Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani turns 10 today. With a plot that revolved around a heavily pregnant woman’s relentless search for her missing husband in the city of Kolkata, Kahaani was unlike anything Indian cinema had seen before. The film garnered both commercial success and critical acclaim, going on to win three National Awards. The Telegraph spotlights a few aspects of the film that have aged magnificently.
Vidya Balan as Bidya Bagchi: Kahaani rests wholly on the shoulders of Vidya Balan, with her Bidya Bagchi being the thread that connects the quagmire of stories and events that pile up in the quest for her husband. Vidya is pitch-perfect and her technical performance becomes richer on a second viewing. As Bidya Bagchi, she aces the pregnant walk-and-talk to the T, earning our confidence at once. Just when we think we know what she is going to do, she shifts gears. That one last stare she gives to Milan Damji (Indraneil Sengupta) just before the reveal, where pure anguish meets fearlessness, is pure soul. Vidya does this with immense control, surprising character expectations and yet still holding her ground.
The climax: Kahaani revealed its narrative cards one after the other for its audience to place it in order. When it all comes together in that wicked climax, it becomes a Uno reverse. The entire sequence of Bidya escaping in the maze of women dressed in similar laal paar shaada saris in the middle of euphoric Durga Puja celebrations is unforgettable. No words are necessary. Bidya Bagchi not only outwits the police but the audience as well. In her ‘kahaani’, everyone has to play the part chosen for them.
Kolkata: Kahaani’s portrait of Kolkata is a definitive standout of the film. The city is the subtext for Kahaani to play out its narrative... there is no Kahaani without Kolkata. Shunning the usual touristy spots like Howrah Bridge and Victoria Memorial, Kahaani utilises the bustling city as a character itself. Kahaani gets the unpredictability of living in Kolkata superbly — it is loving and kind one moment, unbearable and claustrophobic in the other. Kolkata here is in the nooks and crannies, in shabby guest houses and slow trams, in the old cha-er dokan blaring the radio and in metro depots where heinous crimes can occur any moment. Kolkata here is terrifying and terrified, jostling at its own pace, never standing still.
The supporting characters: The film is filled with an array of characters who turn up at their own time. Led by Parambrata Chattopadhyay as Rana/Satyaki, who helps Mrs Bagchi every step of the way and gets drawn into the mess in ways he cannot express, Param was instantly believable in all his boyish charm and shyness. Each character, even the cameos by known faces from Tollywood, have their own part to play in the narrative. From Kharaj Mukhopadhyay as the hilarious police inspector to the ‘running hot water’ Bishnu played by Rwitobroto Mukherjee, each player left a mark. And as the no-nonsense IB officer Rana, Nawazuddin Siddiqui was an inspired casting choice that hit the mark.
The background score: For a film like Kahaani, which mounted like a thriller, there is no place for music. Except Aami shotti bolchhi in the introduction and Amitabh Bachchan’s rendition of Ekla cholo re at the end, there are no songs. But Clinton Cerejo’s quietly looming background score sets the ball rolling... and how! Cerejo’s gentle renditions often take a moment or two for its characters to breathe in such a fast-paced narrative. Remember the scene in the tram when Rana tells Bidya that she will make a great mother? Cerejo’s score acts as a foil to the unintended hurt in Bidya’s eyes. It’s a heartbreaking moment.
The editing: Sujoy Ghosh has often said that Vidya Balan apart, the other hero in Kahaani is its editor Namrata Rao. For a thriller, where the visual cues come together in bits and pieces, editing is of utmost importance. Kahaani often hurries along from one scene to another, from one place to another within a blink, and Rao manages to place them all with excellent control. Not a single scene feels out of place... even little tidbits of flashbacks are added aptly in required places aptly. Rao, who won a National Award for Kahaani, uses Kolkata landscapes and close-ups in a single sequence, including so much of the city from the lens of ace cinematographer Setu. Just the pre-climax sequence — where the madness, chaos and confusion of the last day of Durga Puja comes alive — is a total masterclass in editing.
Saswata Chatterjee as Bob Biswas
Bob Biswas: “Nomoshkar, aami Bob Biswas... ek minute”. This line sent shivers down many a spine, with local contract killer Bob Biswas using it as his introduction before gunning down a ‘client’. Strangers in public places never felt this scary before Bob Biswas. Saswata Chatterjee made such an indelible impression as the cold and calculating murderer under the shadow of a normal Bangali man that it catapulted the character’s own spin-off feature. Titled Bob Biswas and released last year, it starred Abhishek Bachchan as the titular assassin.
Repeat value: Thrillers are mostly counted as a one-time watch. Kahaani definitely does not fall into that category. It has immense repeat value rarely witnessed in this genre. With every rewatch, there is something new to discover. Kahaani is thematically rich... it emerges as a tale of triumph of good over evil and addresses institutional politics in smart measure. Ghosh’s screenplay has a redeeming, unwavering commitment to its characters... they appear just as normal as they can be in such a scenario. Kahaani understands the intellect of its viewers and focuses on the smallest details, challenging them to solve the mystery along with its protagonist. Even if one knows the secret, a second watch would reward the audience in its own ways. Or a third. Kahaani is an endlessly watchable film that is as energetic as it is entertaining... it is truly one of a kind.
Pictures (except Bob Biswas): The Telegraph archives
Vidya with director Sujoy Ghosh
‘Ten years later, people still talk about Kahaani as one of my best films!’ — Vidya Balan
I can’t believe it’s been 10 years of Kahaani! I have lots of memories from that film. I still remember so many shoot days from that film. We had to go through a lot of trials and tribulations to make that film. But the conviction and commitment that Sujoy (Ghosh, director) and I had in Kahaani overrode everything else. We were very keen to tell that story, and I am so happy that both of us stuck it out.
Kahaani really made people look at female-led films very differently. It came very close to The Dirty Picture (that released in end-2011) and it cemented something. Ten years later, people still talk about it as one of my best films!
I met Parambrata (Chattopadhyay, who played Rana) recently and we were talking about what a crazy time we had on that shoot. Sujoy and I were so convinced about this story that we left no stone unturned to make it happen. I remember shooting one of my first scenes with Nawaz (Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who played Khan) and he kept smoking cigarette after cigarette before the shot. And I remember him telling me how nervous he was. And today, look at Nawaz! Nawazuddin Siddiqui is one of the best actors we have now. Every day on that film was special. Kahaani will always remain one of my most cherished shooting experiences.
As told to Priyanka Roy