Your most decent watch, Kahaani works as a brilliant twisted mysterious thriller, a celebration of woman power, a celebration of the joyous city of Kolkata, a tribute to the goddess-worshipping cult of Bengal and a subtle introduction to the genre of mystery in Hindi cinema. While ‘Vidya with a B’ Venkateshan Bagchi makes the most powerful character in Hindi cinema as a feminist, the writing of the film is gripping. It tells the story of a mysterious woman and her tryst with the darker parts of a smiling city, a friend called Satyoki (an effective Parambrata Chatterjee), and a rowdy, waspish ‘Teri Maa Ki’ Khan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). It also features the celebration of Durga Puja, which makes for a strong reason why you should watch the film. Yes, with a Gaganendranath Tagore’s Protima-Bishorjon inspired climax and a strong command on performances by Vidya Balan, the film makes for a compelling watch. I'm going with four out of five. Don't miss it.

The 59th National Film awards were announced just a few days back & Vidya Balan picked up her first for her brilliant performance in "The Dirty Picture". Frankly speaking, I expect her to secure a couple more in her career. It wouldn't be wrong to admit the fact, that she has been very particular in picking up scripts with substantial roles & showcase her prowess unlike being reduced to eye candies as others .This week Vidya dons the grease for Sujoy Ghosh's "Kahaani", whose promos has sparked curiosity. So will Vidya strike gold yet again???

Kolkata. the "City of Joy", with its varied cultural heritage is gearing up for the auspicious Durga Puja festival, when a pregnant Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan) lands at the airport from London. Her first destination was the Police Station where she files a report about her missing husband, Arnab Bagchi, who according to her had come down to National Data Centre for a software consultancy project before becoming untraceable since the past fortnight. She then make efforts to locate her husband with the help of the good Samaritan, Inspector Rana (Parambrata Chatterjee). But all her efforts draw blanks..be it the hotel where Arnab stayed or the National Data Centre, all of whom denied of even having known him. The final nail in the coffin was when the Immigration Officials at Kolkata & London also refuted her claims. So where was Arnab or does he actually exist???

After an impressive debut with "Jhankaar Beats", Sujoy Ghosh didnt have much of a credible run. But this time around, he along with Advaita Kala has come up with an impressive script which has got twists & turns in ample measure without being too hard on the grey matter. The biggest plus point is the impact that each & every character imparts together with the protagonist, along with Setu's visuals which captures Kolkata in all its forms be it the dingy alleys or the colourful festive mood.

Vidya Balan has once again proved that she is indeed the best actress around as she expresses her emotions so effortlessly be it the emotionally fragile, fiercely determined or intelligent urbane lady. Parambrata Chatterjee was fantastic & on par with Vidya, while Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Khan (IB Officer) provides the caustic flavour to his character convincingly. Each of the rest of the crew deserves a word of praise as they were equally realistic & convincing.

Verdict: Even prior to the release there were a couple of factors running in its favour such as interesting promos, Vidya's presence & not to forget her National Award just two days before. Now the crowd will just get bigger as the storyline is impressive with word of mouth going in its favour. Vidya has more or less assured herself of the popular awards next year as well. In short, dont miss this impressive thriller!!!

Rating: 3.75/5

Regards...Ben

When you start watching a thriller, you expect lots of edge of the seat moments, no unnecessary sub plots, an array of mysterious yet interesting characters, ability to make you guessing throughout the movie and above all an ending that surprises you by a distance. Kahaani is that sort of a thriller drama which fulfil all your expectations without dropping the momentum throughout. From the word go, Kahaani engages you into its drama and never let you go until the credit starts falling down. As expected from Vidya Balan, she carries the movie over her shoulders and makes every scene convincing and entertaining. But she is not alone, the characters such as soft hearted inspector Rana and arrogant but purposeful inspector Khan provide their full support in making movie an interesting and thrilling watch. Shot beautifully, the movie works as a tribute to the city of Kolkata. The names of the key characters like Vidya Bagchi, Arnav Bagchi and Milind Daamji will remain with you even after few days of watching the movie. Last but not the least, credit goes to writer-director Sujoy Ghosh (Jhankar Beats fame so far) for top-notch grip on the narrative. After watching Kahaani, it's hard to believe that same person gave us duds like Home Delivery and Aladin.
This is a genuine thriller from bollywood after a long time. It shall be remembered in coming time as Mastery in Mystery.

Believable characters and dialogue, good premise and an unpredictable plot keep you deeply engaged throughout. Vidya Balan shines in her role as Bidya Bagchi and proves yet again that she is one of the most versatile actors in the industry today.