Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | December 02, 2016

Rating: 3 / 5

The essence: Kahaani 2 does not have the same impact and suspense as Kahaani; the suspense here lies in its investigation!

Sujoy Ghosh returns with another instalment of Kahaani—Kahaani 2. This is not a sequel to the film, but an effort to keep the Kahaani brand alive.

Vidya Balan (badly needing a decent film), returns as the protagonist to shake off the flops of the past three years. She finds herself in a ‘comfort zone’ script wise as the crisp story-telling begins to hook the viewer.

The film moves at a rapid pace and before you know it, there is a climax. The story then moves to eight years before and back to stitch the puzzle together. Vidya Sinha’s (Vidya Balan) diary is the only clue which inspector Inder (Arjun Rampal) has, which will lead to the finding of who Durga Rani Singh (Vidya Balan) really is.

Accused of kidnapping and murder, Durga Rani Singh is on the run. Wanting the best for her daughter, Vidya Sinha is doing her very best to ensure she can take her 14-year-old to the United States for a very complex surgery, which will help her walk again.

The past catches up with both, Vidya and Durga!

Sujoy Ghosh begins the narrative at a brisk pace bringing the film to a boil at the interval. It’s not a case of whodunit, as the motives of Vidya and Durga become clear; rather, it is a case of who is doing it?

This “who is doing it” is what the suspense is all about and though it is not as dramatic as Kahaani, it does leave you with a feeling of respect as the suspect (who you thought you knew and was confused about) is not really out to move up the ladder! Revealing anything more here would spoil the film for you.

Having said that, there are scenes in the second half, which does not really match up to the pace of the beginning. Arjun’s scenes with his wife are not as effective and lend no impact to the story. The ‘WANTED’ poster that comes up with Inspector Inder when Vidya Sinha is found in the hospital is a little confusing. Durga Rani Singh had committed the ‘crime’ eight years ago! How is it that the cops now want to find her? What were they doing for eight long years?

Vidya Balan is back in her elements, although it cannot be bracketed as one of her best works. Give her a good script and this actor can make the scene her own. Arjun Rampal proves to be the surprise of the pack as Inspector Inder who leads the trail to nab Durga. As the cop out to nab the killer, he is always 10 steps ahead of his suspect. And it is these 10 steps that make up for the suspense.

Jugal Hansraj in a negative role along with the lady who plays the grandmother and the lady inspector all create an impact with their limited screen time.

Kahaani 2 does not have the same bearing and suspense as Kahaani; the suspense here lies in its investigation!

CREDITS
Producer: Pen India Ltd. Boundscript Motion Pictures Pvt. Ltd.
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Star Cast: Vidya Balan, Arjun Rampal, Jugal Hansraj