What is Kahaani 2 all about? Is it a sequel/prequel? In a plush hotel room in suburban Juhu, not far from her residence, Vidya is primed for media interviews. Sujoy is at hand. No dearth of warmth, giggles and energy—she apparently ploughed through 44 interviews in a day once, they say. Vidya jokes about Sujoy’s Hindi, wonders why she is the only one feeling cold in the room, desultorily scans her day’s schedule, ignores the beverage that’s been waiting for her and so on and so forth.
Vidya is not your average workaholic. She took almost a year off in 2015 before returning with a smaller role in Teen, another suspense thriller.
Finally, Kahaani 2. “Yesss!” says Vidya, lighting up instantly. “Both Kahaani and Kahaani 2 are suspense thrillers, but the similarity ends there. Vidya Bagchi and Durga Rani Singh are as different from each other as can be. It’s a fresh story, taking the franchise forward. It’s not a sequel.” Why not? It fairly brimmed with the potential for one, with viewers having bought so much into her character, set off against the unnerving Inspector Khan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). “We did explore a few stories for a sequel, but it didn’t really work out. Then we decided to make a film called Durga Rani Singh, but I had to opt out for health reasons. Then Kahaani 2 happened.”