Movie Review: Kahaani 2

Movie Review: ‘Kahaani 2’
Rating: 3/5
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Vidya Balan, Arjun Rampal, Jugal Hansraj, Naisha Singh, Tota Roychoudhary, Amba Sanyal

Kahaani 2 Movie Trailer

Director Sujoy Ghosh has pulled off one of the most gripping openings scenes in a Hindi film to kick off his mystery Kahaani 2 as he doesn’t waste a minute as he draws us into the ordinary lives of Vidya Sinha (Vidya Balan) and her daughter, Mini, and turns their world upside down.

In a matter of minutes you are invested in their lives and the sheer pace of the events that follow leaves you breathless, in a good way.

A scene in which a dowdy Balan confronts the perpetrator and his allies who are complicit in the cover-up of an unspeakable crime is worth applauding.

Balan doesn’t hold back and takes them down. She doesn’t shy away from addressing issues that are often brushed under the carpet. Her vulnerability and her quiet strength is underlined in those scenes.

The Indian National Award-winning actress, who plays a mother on the run who is accused of murdering and kidnapping of a minor, puts in a compelling performance. Her fear, her angst and her protectiveness towards her daughter is beautifully captured. While there’s no doubt in a viewer’s mind about her innocence, it’s wonderful that Balan has the charisma and the gravitas to keep everyone hooked until the last second.

Some of the twists in the second half may seem predictable, but it’s buoyed by some fantastic performances.

Arjun Rampal as a middle-level police officer is thoroughly engaging. He’s on Balan’s trail as a very well-planned and clearly etched character in Inspector Inderjit Singh who just cannot get a promotion despite all honest attempts.  Arjun’s character also brings some comic relief to the plot with some black humour thrown in just the right measure.

A wonderful thing about Sujoy’s film is that there is nothing grand – the situation and the characters look grounded and what makes the movie great is the realism.

Much like Kahaani, the bylanes of Chandan Nagar, Kolkata and Kalingpong – where the film is based – form an important part of the narrative.

Sujoy, who has also written the film, should receive accolades just for making an entire film around the taboo subject of child abuse within the family and how family protects the perceived “dignity” of the adult rather than caring for the child. The fact that it is a wonderfully made film and a riveting thriller is an added bonus.

The only let-down in Kahaani 2 is the climax. It is rather disappointing to see a high-tempo, fast-paced thriller suddenly taking the predictable-Bollywood-cliche dip. You are likely to be reminded of Ishqiya and TE3N, Vidya’s previous movies in the climax sequences.

With Vidya’s stellar performance, Arjun’s strong support, Sujoy’s bold story and an engaging screenplay, Kahaani 2 is a must watch.