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Kahaani- My Take!!

“KAHAANi” the title itself is so apt for the movie! Last night after watching the movie I was so relieved that I didn’t waste my money and finally went to a good movie after watching so much of trash in Hindi cinema. It’s a thriller movie so not going to leak any spoilers here, but I am tempted to mention just few names and few scenes which will for sure not spoil the movie watch. Kahaani is all about Vidya Bagchi who comes to India from London in search of her missing husband who visits Kolkata on some official assignment and suddenly disappears! The story oscillates between Arnab Bagchi and Milan Damji. The plot, twists and turns in the movie are so neat that there is no loop hole anywhere in the story. You will not doubt the integrity of the story till almost the end of the movie. As the movie is about to end audience will be clean bowled when the facts are unfolded. Vidya is so damn natural. Of course there is no need to mention this as she is an actress who should by now get used to bagging as many awards as possible. I became a fan of her after watching “The Dirty picture”. Yet again a proof being a part of a Khanna/Kapoor/Khan family or having good looks and zero size are not needed to sustain in Bollywood. We all know how many “poor-ka-poors” taste sour grapes as and when their movies get released! Anyway I don’t want to debate on benefits and losses of being a part of cine family! It can wait as now we are talking about the attention gripping movie Kahaani which is already declared a hit and is houseful on first Sunday adter release even in abroad! The plus points of the movie are

Ø Showing Kolkata, the nativity and the localities so amazingly and am so thankful to the story writer and the director who did not make it a Delhi/ Mumbai based routine flick.

Ø Vidya as a pregnant lady carried herself so naturally and her struggle to find her husband even in that condition is shown in an ultra-ambitious and chivalrous way!

Ø The suspense bits were portrayed so damn nicely that even the sharpest of the brains will not be able to guess who the culprit is and who is doing what till almost the end of the movie.

Ø The teeny weenie light moments in the movie are also worth mentioning like when Vidya hacks the system and says she does it in her spare time the sub inspector Rana asks her “You remember you are talking to a policevman right ?:)” , the child who acts as “running hot water supplier” and also the momentary humorous face of the dangerous serial killer Bob Biswas is funny.

Ø Every actor did his job rightly! I said “rightly” as there was no major blunder worth mentioning in the whole plot of the movie.

Ø Amitabh’s singing in the background even if it’s for a shorter stint. (Ekhla chalo re!)The song even if I don’t understand Bengali is soothing, rings in your heart and blended well with what’s happening in the movie at that moment both the Durga pooja and a sorrowful Vidya. Usha uthup’s voice is sexy for the sexy Kolkata song! Aami shotti bolchi!

Ø A literary brain like Advaita behind the screen who got this brilliant idea of “Kahaani” . Many thanks and best wishes to her at this huge success

Ø Well there are not many minuses to mention in the movie. The only thing which I felt was not much in demand for the movie which was already drilling the audience’s brain was the romance created between Rana and Vidya which he imagines for few seconds. But I didn’t mind much as its just for few seconds and it just vanishes in the seriousness of the movie!

When Vidya wears the traditional red and white Durga pooja Saree I remembered Vidya Balan of Parineeta and again was amazed to see how neatly she carries herself in any native look. All the actors shown in Kolkata were like true Bengalis which reinforced the movie.

Want to watch many more such thriller movies in Bollywood or movies which really have a “kahaani” in them and I would really love to see many more actresses doing such different roles which would be delightful to watch and which really will attract audience to the theatres in the very first week rather than making them go buy the pirated DVD!

All in all Kahaani is a suspense thriller, so don’t delay watching it. Go with friends/ family/ cousins or even alone. You will enjoy with anyone or none. Kahaani is not a timepass pop-corn movie. It’s a movie where you will purchase pop-corn but for sure forget munching them for long as you will be immersed in the story / sequential events of the movie and this time I don’t want to even mention any Hollywood flick with which its matching-matching as there is absolutely no need of it. It has already got raving reviews and I am just trying to add little more icing on the cake. The whole cast and crew can happily celebrate the success!

Last but not the least I love you Vidya/ Bidda Bagchi J and hats off to Sujoy Gosh and Advaita kala. You inspire all the budding writers and ya I just loved the poster below that shows Vidya and Durga maa and the buzzing Kolkata behind !!

My rating : 4.5/5

PS: Wanted to post it in the very first week but some how forgot!

By

Afshan

A Short Note to my MOM!

Mom(in a shrilly voice): “Afshuuu get up!!! you have an exam today and you wanted me to wake you up at 4:30 sharp”!!

Me: (to myself) “Aargh!! Why does she have to remind me of my exam as if I don’t know."

“Mamma plzzzzz! For God’s sake 30 more min!”

“Oh girl. I got up fixing an alarm at 4:00 just in case I don’t wake up. Get up now. After exam you can sleep to your heart’s content”.

“Oh mamma please understand, I have a very bad head ache and I have revised the syllabus .There’s only one unit left and it will be done in ½ hr. Please mom Please!”

Saying OK mom left the room. I happily slept in my cozy bed for 1 more hour!

The kitchen lights were already on. Mom was busy making tea for dad who hasn’t even finished his brushing and Bourn-vita for my brother who was busy lifting weights in the veranda. I saw the alarm clock and it was 6:00 already. Oh my god. High time!I rushed in to bathroom, brushed my teeth, taunted mom for not waking me up in a stretch! She silently heard all my complaints and handed over a hot cup of elaichi tea to me which refreshed my mood!!!! I got up all of a sudden like the girl in the Taazaa tea ad (mentally humming: taazaa ki taazgi kamaal ki taazgi!! Zindagi Umang bhari kamaal ki taazgiiiiii)

I flipped through the pages of my last unit and rushed to kitchen to just check if I remember the Fundamental rights and fundamental duties and the policies of our constitution and blah blah!! CIVICS & economics would be my last paper and I can sleep to my heart’s content once I come back from exam. I was rehearsing this more than the fundas of civics !:)

My mom’s tight schedule already started something like this -- giving instructions to my maid, taking out all the clothes to be ironed from cup-boards and piling them for dhobi, preparing breakfast, watering the plants, filling water bottles, mopping the kitchen platform (CLEAN AND GREEN Freak my mom is), replacing the things (like the roti belan in its stand ,churner hanging in the corner !) My mom is very particular about the correct placement of things! Only the previous night I remember she was shouting at me, "Afshu, why can’t you place things back where they are! How can you put these tablets on the fridge that too near the stabilizer? The tabs will lose their chemicals some times. Sometimes they become power less / may even cause side effects if you forget storing them in a cool place!”

I shouted “MOM MOM! Cut it here. I am replacing them. Please don’t preach me now.” Mom turning to papa “See the GIRLS OF TODAY! You talk two three sentences extra and they feelyou are teaching and preaching them! In our days we silently used to obey your naanu and naani without defending and this girl always is ready for a fight.” She sighed looking for defence from my dad!

My Papa silently eyed me and mom. If it would have been bhayya he would have scolded saying “Hey is this the way to talk to mom? Say sorry!”But now he is in soup. Two strong ladies eyeing him as to which side he will take. Any Man’s greatest weakness would be to face two women whom he equally loves, who are equally strong! Scolding brother is easy but Papa ki pari hoon mai!

He in a very slow and sweet tone acted as if he is angry and told “Hey beta! That’s for your good ma, your mom wants you to be perfect like her!”

I thought, " What a safe escape!"

I smiled and said “mmm o.k.!”

My brother who always waits for a chance to taunt me stood by mom’s side and shouted “She always answers mom like this. What does she think of herself? Eh... Queen VICTORIA?”

I shouted “You better be out of this. Papa is talking to me! Why do you have to poke your nose around, you duffer.”

My Bro: “I will poke my nose. You better be polite to mom!”

The never ending fight started again between me and my Bro.

Mom left the place after warning both of us and instructing me that I have already wasted 1hr for dinner (instructing me hasn’t stopped even after me telling her rather screaming at her not to preach me :)) and papa too left the place finally . Me and my bro eyed each other with the fire of rivalry burning in both of our eyes and left the place. All of us left the place but did any of us bother to replace the things on the dining table, clean the table, cut the fruits for the day or fill the bottles for the fourth time that day (As it was summer we heartily empty water bottles but always forget refilling them) Poor mamma came back with a mop to clean the table and do all the above mentioned chores! She allots very minute tasks to all of us but we even forget doing them too. For instance preparing butter milk and cleaning the table to me, aqua guarding (filtering) the water and filling in bottles to my brother but we almost always forget doing them. ONCE IN A BLUE MOON we do them. If I do some amount of kitchen work (I mean a task which is not allotted by mom) I go around and announce I did this and I did that today.My momma never forgets to kiss me on my forehead and make my favorite dish as a reward as If I managed the entire household work! :P

Coming back to the exam day morning-- Mom was holding the milk jug in one hand belan in another .She had put the book (civics text book) on the roti maker as I rehearsed the topics where i missed clarity. (Which I never understood but by-hearted in last moment). In a worried tone I asked my mom “Will i get 90% in Social this time mom!? I have to get! Rezina ma’m is my favorite!" (I used to like subjects a lot if I like the teacher in those days.)

Mom told “You will get BETA! Who else if you won’t?” . Suddenly I felt a surge of energy flowing in me! Saying so she stuffed some of the bread omelet in to my mouth and curd rice after that just for a cool stomach and butter milk followed.”

I shouted again saying “Mom I don’t want to sleep in the exam hall. Pleazzzzzzzzzze"

MOM: “Drink drink. You will feel good.” (Mom never gets tired while giving repeated instructions :)")

I felt if I eat so much I will get sick but sipped half glass not to break her heart and finally left for exam when Mom scolded once again not to let my hair lose and to tie it up in a plait (she believes girls should not let their hair lose as people get jealous of thick silky hair ;-) ) when I was putting things in my bag she sharpened the pencil for map pointing worth 8 marks. (Yes for some weird reason we had the map pointing of geography not with geography exam but on the last day.)My exam pad ,hanky, pencil box, everything was ready—steady clean and neat when I stepped out of my room after giving a last touch up to my face ! {We girls never forget it even if we r deadly BIZZY}

Me: "Bye mom, bye bhayya, bye papa!"

In chorus: "All the best!"

Mom shouted:" Do well! Arey take this bottle. You may get thirsty!"

I rolled my eyes replying: "I won’t have that much time to open a bottle and drink water!” Still she forced me to carry the bottle.

I left leaving a laughing dad and brother behind.

I finally gave the exam. Felt more satisfied than I expected. When I came back home shouting, “Mom! The bit paper was also easy and even map pointing. I have fair chances to score above 90!” Saying this I kissed my mom on cheek and she was busy making my favorite kaddu ka kheer in kitchen !

I and my bro played Caroms, Business and all sort of indoor games till late midnight !

I wonder why we never feel drowsy once the exams get over!

Such was the happy ending of my exams in summer when I was in 6^th standard! That night when my mom was applying balm to her hands I was moved. No one bothers about her health (NOT ATLEAST with the intensity she bothers). I silently sat beside her and applied the balm on her knee joint and elbow joint .She was so elated by that simple act that she announced it even to my aunt and uncle who paid us a casual visit the next day that “As Afshu applied balm the previous night I was able to sleep happily! Such is MY MOM's LOVE towards me!! Will anyone be able to love u like her? NONE! Not even “THE GOD”!

I realized the eternal love of my mom more and more when I started staying in hostel, when I had to iron my clothes, when I had to get the tasteless cold tea from mess and had to have the lousy food, when I rehearsed before exams to myself , when I cleaned my room and what not! Each and every minute of my day reminded me MOM. Even after all these years mom always floats in my thoughts and will always do.

Mom is my BEST FRIEND, my soul mate forever. I can’t imagine my life in her absence but life has moved on and am staying away from her trying to mimic her missing her every second. She is the one who taught me how to tie my shoe lace and how to tie my plait. She is the one who taught me the way to behave with friends, relatives, to be helpful to people irrespective of the help I get! The humanity to be shown towards the poor, the under privileged people , the alms to be given to the poor, the prayers to be offered to God, the love to be shown towards the younger and the respect towards the elders , to be loved and be lovable,to be the BEST in the world and TO BE the "PERFECT WOMAN". She is in the pursuit of making me more perfect than her! (Which I really doubt I can ever be!!).

The only thing I can give in return is to listen to her ,to love her (trying to meet her levels though I may not succeed in it.)

LOVE YOU MOM FOR EVER AND EVER!!

Afshu.

---------God couldn't be everywhere, so he created mothers --------------------

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