Mysorean

Movies

Parineeta
(Director: Pradeep Sarkar, Producer: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Written by: Pradeep Sarkar and Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Music Director: Shantanu Moitra, Cinematographer: N. Nataraja Subramanian, Creative producers: Vir Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani)

My Rating: 7.5/10

The producers of Munnabhai M.B.B.S & a first time director in the form of ad-director Pradeep Sarkar ( Former associate director - Mission Kashmir) adapt an original classic novel by SaratChandra Chattopadhyaya to bring to us a 70mm movie "Parineeta".

The story is of a Lolita (debutante but familiar face - Vidya Balan), orphaned early in her life staying with her mama. She is a childhood friend & neighbour of the son-of-a-filthy rich-father and ek lauta waaris of crores of jaaydad: Sekhar (Saif Ali Khan). Sekhar is a musician by choice but businessman by (his father's) force.

Lolita and Sekhar realise their love for each other when Girish (Sanjay Dutt), a businessman relative of Lolita, enters from London into the small and cosy ecosystem that Lolita and Sekhar had created for themselves. Girish saves Lolita's mama from certain financial problems created by Sekhar's wealthy father. Thus, Lolita feels indebted to Girish, and her mama decides to get them both married to display gratitude.

In the meantime, Sekhar's father gets a businessman Tathya's daughter (Dia 'plastic' Mirza) as a would-be-bride for Sekhar. Does Sekhar agree to the match? How does the story end? Watch the movie to find out.

Vidya Balan comes across as a seasoned performer. She's at ease in front of the camera. She conveys expression through her eyes. A trademark of a very high calibre of actors. The first scene where she is introduced with the camera focussing only on her eyes through the window slit does justice to this talent of hers. Her body language is pleasant. She can effortlessly demarcate the light scenes from the heavy ones with her smile. I am still trying to recover from that charming smile! ;-)

Saif Ali Khan, thankfully and rightfully cast in a serious role, makes full use of the opportunity. He comes up with a royal performance. Showing affluence comes naturally to him. The scene where he plays piano imagining Lolita making love to Girish and ends in an orgasmic shudder of the glass of water breaking, is a class apart from the movie itself! I would say, paisa vasool for that scene alone! Hats off to Saif Ali Khan for pulling it off without overdoing it! I shall talk about the conception of that scene when we get there!

Sanjay Dutt plays his age. A well-groomed businessman who does a L N Mittal kind of acquisition of steel plants. Looks good in his suits and dresses. Has lost a bit of his sturdy physique, but suits the role to the tee. He displays maturity in the character. He does well. His introduction scene where he is mistaken for an electrician by Lolita is excellent.

Saif's parents have an important role to play in the movie and they do it very well. Especially Saif's father does very well to add that business-like touch to the role while bordering on the villanous. Dia Mirza has a few more scenes than Raima Sen. Dia looks beautiful but plastic. Raima Sen does well as the chirpy energetic girl-next-door. And Saif's friend and music arranger does a good cameo. The scene where he requests the beggar for a 25 paise loan is pulled off well though it's cliched!

Cinematographer N. Nataraja Subramanian does a professional job of capturing the Kolkata of the 1960's perfectly recreated by the trio of Keshto Mondal, Tanushree Sarkar and Pradeep Sarkar (himself!). References to Elvis Presley, Saridon, Cadbury's Dairy Milk of the 1960's seem to make the movie very authentic. There is a yellowish tinge throughout the movie to give it a vintage touch. Editing could have been better.

Music was the highlight of the movie for me. Shantanu Moitra comes across as a melodious composer! The song “Piyu Bole” is just too romantic. Though the introduction (during the titles) song is a bit jarring on the ears, overall the quality of music belongs to the best we have heard this year so far. Background music adds to the feel of the movie. But there are a few scenes which have been given a very sudden jump in the volume levels which makes the audience jerk all of a sudden. Few of my friends, who had come along with me who didn't quite understand hindi fully, were woken up by these sounds! ;-)

Vidhu Vinod Chopra has left no stone unturned in making this movie the best he could. Amitabh Bachchan's voice at the beginning of the movie and the end adds a certain class to the overall happenings. The painting through which the movie starts is another attempt at giving a 'classy' feel to the movie.

Overall, a classy movie. Not to be missed by the lovers of sensitive cinema. I have taken away 2.5 points because I felt the ending was a bit too dramatic. No complaints though. And there are a few sequences where the actors went overboard!

Vidhu vinod Chopra a celebrated movie maker himself has developed a team which churns out excellent movies. Till today we had heard of only two schools of film-making that were dominating Bollywood. The Yasho Chopra and the Ram Gopal Varma schools. Please mark the arrival of the third, in chronology alone not on quality, The Vidhu Vinod Chopra School. They are ready to follow 'Parineeta' up with a string of movies 'Munnabhai meets the Mahatma' (Munnabhai MBBS – II) and 'Yagna' with the same starcast. And in 'Yagna' you will see Amitabh Bachchan in flesh and blood not only hear him! Get ready, fasten your seat belts for a journey with the Vidhu Vinod Chopra School!