This is the Baap of all Kahaanis

This was a movie that I had planned to watch for few obvious reasons. One, because of the city—Kolkata, second, because of the story and suspense created by the movie promos (I had even asked my bollywood reporter friend about the climax before it was even released but thankfully, she declined to comment) and third, actors (Vidya Balan and the host of the accomplished Bengali TV and cinema actors). And one more, because this would be movie where I know the local language spoken and the songs in the movie and gives me the opportunity to explain to others what they said.

Kahaani: The Movie

Kahaani, as they titled it, is a suspense thriller where a heavily-pregnant Vidya Bagchi lands up in Kolkata from London. Her first conversation was with a taxi driver who shares his astonishment when he's asked to take her to the police station. Her first stop in the city: the Kalighat Police Station. And her story starts here. Inspector Chatterjee and sub-Inspector Satyuki (Rana) Sinha are introduced to her thrilling story of her missing husband. Arnab Bagchi was in Kolkata on a project while working with the National Data Centre (NDC). His interactions with Vidya were regular for the first two weeks until he vanished from the scene all of a sudden without any prior intimation. Her husband’s details are recorded in the good old book (and not the computer that has been recently loaded with the applications and software required) and is taken to the same guest house where Arnab was put up. She is quick to divulge minor details like the presence of a golden peacock near the elevator or the same room where her husband was staying. Thus begins her thrilling encounter with the city. With time and Rana by her side, Vidya manages to churn out least known details involving the planning and the scam behind the Kolkata Metro Gas Leak incident that led to death of hundreds of daily commuters in the city's most preferred transportation mode. Names such as Milan Damji cropped up to indicate that Arnab must be danger given his face is identical to that of the terrorist. Tracking down Milan meant revealing many of the underlying mysteries of NDC and murders of people who would have shared vital information. Vidya's journey that started with the onset of the Durga Puja when the city gets dressed up to welcome Ma Durga ended on Bijaya Dashami by tracking down the suspect in question and fleeing away tactfully amongst the hundreds of red and white saree clad women with sindoor on their foreheads and faces.

You've got watch the movie to know what happens to her husband, if you haven’t watched it till now and unravel the suspense slowly as you watch it.

Why it drew my attention?

During the promotions, Vidya Balan carried her pregnant belly to give every onlooker a real feel of the movie and that she needs track the existence of her husband in Kolkata. The city has, for once, been well-captured in the camera lenses simply the way it is. The old buildings of North Calcutta, the by-lanes of the city having the usual garbage on the road as it is always found and the commonly known places like Camac Street and Park Street or SSKM Hospital at Harish Mukherjee Road. The movie beautifully captures these places the exact way they are and shows nothing fancy about the city by staying true to the need of the movie plot.

Before Kahaani, nobody would have ever thought of creating a crime and suspense thriller without any kind of "dhishum dhishum" and with a woman being the hero. Kolkata has always been perceived as the city of mishti, mouth-watering street food and politics. Well, here is a movie that brings the real essence of the city live on screen.

Bengali actors—both cinema and TV—have marked their presence on screen with every bit of their acting and roles, even if for few seconds. These are actors whom I have seen growing up and playing unforgettable characters in some of the mega serials of Bengali television. It is definitely a treat to watch these people on the 70 mm screen in a city like Bangalore or Mumbai. You do feel proud when people praise these actors. Incredible thinking by the director that he chose this bunch of actors and made them speak "bengali-hindi" and  make their characters real but not fancy.

Of course, the new "hero" lady takes all the praise for her incredible acting but loud applauds to the supporting cast from Bangla film industry as well.

This one movie is surely going to stay as one of the best suspense thrillers that the Indian Film Industry has produced for years to come. And I am sure that I am going to watch a few times more (a little later) when I, along with Vidya Bagchi, will be unfolding the mystery again.

Image courtesy: bwreviews.com