Movie :Kahaani (2012)
Director:Sujoy Ghosh
Actors : Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Nawazuddin Siddiqe, Indraneil Sengupta, Kharaj Mukherjee, Saswata Chatterjee
Movies are always end-products of a collective creativity. Many might argue about whose craft a movie is in the end. The director, producer or the lead? With Vidya Balan soaking in all the glory for winning the National award for her stalwart performance in Dirty Picture, there couldn't have been a better timing for her to see Kahaani released. Undisputed that Kahaani is yet another feather on her cap, before showering praises let me just give the rest of the gang their shares of the credit.
The very first thing that caught my eye about the movie Kahaani was it's trailer.Quite lucid and yet cryptic. Giving away almost nothing about the movie and yet keeping the viewer at their toes. I thought, "Wow! This is how trailers should be made!" Lot of times I've known what twists and turns to expect from a movie right after the trailer. Kahaani's trailer left me gnawing for answers. So 10/10 there.
Reviews for a movie good or bad,always begin with the director. We shall make no exceptions here, especially when the co-writer, director and co-producer of this wonder is one man. Sujoy Ghosh, who debuted his career with an off-beat like Jhankaar Beats hadn't been in many talks there after. With Home Delivery:Aapko...ghar tak and Aladin (inspite of Sanjay Dutt and Mr.Bachchan) bombing in the box office, there wasn't much to talk about. And hence Ghosh did a comeback and how?! Well, it wasnt intended as a comeback, says Ghosh. He was already toying on Kahaani's kahaani when Aladin was yet to release. So it was a natural progression? Fine by me.Sujoy Ghosh, bong by birth was brought up in London. And yet he has managed to keep Kolkatta a subtle character throughout the film, with seemingly deliberate attempts of avoiding the overwhelming tourist spots.But frankly, I would have enjoyed wee bit more of the bong flavor especially because it's been a relief to watch a city other than Mumbai,Delhi or even Punjab, in a Bollywood movie. But credits to Ghosh for choosing Bengali actors over Hindi speaking Bollywood actors who could have spoit the whole deal for me.
Be it Parambrata Chattopadhyay as the doting policeman who turns 'Arjun ka saarathi' Satyaki' a.k.a Rana or Saswata Chatterjee as the contract killer and part-time insurance agent Bob Biswas, both were a spectacle, to say the least! But the list of Bengali actors in the crew does not end there, and that is a comfort. The freshness and authenticity is quite enjoyable. The 'V' being absent from Vidya and Vishnu making it both Bida and Bishnu, the reference to 'running hot water' and the frequented Bengali mixed Hindi have all added to the salt of the earth script of the movie.So hence arises the question again, who is the real star of the show? The writer (in this case writers), director, or lead? But with all this I also wish to mention how pretty much flawlessly the story was carried by the music.
Be it 'Eklo cholo' by Big B himself, or 'Aami shotti bolchi' by Usha Uthup, the Visha-Shekhar duo deserve a round of applause for their un-intrusive melancholy of music. Each of the song has an individual character to boast about, which is interesting in itself. Not that 'Tore bina' & 'Piya tu kaahe' are not mention worthy, but 'Eklo cholo' and 'Aami shotti bolchi' are my personal favorites. the soulful rendition has made it stand apart for me. But what has really made the movie the talk of the town has to be Ms.Vidya (Bida) Balan!
This woman has definitely proven that she has some iron gut acting prowess! She isn't kidding anyone here. Her acting is pretty much flawless as the director puts it. But at the end of the whole exerciser one doubts if she began acting knowing it was a revenge driven story and not search hunt! More so because at times she doesn't come across just as serious as one might expect. But still the director-cum-writer was seen arguing that her playfulness is with Rana who she wanted to steer in her advantage without making her look like the obvious seductress. The bonding had to be innocuous and innocent in order to appeal to the sympathetic audience. So that part can be pardoned. But Ms. Balan is yet to astonish me with some unexpected, powerful performance, as some of it looks familiar from some of her earlier movies (Parineeta, No one killed Jessica, Dirty Picture). Also it wouldn't hurt to train on some variants of voice modulation. It's been some time since I've seen any from her. But all that said, Vidya Balan has now steered clear all the filmmakers who have been apprehensive about making women-centric movies. With a Priyanka Chopra in a possible shoulder-to-shoulder competition, atleast for now, Balan is a clear choice for the thinking man's muse for a woman-centric role. But my question still remains.
Sujoy Ghosh did show some real guts to bring out a movie with only a heroine, that too a pregnant one. Hats off to that! But Balan has also made the effort worthwhile. So who do you think is the real star here? Ghosh or Balan?
Director:Sujoy Ghosh
Actors : Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Nawazuddin Siddiqe, Indraneil Sengupta, Kharaj Mukherjee, Saswata Chatterjee
Reviews for a movie good or bad,always begin with the director. We shall make no exceptions here, especially when the co-writer, director and co-producer of this wonder is one man. Sujoy Ghosh, who debuted his career with an off-beat like Jhankaar Beats hadn't been in many talks there after. With Home Delivery:Aapko...ghar tak and Aladin (inspite of Sanjay Dutt and Mr.Bachchan) bombing in the box office, there wasn't much to talk about. And hence Ghosh did a comeback and how?! Well, it wasnt intended as a comeback, says Ghosh. He was already toying on Kahaani's kahaani when Aladin was yet to release. So it was a natural progression? Fine by me.Sujoy Ghosh, bong by birth was brought up in London. And yet he has managed to keep Kolkatta a subtle character throughout the film, with seemingly deliberate attempts of avoiding the overwhelming tourist spots.But frankly, I would have enjoyed wee bit more of the bong flavor especially because it's been a relief to watch a city other than Mumbai,Delhi or even Punjab, in a Bollywood movie. But credits to Ghosh for choosing Bengali actors over Hindi speaking Bollywood actors who could have spoit the whole deal for me.
Be it Parambrata Chattopadhyay as the doting policeman who turns 'Arjun ka saarathi' Satyaki' a.k.a Rana or Saswata Chatterjee as the contract killer and part-time insurance agent Bob Biswas, both were a spectacle, to say the least! But the list of Bengali actors in the crew does not end there, and that is a comfort. The freshness and authenticity is quite enjoyable. The 'V' being absent from Vidya and Vishnu making it both Bida and Bishnu, the reference to 'running hot water' and the frequented Bengali mixed Hindi have all added to the salt of the earth script of the movie.So hence arises the question again, who is the real star of the show? The writer (in this case writers), director, or lead? But with all this I also wish to mention how pretty much flawlessly the story was carried by the music. 
