What a fright. Her eyes dive into the Kolkata night. And the city stares right back with its chrome yellow colours; the Howrah Bridge is glimpsed through a local train; the Victoria Memorial whizzes by; sleaze is on 24x7 at the unsmiling Mona Lisa Lodge. Indeed, the pregnant woman’s mind is a hodge podge.

Throughout you watch Kolkata, quite bedazzled, in director co-writer-director Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani. A work of outstanding vignettes, consistently brisk tempo and technical virtuousity, it’s the best two hours you’ve spent at the movies in years. Designed as a suspense-laced thriller, the result’s engrossing because of Ghosh’s accomplished direction, excellent cinematography by Setu, and needless to add, yet another excellent performance by Ms Balan whose calling card has become subtlety and a psychological acuity in understanding the characters she enacts. To be sure The Dirty Picture is a tough act to follow but she has done it — she brings you close as much to the dilemma of the mother-to-be Vidya Bagchi as she did to the self-destructive Smita. Terrific!
What could have been an unconditional five-star experience, however, falls short because of the script which is far too schematic and clever for its own good by half. The plot has more holes than a tea-strainer, often events are as implausible as a landing on Venus and Mars, and the wrap-up involves a blah-blah explanation — the sort you still tolerate in crime TV serials. Also, some behaviour seems to be distinctly odd: the heroine doesn’t express the slightest sense of shock or dismay when a whole caboodle of innocent people are done in because of her. Mr Ghosh could have rectified that with a single sentence of scene. Snag is that there are far too many writers involved — four or is it five? — in a script which often weeps for clarity.
Despite laughable flaws in the writing, the outcome invites the forgiveness factor from the viewer. You’re willing to ignore its lapses because it is made with heart and even while telling something of a garbled plot, works in a strong sub-text. Also, here’s a rare film that is not at all afraid to walk alone with a female protagonist, without patronising her.
In fact, Vidya Bagchi’s courage is taken as a given. This is what a pregnant woman — a professional person — would do if her husband suddenly vanished from the face of the earth. Over to a marvellously photographed sequence showing touts and chaos at an Indian airport.
Vidya Bagchi has arrived from London (why London?, not clear) and sets about investigating about the mysterious disappearance of her Mr Bagchi. Had he been summoned by the National Data Centre for a job? Had he stayed at the Mona Lisa? Et ceteras abound, as the woman goes about sleuthing accompanied by a young police officer (Parambrata Chattopadhyay, sweeter than mishti doi), and obstructed by weirdos as well as clout-wielding intelligence offers. Intermittently, the woman’s brief moments with children are absolutely disarming. Not surprisingly, the film works best when it doesn’t use dialogue. Obviously, Ghosh adores Kolkata, and knows its back-alleys and upscale addresses so well that the locations are authentic throughout. In addition, the faces of the tea vendors, gossiping housewives and the ancient old man manning the lodge’s reception counter are so real that they stay with you. The atmosphere of the Durga Puja week is also caught robustly.
Although the goings-on are tense, moments of humour are incorporated, like Vidya objecting to being called “Bidya” by the Kolkatans but then giving up. Plus, there’s something really cheeky when the heroine plays a bit of tosey-tosey on a bus ride with the police officer. A human touch that, actually showing a pregnant woman flirting!
Technically a little jewel, this, Namrata Rao and Vishal-Shekhar’s music score are remarkably inspired.
As the arrogant intelligence officer, Nawazuddin Siddiqui is strikingly impressive. All said and riveted, though, it is Vidya Balan whose performance holds the Kahaani together. You want to see it again just for her. Go for it.