kramachandran
This is a badly made, poor remake of Bimalda's classic Parineeta. The story is based on Sarat Chandra's book of the same name and it is a distortion of the original. Well one can appreciate some degree of creativity but not sham creativity. The acting by everyone is affected and the entire movie is a sham. Shekar's father's choice of words in abusing Lolita ( Balan ) sounds cheap and morbid and destroys the spirit of the original story. Again the scene where Shekhar ( Saif ) slaps Lolita is quite out of place with the flow of the movie and the characters, is quite jarring to the senses, and could have been easily avoided. Similarly the sex scene between Saif and Balan is quite unbecoming the movie and a cheap gimmick to attract the audience. When a creative work is not faithful to the original and destroys it's spirit, the work falls apart. The song "piyu bole" is quite OK. Another silver lining in the dark cloud of this movie is the scene where Saif stands up for himself and rebels against his father. This is a positive departure from the original and deserves credit. On these counts this movie deserves 3 stars. The song and dance by Rekha smacks of artifice and it is a put on. The song is tuneful but I remember having heard it somewhere before and if Iam not mistaken the tune appears to have been plagiarized. Well, agreed the times have changed from then to now. But then this movie is not even reflective of the modern times.This is what happens when the modern Bollywood film makers get increasingly obsessed with impressing the NRIs and grabbing the lucrative NRI entertainment market. Such movies end up neither belonging to India nor to any other part of the world.
tejrl
Clean. True. Heart-warming. Thought-provoking.The movie does not once attempt to push the viewer to come to grips with the emotions the actor is attempting to portray. Instead, the feelings are just absorbed through the phenomenal script and acting. You can actually feel for Shekhar being lost in his sincere emotions. You can feel for Lolita's sincere intentions for Shekhar. You can feel for Girish's sincere feelings for Lolita.The movie sets itself apart from traditional Hindi movies, while borrowing the best of what the industry offers. By creating this distinct class, we are fortunate to now have a bar for which other directors/producers may reach upon with their films.My qualm? It's too bad this story line wouldn't translate well into a Hollywood movie. The story was meant to be portrayed in Hindi cinema and only hope its story is shared with everyone.
nedtheone
For a nation starved of creatively fulfilling cinema, Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Parineeta is like a dream come true. If you overlook the overindulgence in melodrama in the last few reels of the film, Parineeta may well classify as a classic entertainer with brilliant performances, outstanding music and superb production values. Based on Saratchandra Chatterjee's novel, Parineeta is the story of two childhood friends - Lolita (newcomer Vidya Balan) and Shekhar (Saif Ali Khan), both hailing from different strata of society. They share an unspoken bond of love. Enter Girish (Sanjay Dutt) from London. Shekhar is driven to jealousy by the growing affections between Girish and Lolita. A series of circumstances manipulated by Shekhar's father Naveen Rai force the two lovers apart amidst a series of misunderstandings and betrayals. Parineeta is the story of a woman's endless wait for her love and director Pradeep Sarkar weaves the story like magic, especially in the first half. The relationship between Lolita and Shekhar is beautifully established right from the beginning. Sarkar excels in the detailing - the vintage look of the film stands out with authentic costumes, props and even the roads of Kolkata. Which makes the deliberate plugs of brands like Saridon and Cadbury stand out sorely. Some of the sequences haunt you much after the film is over: Shekhar's complex state of mind during his marriage with Gayatri (Dia Mirza) and his confrontation scenes with Lolita. Girish's first encounter with Lolita and Saif's anguish as he helplessly watches his love slip by are excellent. The scene in the recording studio is worth a mention. Full marks to Vinod Chopra and Sarkar for a deft screenplay. Sarkar's picturisations of Piyu Bole and Soona Mann Ka Aangan are mesmerising. The background score is heavily inspired by 1942: A Love Story. Perhaps the only problem with the film lies in its script and maybe contemporarising it would have helped. In the second half, the script stumbles. And then comes the worst part - the climax. The wall breaking scene between shouts from family and friends screaming, "Todh, Shekhar todh!" is so amateur that it dilutes the whole film's impact. All the performances are top class - Vidya Balan makes a sensational debut. Whether it's her coy demeanour with Saif or her confusion with Sanjay, Vidya is an absolute delight. Sanjay Dutt is in super form. Sabyasachi Chakraborty as Saif's father is brilliant. Among the others, Raima Sen and Ninad Kamat (as Shekhar's friend) add enormously to the film despite their miniscule parts. But Parineeta really belongs to Saif Ali Khan. It's his best performance to date. Khan showcases a plethora of emotions, all in right doses - jealousy, compassion, callousness, insecurity, resentment and joy. It's hard to imagine any other actor playing the role. With this film, Saif rightfully acquires his position in the top rung of the industry. If Parineeta falls short of being a masterpiece, it's only due to the few howlers in the latter half. But even the chinks in the armour can't rob the film of its sheen. For Hindi cinema, it's a big step forward.
