Film Review: ‘Kahaani’, What Makes Vidya Balan Click?

The suspense that does not abate till the last minute of the film... the simplicity of the complex characters... and thoughtful direction... these are a few reasons why Sujoy Ghosh's "Kahaani" has clicked at the box office.

The Bollywood film stars National Award-winning actress Vidya Balan, as Vidya Bagchi - a pregnant woman searching Kolkata for her husband.

The film also opens up a "Calcutta" that is probably one of the few "real" portrayals, in recent times, of the city. It also helps that Ghosh has the ability to keep his viewers entranced while narrating more subtle emotions. The screenplay deserves a standing ovation, as does Vidya Balan's performance... indeed, the whole crew deserves one!

The film has the perfect blend of "parallelism" in commercial cinema. It definitely belongs to the suspense-thriller category but there could maybe more depth to the characters than we are allowed to see.

The plot makes you feel quite like an average Indian - prone to terrorist attacks and bomb blasts. It is also astonishing to realise the film makes you feel rather insecure about the country's existing defences and secure about the existence of a so-called saviour.

At the end of the film, the viewer is left to analyse each person's take on the plot. Interpretations could vary but the stable thing is the impact the film has on the viewer - a strong feeling of the need to do something important with your life.

A blast in the Kolkata metro changed the protagonist's life and that of those associated with her. We could be the next target.

To sum it up, the film is worth a watch!