Parineeta

When the lights go off in a movie hall, all a moviegoer looks forward to is a captivating story to unfold on screen. And if the mesmerizing story has the backing of an efficient narrator, it only proves to be an icing on the cake.

Besides, revisiting a classic that has been attempted on celluloid earlier is tricky business. But the 2005 adaptation of this early 20th century classic is interesting. In parts, not in entirety.

PARINEETA may not be that perfect film -- it has its share of flaws -- but there's no denying that the film has moments that keep you hooked most of the times.

Debutante director Pradeep Sarkar seems to have done his homework pretty well. The marriage of form [technique] with substance [script] is worth noting. But how one wishes Sarkar and co-writer Vidhu Vinod Chopra would've given a solid culmination to this simple, yet complicated tale of emotional relationships.

Had Sarkar worked doubly hard, PARINEETA could've proved to be a masterpiece. The culmination to the story [climax] is what actually proves a spoiler of sorts. But, overall, PARINEETA is still a cut above the average.

Kolkata 1962. Lolita [Vidya Balan], orphaned at an early age, is sent to live with her uncle's family, where destiny introduces her to Shekhar [Saif Ali Khan]. Shekhar, a budding musician, is the son of an affluent businessman [Sabyasachi Chakraborty].

 

Together through childhood and adolescence, Shekhar and Lolita share joys and sorrows, fond memories and bittersweet experiences… and unknown to them, a relationship of deep friendship and trust takes place. It is an unspoken right they hold over each other that metamorphoses into love so intense, they do not even see it coming.

It takes the arrival of an outsider, Girish [Sanjay Dutt], for them to discover their true feelings for each other. The chemistry between Lolita and Shekhar sizzles and sparkles until it explodes. But fate has something else in store for them.

Greed, deception and malicious intents are waiting to plague Lolita and Shekhar's deep and innocent love. Events twists and turn beyond their control, spin around them in a maze of misunderstandings and exploding tempers, till even their love cannot stop them from being torn apart.

Can true love conquer the insurmountable obstacles or will it succumb to them? Will Lolita and Shekhar be swept apart by these tumultuous events?

Based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic literary work, PARINEETA transports you to an era that the current generation is alien to. The look of the 1960s, the atmosphere, the ambience… the debutante director makes efforts to recreate the era with flourish. Of course, the viewer had witnessed a similar ambience in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's DEVDAS, but PARINEETA is treated differently.

In fact, comparisons with DEVDAS are inevitable. The two childhood lovers facing parental opposition [by the arrogant father] is one common factor that comes to your mind instantaneously.

Back to PARINEETA. The simple story of two childhood lovers gradually falling in love has been handled with simplicity and conviction. The sequences between Saif and Vidya as also those between Sanjay and Vidya are the high points of this film. The moments are spellbinding, especially portions that depict a jealous Saif suspecting Vidya of having an affair with Sanju.

The sole problem with the first half is that the narrative moves at a sluggish pace throughout. The goings-on unfold at such a leisurely pace and the treatment is so class-appealing that PARINEETA automatically moves into the bracket of films that the elite would fathom, more than the hoi polloi.

The post-interval portions are riveting in parts. The second half has some attention-grabbing moments, like the sequences when the rift between Saif and Vidya widens over the loan that Vidya's uncle [Achyut Potdar] had taken from Saif's father. But the culmination to the story -- the finale -- is a terrible letdown. It's very, very clichéd. The film definitely deserved a better end!

Pradeep Sarkar is a proficient storyteller, but the execution of the subject is such, it would appeal to the upper strata primarily, who have a taste for refined cinema. The pacing is slow and the only solution one sees is axing a song or two to make the story reach the finale faster.

But Pradeep Sarkar is a director to watch! It's rare for a first-timer to display such sensitivity and extract life-like performances, especially from a debutante [Vidya Balan]. Even otherwise, the effort of replicating Kolkata of the 1960s is remarkable.

Shantanu Moitra's music is a letdown. Ideally, a film like this -- a love story specifically -- should've been embellished with a lilting, memorable score. But in this case, 'Piyu Bole' is the only track that really stands out. But, frankly, it isn't of the chartbuster variety. The execution of the Rekha song is brilliant.

Cinematographer [N. Nataraja Subramanian] is first-rate. The sepia tone gives the film a nostalgic feel, so essential for a period film. The production design [Keshto Mondal, Tanushree Sarkar, Pradeep Sarkar] compliments the cinematography beautifully.

Saif Ali Khan takes colossal strides as an actor. The actor handles a complex role with dexterity and enacts his part with flourish. Sanjay Dutt is efficient in a smaller role comparatively, although the fire that one would've associated with the character in the climax is missing.

It's Vidya Balan who gives PARINEETA that extra sheen. A natural [not cosmetic] beauty, Vidya takes to the role like a fish takes to water and delivers, what can be rightly called, the most striking performance by a debutante this year.

Dia Mirza doesn't really get much scope. Nevertheless, she makes her presence felt. Ditto for Raima Sen. Sabyasachi Chakraborty, as the scheming father, is superb. In fact, his performance is one of the strong points of this enterprise.

On the whole, PARINEETA is a well made film that has its share of highs and lows. At the box-office, the film would appeal more to the elite that frequent the multiplexes, but at the hardcore Hindi movie belt, its business will range from average to downwards. The multiplexes of metros should fetch the best returns!