PARINEETA vs PAHELI - TWO STORIES, TWO MOVIES.
Parineeta…….
This is a little late for a blog, but I was in effect of the movie for so long time that I just couldn’t write one.
It is not just a movie, its like a novel laminated in a ancient, precious frame. Its like a damn good antique piece which one should preserve in each museum or each heart.
Here is a most suitable starcast I’ve ever seen on celluloid, for an adaptation of a classic.
Sanjay plays Girish, a man who has seen ups & downs in life and now a successful person, this is also true with sanju, who is after such ups and downs, in this place. Vidya Balan, [LOLITA] wht to say, is pure beautiful INDIAN woman, whom everyone wants to have as wife, full with Indian culture and beauty. A face, no one can tell wht’s running behind that pretty face. Above all, Saif Ali Khan [SHEKHAR], A rich brat, doing whatever in life and quite confused person.
Movie starts of with a commentary by AB abt kolkota in 1963, and full marks to Binod Pradhan, for recreating the magic of old Kolkota, Also a shaadi song, which is quite OK [It doesn’t hurt your ears atleast]. And there he is, Saif in his tense look, story seems quite mysterious, Vidya is here now, behaving like a woman obsessed with sex, audience gets confused. Which is good actually, creating a mystery. Also title of the movie come then, when Vidya enters the screen, which is quite abnormal and seems great. If you haven’t read Original classic by Saratchandra, Don’t read it until u watch this flick.
Then a song by Saif – Sonu,[soona man ka aangan] a really nice song and also a nice way to flashback the story. Shreya Ghoshal’s vocals are amazing. Story of two kids who grow up 2gether and don’t know whether they are in love. It seems like Devdas, but totally different. You are not bored though. Vidya looks stunning. Also full marks to Saif for playing, wht he is. Music is a gem on the crown. Vidhu has selected totally suitable persons to make this epic. Pradeep and Shantanu Moitra both are pure Bengali, [sorry if I mistaken name of musician]. Saif plays a musician, and know wht he also sings a song, a portion before Piyu bole, and is a nice singer.
Picturization is always good Of Pradeep, Piyu bole is really exiquitely shot song. A really sweet love ballad. Now I am being repeatative but Vidya looks STUNNING.
Now I am not going to tell u whole story. But then Sanju comes, with a good scene in dark night. VIDYA LOOKS STUNNING in light of a candle.
Then comes an ITEM NUMBER. Rekha looks hot and can give any Isha, mallika and Rakhi sawants , a run for their money. Its just like Moulin Rouge. [Actually name of that bar was also the same]. But still it doesn’t feel awkward, to have a item number in a classic movie. I was really worried about that but I m happy Pradeep has managed it.
Now here comes smooch scene, between saif & vidya, one will think is this necessary? But looking back in that era of kolkota, it is.
Till 70’s, that scene of the novel was on mind of Bengali people. In youth, if someone can make it to kiss his lover, he explaine in his group, like “yes, I ‘ve done Parineeta”. Also the scene is really controlled and though sexy. Again, VIDYA LOOKS STUNNING. In background, song “hui main parineeta” is playing in also background of “shaadi mantras”. Really well crafted smooch scene bollywood has ever seen.
Story goes on and on, some misunderstandings happen, one scene is reminiscent of Devdas, but the same is with Saratchandra, who always portrays gap between two classes of societies.
Intermission.
Then here comes a real treat, Yeh hawaein, a song , a treat, an eyecandy, a ………… I cant explain feelings after seeing a Coal engine, running its way to Darjeeling[ in movie]. Pradeep has taken extreme care that - at morning when train is boarding sunlight comes from either side of station and when it comes back sunlight is coming from other side of station.
Hey, I’ve forgotten to say about Dia & Raima, amongst whom Dia is totally negligible. And Raima looks good acts good that’s it.
Story goes on & on & on,, but audience is not getting bored. At one or two portions a phrase from song “raat humari to” is used, which is like “ratiya…….kali kali andhiyaari…” The best piece of music, totally bengoli, which is there in 2 dark scenes. Mind blowing. All actors acts like they are in race to give their best performance ever. VIDYA LOOKS STUNNING, ACTS STUNNING. In first movie she’s all over STUNNING. Saif is really controlled. Vidhu was right, he didn’t expected he is suitable and shocked that his was wrong thinking, me too. I was quite speechless after watching his ACT. He is not improving but he is IMPROVED.
Sets are really sleek. Whole treatment is totally light. Pradeep Sarakar hasn’t gone to the way of Sanjay B. All things are really carefully selected not so LOUD. Even you will here a “saridon” ad in the movie, which was actually there in sixties. A Dairy milk with packing of 60’s. Pradeep took extreme care not to leave anything unusual. Full marks to music score, allover. Background and as well as main score. Camerawork, art direction, choreography all departments are brilliant. Even people who loved murder and sheesha kind of movies, also loving this. That’s the PLUS point of movie.
After you leave the hall, this is the movie, which will rule your mind. A forever classic. I can go on & on & on about this…………but something is forcing me to stop.
ONE PHRASE for the movie: SLEEK, SOBER & LIGHT.
Paheli……..
One should learn how to publicize a movie, which is not for mass, but they are going to see it. This is also an adaptation of a story from Rajasthan. A fairy tale romance, which u have heard when u were child. But can’t compare to Parineeta.
I m not going to write about this any more like earlier movie, cause I have little time. But ya movie starts of very slowly, a really colorful song. Nice special effects sprinkled. Sands of rajasthan looks nice. Rani looks beauty. Anupam kher acts well as a marwadi father. SRK is doing smthg unusual but he is doing very nicely. But something lacks in the movie is GRIP. Amol palekar’s grip on screenplay is poor. Cinematography is rocking. Whole movie is so much colorful and live but as movie goes towards end, colors make me getting bored. Nasruddin & Ratna Pathak plays puppets as story teller. They are quite good.
Songs are quite earthy. Folk and mix sounds are there. Dheere jalna and Khali hai, are cream of crop. Choreography in “Laaga re jal lagaa” is par excellence. Rajasthani dance is mind blowing. But at the same time it is the most “not required” song. “phir raat kati” is the worst. Amitabh is wasted in one ham scene. Aditi Gowitrikar is the same. Juhi and Sunil shetty are there just because of friendship with SRK. Theirs is quite “not required” kind of role. Movie is so much stretched after intermission. 2 songs let people roam out of hall.
Plus point is , a really art film kind of subject is very well presented in commercial format. Three cheers for that. But advice to SRK is STICK TO BOLLYWOOD kind of movies. Stick to Karan johars and Chopras. That s your best place. See “swades”. SRK leave all that crap to others. Just do, wht u believe into. Rani is better as always. There is nothing like “paheli” in this movie, it is already solved in first two or three scenes.
All in all, it’s a movie one MUST watch, but when u r out of hall, u will feel that “ya I have seen a movie”. Nothing else.
ONE PHRASE for the movie: Colorful yet boring.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Slow steady and sleek [Parineeta] wins the race.
Hear now here now, everybody put your hands up in the air now……dus bahane karke le gaye dil……….. 
..wht an album.. really a journey in music. Other fav. Is Lakshya…[as always Shankar Ehsaan Loy do – fantastic] Hear DCH…just hear it…don’t watch movie …each time I hear such well composed music I find some new chord of music in it.
