thesenlady

Do you like Durga Pujo and the bengali traditions? Do you like the rounds of cheer and festivities that its surrounded with? Do you take pride in being a Bengali and love Calcutta like no one can.. Well your wishes are answered. Watch it out in- KAHAANI. The very first question that comes to mind, when one hears the title: Whose story is it? And as likely as the Protagonist Vidya Bagchi would have answered "Kya Farak parta hain" (What difference does it make?) Yes truly: It doesn't make a difference. The Storytelling, the script, the editing, the cinematography, the superb cast and the directing craftsmanship: everything fall in place like the correct pieces of puzzle, all excelling in their respective areas. The Plot in a nutshell: A severely pregnant lady named Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan) comes down from London to Calcutta in search of her missing husband Arnab Bagchi who had come for a 2 month long assignment in NDC. It is however mysterious that no one has any clue of a person by the name "Arnab Bagchi" having stayed anywhere in Calcutta or having worked in NDC. The Summary: It is at this very point that Vidya Balan needs a special mention. Well, Yes! in a way it is her STORY. It is her journey through her relentless search for her husband and her determination to find out the TRUTH (albeit ALONE) when everybody else gives up on her!!! EKLA CHOLO RE..song, at this point does such a fine justice to her MISSION. It is the most auspicious occasion of Durga Puja in the city when Vidya arrives and such craftily the theme of Goddess Ma Durga and the reason of her homecoming is interwoven with Vidya's plot here. Vidya Bagchi is supported in her search by junior inspector Rana aka Satyoki Sinha whom she admiringly calls "Arjun ka Sarathi" The amazing part of the journey is that all of Vidya's dialogues and her actions keeps giving us clues and hints throughout that we are only able to zero in at the CLIMAX. But I would like to REST my Case here at this point without giving out too much of the movie plot or what happens or HOW / If Vidya Bagchi succeeds in her mission or Not? That, should be left for the audience to see and judge! All I can say from my part- that there are two Things are that are exquisite in this Tale- Calcutta and Vidya Balan.. and amazingly: in this Story THEY both gel so well. Being a Calcuttan myself (as i happen to be born in the city) I saw a different Calcutta through the lens man's glasses! Wow!! never before my CITY felt so charming, so unseen, so vibrant - the frames are awfully beautiful and only ADDS flavor to the Story telling. BOB BISWAS- It would be highly unwise and unjust if i fail to mention one BOB BISWAS in this tale. A helpless, hapless forlorn LIC agent who can never meet his targets has in him a quiet-talker cold Alter Ego..the friendly neighborhood hired assassin who is as one too able in fulfilling his MMS targets!!! The fictional character has already become Legendary with his trivial one Liner: Nomoshkar, Ek minute! and BOOOOOOM! The Job of BOB is done :D Saswata Chatterjee as BOB BISWAS has done an amazing job and this fictional character is sure to become a prominent household name like a Gabbar Singh! The Verdict: I would give it 8/10 .. 7 can undoubtedly go to Vidya Balan for showing amazing variety in her artistry.. not to mention the National Award she bagged for portraying the life of Silk Smitha in "The Dirty Picture" Acting in all these and triumphing with amazing ease only goes on to show what 'stuff' she is made up of! Kudos: The Director was right maybe while he commented that he could think of " no other" for the role. To all Bengalis: If you want to see Calcutta in a frame like never before, AND before Next time: You let an LIC Agent enter your house... Watch KAHAANI. Missing it is highly detrimental to your personal entertainment! Oh yes!!

After a long , long long time comes a Feluda movie "Royal Bengal Rahashya" that gels really well with the FELUDA lovers! (me being a fanatic at that) Numerous Bangalees like me have grown up reading and talking about FELUDA stories and Ray movies of the same name and endless numbers of times - have been greatly disappointed somewhat by the recent releases- This time .. the ONLY word that seems to come to my mind is the word KELLA FOTEH !! To speak from the bottoms of my Heart: Anek din por akta bangla movie bhishon bhishon enjoy korlam. While it is needless / pointless to go over the Story PLOT repetitively- it is far more worthwhile to discuss and ponder over the issues that have amazed me in this one! Sabyasachi Chakrabarty a.k.a Prodosh C Mitter can, by now play FELUDA with remarkable élan and tremendous poise. He excels in his given format as the ever intelligent, sharp visionary who solves a riddle with verbal clues that leads to the discovery of a GUPTO DHON in the Singha Roy family left by their ancestor Aditya Narayan. But the character who left me spellbound otherwise was elder brother of the Singha Roy family.. played by none other than Paran Bandopadhayay! Believe it or not: I have watched the scenes including him a number of times, back & forth- He has played the "inconspicously mental case" brother DEBATOSH SINGHA Roy like no other can! and our Beloved FELUDA scores a 10/10 who doesn't even take a blink of an eye to read through the 'so-called insignificant banters' of the elder brother. So in my opinion- FELUDA in this flick is duly supported by an ensemble able cast. Bibhu Bhattacharyya as JATAYU had always (truth be spoken) irritated the hell out of me by going over the top.. but his contribution is heart felt and overwhelming this time- What an irony!! Bibhu Bhattacharyya will never play JATAYU again! To sum up.. I have been an avid avid FELUDA LOVER most of the time.. and here comes a movie after a long time- that I have loved watching so much. Sabyasachi was an able successor as FELUDA after Soumitro Chatterjee but as he is growing old now (very prominent in the body physicality now)- The question that remains obvious- WHO will do justice to the legendary fictional character Prodosh C Mitter again?