Kahaani is a superb movie.

Kahaani is a superbly made movie and Vidya Balan does not need a hero to make people watch her movies.

After many days, saw a really good thriller. And that too without Songs,Sex,item number, heroes with six pack abs,synchronised fight sequence,mindless violence or high voltage stunt scenes. Based on a simple story with twists at the correct places, tight script, beautiful acting, talking photography, the City of Joy as the backdrop and above all wonderful editing, Director Sujoy Ghosh has been able to deliver a commendable piece of work in which the main protagonist remains a pregnant woman in an advanced stage throughout the movie (almost).

Kahaani is a modern cinema in all aspects and a director's movie , out and out. The story has been set and blended with the milieu of Kolkata with all its aspects. Right from the chaos as you step out from the airport , through the underground metro, to the traffic jams, ending with the throbbing crowd at the Durga Puja immersion,it captures Kolkata ,in its true colours,lifelike and in an awesome manner. From Park Street to the dingy byelanes and dillapidated buildings of North Kolkata and the street crowds of the busy markets, the camera shows them all. Perhaps very few Bengali films have blended the city with the subject of the movie this way,earlier. The true nature of the people there , in general, slightly abrasive on the outer side but soft and helpful within has been very nicely portrayed through the characters, be it the taxi driver, police,tea vendor or the informer. Those who stayed in Kolkata earlier, whether Bengali or not will feel a lump in their throat and miss the city once at least , after watching the movie.

Coming to the acting part, apart from Vidya Balan, all the other members of the cast are not so well known to the national audience though they are all very much known to the Bengali speaking audience of TV and films. Of them Param has proved that he is a actor to watch for . He fits very nicely in the role of a Kolkata police Sub inspector again after Baaishe Shraabon. But Nawazuddin Siddiqui really steals the scenes with his acting as the IB officer. And Vidya , she needs no accolades by now. The first line of this post is a tribute to her. Personally , I have now replaced Julia Roberts by Vidya at the second place in the list of my favorite actresses, just a notch below Smita Patil at the top.