Parineeta

I was pleasantly surprised by ‘Parineeta’, at least the first 75% of it.

First of all, it was only 2 hours long. Many more Hindi movie-makers should start making short films if they want people to watch them.

It was very well picturised. The director created an authentic looking India of !960’s.

Casting was perfect. The newcomer, Vidya Balan and Saif Ali Khan did an excellent job. (I think Saif Ali Khan is much much better than Amir I-am-so-good-kiss-my-feet Khan, Salman I’ll-kill-you-or-atleast-beat-you-up Khan and Shahrukh someone-please-stop-me-from-shaking Khan.) Even Sanjay Dutt, who can only act as a road-side goonda, did OK. Achyut Potdar did his usual ‘bumbling fool of an old man’ and other supporting actors acted well, too.

The story was much much better than “Devdas” (even Madhuri couldn’t keep me interested in that crap of a movie) and the screenplay was excellent. Everything was going well. I almost checked to make sure that I was really watching a Hindi movie and it took a turn for the worse. From the scene when Sanjay Dutt came to meet Saif Ali Khan before his wedding to deliver the papers for the neighbour’s house, the movie just went down the drain – very fast. It was almost as if the director realised that it was turning out to be a good movie and then remembered that he was making a hindi movie and had to ruin it. The ending was just atrocious. All that dramatics of breaking-down-the-wall was totally unnecessary.

The songs were pleasing and almost appropriate. Rekha’s cameo was very good. That woman still knows how to carry herself.

I’d highly recommend this film if you haven’t seen it yet. Just be ready for the disappointment at the end.