khan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) with his typical northern style. His very existence added spark to the laid back Kolkata police.
Khan and Vidya’s exchange for the very first time, in which she triumphs adds weight to the adage, reap what you sow!
Not to mention the two child actors, running hot water (go see the movie to unravel its humour) and the tea-boy who acted nothing but natural. Must I say they were splendid!
The direction, the narrow alleys which is an integral part of Kolkatta has been projected to perfection.
At times it feels like it leaves you out in cold, but that is the time when the strong scripts pulls you in with its casual nature.
The suspense unfolds amidst the silence of masses. A twist that left me spellbound for a moment. Though I did see a bit of bollywoodishness but I can surely let this one slip. I won’t spill the beans. I want this article to entice you to see the movie – I hope I succeed.
Goddess Durga wipes away the pain, the analogy echoed with Amitabh’s voiced echoing the screen.
Vidya keeps the movie alive. It touched me emotionally as it has been said time and again; there is no limit to a woman’s wrath. Emotions, compassion, powerless, commonness, being an Indian; Is this not what we are subjected to in reality? It fills you with pride as you see the protagonist not tether with the possibly but laughing at the face of dilemma.
Her love for her husband is all the incentive she needs for her pursuit of truth. Love is all you need. Ideologies, adages blended with flavorsome sequences that kept me eager for more. She is in pain, her hurt acts as her strength in fighting the demons (mahishashur) the corrupted Indians.
It’s a fight against corrupted officials which a common man/woman can triumph if they to believe its possible.
Time well spent watching Kahaani, it filed with me hope for modern bollywood movies with its modern take on scripts, narration, editing, portraying the uniqueness and most importantly the complete collaboration of a team to present the audience with uniqueness.
Aami sotti bolchi! (I’m telling the truth).
A movie worth watching, I don’t like to go the movies alone but I had no choice. But you do, go with someone, enjoy the movie and the music which in a way tells a story of the real India.
Here is a lyric that got stuck in my head –“Kolkata dekho to baaki sab duniya bekaar hain….bilkul naya hain phir bhi bête kal be giraftaar hain”
