‘Laaga Chunari mein daag’, the second film by Pradeep Sarkar is a much improved film after his first one ‘ Parineeta’. It is grander in scale, has more gloss and technical finesse. I was disappointed with ‘Parineeta’ as I felt that it had diluted the sanctity of the novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay on which it was based. The earlier films made of the same story ‘Parineeta’ and ‘Snatch’ was much more touching and loyal to the spirit of the original novel.
‘Laaga Chunari mein daag’ tells the story of family from Benaras, who have only a grand haveli on the banks of the Ganges as their asset. The two daughters – Vibhavari and Shubhavri, played by Rani & Konkona, are considered liabilities. The mother – Jaya Bachchan sews garments to feed the entire family, while Anupam Kher, the father, does nothing except rue his fate. Things come to a pass when a black sheep, good-for-nothing brother slaps a court order on them to claim ownership of the haveli. Finally Rani decides to take a bold step and sets off for Mumbai, the city that has always been the panacea for all ills. Being unqualified, she is unable to get a job anywhere and has to finally settle for the oldest profession in the world. Her father’s ill health and mounting debts does not allow her to return back empty-handed. She is soon transformed into a high-class call girl, rolling in money. Her mother gets some hint of what she must has fallen into, but surprisingly keeps quiet about it and accepts the inevitability of the situation reluctantly. Meanwhile, Konkona completes her MBA and gets a job in Mumbai. Here she discovers love in the form of Kunal Kapoor and also learns about her sister’s profession. She feels really sad for her sister and realises her pain and sacrifice. The climax comes during Konkona’s wedding in Benaras. Kunal’s brother turns out to be Abhishek Bachchan who was a silent lover of Rani. He accepts Rani even after knowing the truth about her and two marriages are solemnised at the same venue. The evil brother beats a hasty retreat seeing their unity and care-a-damn attitude allowing the film to end on a happy but tame note.
The beautifully shot scenes of Benaras as well as Mumbai, are the highlights of the film. The contrasting backdrops of the two cities leave a long-lasting impact. The performances are excellent – Rani plays tragedy queen to the hilt and looks sexy and desirable as Natasha. Konkana, with her natural style of acting, impresses a lot while Jaya and Anupam Kher execute their parts with ease. Abhishek and Kunal have small roles but give the female audiences enough to drool over.
The climax song where all the four leads dance and sing inside the tastefully decorated haveli is a treat to watch. Music by Shantanu Moitra could have been better but is not absolutely trash either. Photography, especially the way the ghats of Benaras and the Banganga tank in Mumbai are shot, is masterly. But unfortunately, I feel this film may not strike a chord with today’s generation and end up as another good film that is sidelined by the trash Bollywood keep dishing out which the escapist audience keeps on