Filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh revealed that Kahaani came together through a combination of creative instinct, his desire to work with Vidya Balan and his familiarity with Kolkata. Speaking at IFP Season 16 during a conversation with film critic Mayank Shekhar, Ghosh recalled wanting to make a film he genuinely believed in after what he described as the “world's largest flop.”
The filmmaker said the story of a woman travelling to Kolkata in search of her husband was central to the idea, but working with Balan was an equally important motivation.
“I really, really wanted to work with Vidya because I thought there was something about her which was truly amazing,” he said.
Explaining how the film eventually took shape, Ghosh added, “I wrote that script because I had nothing else to write.” He said his familiarity with Kolkata also influenced the film's setting, admitting that there was no single, elaborate explanation for how Kahaani came together.
