Film Analysis Of The Film Kahaani

Film, as a medium of communication, holds up a fictional mirror to society. Beyond the entertainment value that film provides, it also gives us the chance to observe our culture and other cultures, through a more visually creative lens. In the best of circumstances, a script has the power to offer different perspectives and viewpoints, and a filmmaker undertakes the duty of transmitting a cultural experience to the screen. The film Kahaani (Ghosh 2012) does just that. Though the story itself has many plot holes, Ghosh’s directorial effort is largely a careful consideration of character development, language, location, and social context; this makes it easier to look at the film from a sociological perspective. C. Wright Mills said, “The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two in society.” According to Mills, sociology connects history, biography, and social structure. Kahaani, even though it is a piece of fiction, connects all three: the terrorist attack; Vidya’s personal and emotional battles; and the society—of which she is an outsider—that hinders and helps her task.

On a smaller scale, Ghosh presents a narrative rich with culture, and it appears that not a single detail was overlooked. Calcutta as a location is not only a backdrop, but is a central, crucial character. The camera navigates through the city of Calcutta, India, developing at once both the main characters on screen, and the city in which they traverse. As Vidya’s story and actions raise in climactic fashion, so too does the city; it is a reflection of Vidya’s own increasing anxiety and turmoil. There is a minor detail in the police station that many might overlook: a crime board. The board lists out t...

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...in the desire to protect her from embarrassment.

As to the reasoning for this behavior, the first assumption is that it relates back to Hindu tradition, folklore, and epics. The second assumption is that these behaviors have transitioned from religious to more socio-cultural. Both thoughts could be viable. In the case of Vidya, she anticipates and expects to be treated as something to protect. She builds a plan around this cultural understanding. Perhaps for most Indian women, this notion of male chivalry and aggressive protection has become the social norm—something to be expected and anticipated, not always challenged. And perhaps for modern Indian men, the same idea, though steeped in religious tradition, is more grounded now in cultural habit and practice. Maybe beyond asking why, the next questions should instead be: Is it still wanted? Is it still needed?