So, i watched Kahani the other day and i liked it. I know that is not very surprising... Everybody who saw it, liked it. Some of them expected the twist in the end, for some it was totally unexpected. But everyone is pretty unanimous in their praise for Vidya's performance. I agree, she is a good actor. And when supported by a strong story, there is no stopping her from giving a powerhouse performance. Some even go on to say she was the hero of the film. Once again, I agree. But, for a hero to shine through in a movie, you need a strong villain. That's one of the reasons why films like Singham hit a cord with the audience. I'll bet that film wouldn't have been half the hit it became, if it wasn't for Prakash Raj... But I digress.
Where was I? Oh yeah, Kahani! So, did Kahani even have a villain? No, not in the traditional sense. But yes, Vidya's character did have several men giving her a hard time... Some deceptive (Milan Damji), some manipulative (Khan), some devious (Shridhar) and some ineffective (IB chief Bhaskaran). But, in this entire posse of men who are not who they say they are, there is one man who made an impact on the audience...with a sinister smile and a silencer!
For me, Bob Biswas is the character that stood out the most in Kahani. Credit must be given to the writers and whoever else contributed in conceiving this character. He is a professional hitman, an assassin and yet, an imperfect man. Not very
healthy, not good-looking, not too smart, not a schemer or plotter... But he's damn good at what he does...that is killing people. And that's all that really matters! The beauty of the character is in its sheer nonchalance. He is so mundane, such an average joe that if you passed him on the road, you wouldn't even give him a second glance. And therein lies the brilliance of casting him as an assassin!
In any other typical Bollywood movie, an assassin would be a tall, well-built guy with bulging biceps (as a result of regular workouts). He would be wearing leather jackets, riding bikes and carrying loads of cash. (Offing people must be a lucrative career option!) And last but not the least, the tattoos and a tell-tale scar on his face are an absolute must...to make him look extra nasty, in case we missed the point! Talk about overkill! I know that the world of Bollywood is a larger-than-life universe and I love it all! But maybe it's time for the movie-makers to move past the stereotypes and bring in some fresh ideas. If you need inspiration, all you need to do is look around you. If they can make an Insurance agent lead a double life as a professional hitman, you never know what they'll come up with next!
