Review of Kahaani 2

Kahaani 2, by Sujoy Ghosh, was one of the most anticipated films of the year. Sujoy Ghosh’s film-making clubbed with the acting brilliance of Vidya Balan and a gripping thriller plot had made Kahaani (2012 release) a big hit.  So only the expectations from the film Kahaani 2 was very high. It certainly is not a sequel to Kahaani, just belongs to this franchise. The story is entirely different. Suspense, unpredictability, and thriller elements are missing from Kahaani 2. It certainly begins on a high note, initial few minutes keep you engaging, but then the plot loosens up. Post-intermission, the film falls into the trap of average screenplay, predictable twists / climax. What is most admirable in the film is that Vidya excels and proves her brilliance and spontaneity in acting once again.

Vidya Sinha (vidya Balan) is a doting single working parent of Mini, a paralyzed teenage girl (waist-down), confined to wheelchair. The film’s beginning shows their beautiful relationship and also the ordinary lives they are leading manner very convincingly. Vidya is saving every penny possible so as to be able to take Mini to New York for her treatment.  Vidya is optimistic that Mini would be able to walk on her own after the treatment. But destiny was different. Mini gets kidnapped and Vidya gets a call to meet the kidnappers. She madly rushes to the said address but she meets with an accident and goes into coma. That is when Inspector Inderjeet (Arjun Rampal) enters into the scene and gets surprised to see Vidya, who looked like a lady called Durga Rani whom Inder knew. Inder starts going into the depth and that is when he finds a diary by Vidya. Rest of the film unravels as a flashback as Inder reads Vidya’s diary.

What is the connection between Vidya and Durga Rani? How does Inder know Durga Rani ?  How is Vidya able to save her daughter? What was the motive of the kidnappers? What is the story of Vidya which gets unraveled through the diary ? How the mystery gets solved?

Vidya certainly excels in the film, her deglamorized look suits the plot. Vidya Balan’s characters keep you engaged wondering whether she is a victim or a perpetrator.  Arjun Rampal is also very good, but his character is not properly developed in the film, the screenplay does not do full justice to his character. Especially in the second half, Arjun’s character Inder’s moves are very much predictable. Jugal Hansraj as Mohit and Amba Sanyal as Mini’s grandmother have distinct roles to play, but they get lost in the screenplay. Tota Roy Choudhary and Manini Chadha are noticeable. The locations Kolkatta, Chandan Nagar and Kalimpong are well captured. Kharaj Mukherjee as cop Halder is very good.

Kahaani 2 begins on a high note as an edge of the seat thriller but later the plot loosens up and gets predictable. Post-intermission, the film falls into the trap of average screenplay, predictable twists / climax. What is most admirable in the film is that Vidya excels and proves her brilliance and spontaneity in acting once again. A one-time watch.

Rating: 3/5 (Good)

 

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Cast and Crew Details (Source: Wikipedia Page)

Cast: Vidya Balan (Vidya Sinha, Durga Rani Singh), Arjun Rampal (Inderjeet Singh), Naisha Khanna (Mini, the younger version), Jugal Hansraj (Mohit), Amba Sanyal (Mini’s grandmother), Kharaj Mukherjee (Halder), Manini Chadha, Kaushik Sen, Tota Roy Choudhary

Direction: Sujoy Ghosh

Produced by: Sujoy Ghosh, Jayantilal Gada

Written by: Sujoy Ghosh, Ritesh Shah (Dialogues)

Story by: Sujoy Ghosh, Suresh Nair

Music: Clinton Cerejo

Cinematography: Tapan Basu

Production Company: Boundscript Motion Pictures, Pen India Limited

Release Date: 2^nd December, 2016

Duration: 129 minutes

Language: Hindi

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