I know that this review of mine is a bit late because only recently I managed to watch the original dvd print of Parineeta. I have seen the film almost five months ago on pirated cd but I thought that it would be unfair to write a review on a film that I have seen on a very bad, dull pirated print in which so many scenes are cut down and missed, so after recently watching Parineeta’s complete , crisp and original dvd print I am writing this review as now I have felt the real essence and flavor of the film.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali can learn a thing or two from Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s production PRINEETA, that when adapting a Saratchandra Chattopdhyay love story for the screen, stay true to the ethos of the setting to create cinema that may be less grandiose that one’s vision but far more fulfilling. In Parineeta, cattopdhyay’s usual theme about the power of greed to destroy innocent love, especially that which dares to cross the class divide, is revisited.
The film’s characters also include some Chattopdhyay classics. The protoganists Shekhar was born with a silver spoon in his mouth but is compassionate and ultimately flawed while his beloved Lolita, the quintessential girl next door, stands by her principles.Meanwhie, Girish, Lolita’s slightly older yet affluent suitor, is a man of the world.
These characters are beautifully rendered through some sparkling performances. Bollywood’s late bloomer, the debonair Saif Ali Khan, captures the turmoil of Shekhar, a man caught between his father and the girl he loves, in an intelligent performance, which is understated and sensitive. Similarly Vidya Balan is perfectly cast as Lolita for her debut performance, which is understated and sensitive.
Indeed Vidya is a welcome break from the tiresome slew of female actors who tend to look as if they live on the catwalk. And while Sanjay Duttlooks tired as usual, he suits the part of the Girish as he vies for Lolita’s attention.
In fact only Sabyaschi playing the pivotal role of Shekhar’s manipulative father proves to be a disappointment. He hams it up for the run of the film, detracting from the subtlety of the screenplay. In some scenes, even his presence jars in the company of lead palyers who all give skillful performances. The remaining characters such as Shekhar’s mother and his sidekink are perfunctory, except for Raima Sen who makes an impact even in a small role. Also Diya Mirza leaves an impression after the end of the show on the minds, even in her minisecule special appearance and looked every bit of the character and very adorable after a very underrated but exceptional & cute performance in ’’Tehzeeb’’.
Avid fans of hindi cinema will find the story of a young couple who realize too late that they are in love and are wrenched apart by an unsympathetic parent all too familiar. But Parineeta’s exceptional screenplay and superb cinematography plus Director Pardeep Sarkar’s refreshing treatment of the narrative manage to rejuvenate the tired storyline. It seems as if Sarkar’s rendition of the Bengali love story is in fact a ploy to take the audience on a nostalgia-soaked journey to Calcutta, now Kolkata of the 1960s with great attention to detail, he recreates the vintage look of simpler, tranquil times.
Sarkar’s calcutta is city of dapper young men, coy, sheltered women and capitalists who are just waking up to the lucrative possibilites that surround them. No wonder then, the film does far more than simply depict Shekhar and Lolita’s courtship, thereby transcending countless other bollywood retellings of nearly doomed romances.
The soundtrack which is an integral component of the script given that Shekhar is an aspiring composer who conjures tunes that Lolita sets to poetry is also used effectively to evoke the era.Versatile music director Shantanu showcases his considerable range with numbers such as the lilting ’’piya boley’’ to the heart wrenching ’’soona maan ka aangan’’ and fun-filled’’Kusto maza’’ . Even the seductive ’’paheli zindagani’’ charms despite the fact that it is visualised by an obviously ageing Rekha who insists on hogging the limelight.
All the other components of Parineeta, including the pre-climax twist, are directly balanced. Unfortunately the film’s climax is a complete washout, betraying its bollywood origins. But the sceptical director and his crew execute the unconvincing finale in a hurried manner and in a film that has so much else to offer, the ending is mercifully reduced to a momentary distraction.
Ultimately, few films live up to the fanfare that surrounds them but Parineeta outdoes its hype and may well become a classic.