Parineeta (2005 film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Parineeta | |
|---|---|
![]() |
|
| Directed by | Pradeep Sarkar |
| Produced by | Vidhu Vinod Chopra Rajkumar Hirani (creative producer) |
| Written by | Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (novella), Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Pradeep Sarkar, Rekha Nigam |
| Starring | Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Vidya Balan Raima Sen Dia Mirza |
| Music by | Shantanu Moitra |
| Cinematography | Natarajan Subramaniam |
| Editing by | Hemanti Sarkar |
| Distributed by | Vinod Chopra Productions |
| Release date(s) | June 10, 2005 |
| Running time | 130 min |
| Country | |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | Rs. 25 crores (250 million)[1] |
| IMDb profile | |
Parineeta (Hindi: परिणीता, Urdu: پرنیتا, translation: The Married Woman) is a Bollywood musical adaptation of the 1914 Bengali novella, Parineeta by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Directed by debutant Pradeep Sarkar,[2] the film was based upon a screenplay by the film's producer, Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The movie featured Saif Ali Khan and Vidya Balan in the lead roles. Sanjay Dutt as the supportive Girish and Raima Sen as Lolita's chirpy companion play supporting roles in the film. Sabyasachi Chakravarthy playing the pivotal role of Shekhar's father, Diya Mirza with a cameo appearance as Shekhar's fiancé and Rekha, a yesteryear actress from Bollywood, with a cameo performance of a night club (Moulin Rouge) singer are other notable performances from the film.
The film primarily revolves around the lead characters, Lolita and Shekhar. Since childhood, Shekhar and Lolita have been friends and slowly this friendship blossoms into love. A series of misunderstandings surface and both of them are separated with the conniving schemes of Shekhar's father. The plot deepens with the arrival of Girish who supports Lolita's family. Eventually, Shekhar's love defies his father's greed and he seeks Lolita.
The film, which had several notable allusions to the Indian literature and cinema, opened to the Indian audiences on June 10, 2005. Despite the pre-release inhibitions, the film received critical acclaim and praise. It went on the win the Filmfare Awards apart from several prominent awards. The director went on to win the prestigious National Award for Best First Film.[2] The film, which also released as a DVD, was showcased at prominent international film festivals.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
This film adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's 1914 novella, Parineeta, places the story in the Kolkata of 1962. As the credits roll, scenes from the erstwhile Calcutta are displayed along with the narrator's (Amitabh Bachchan) introduction of the era to the audience. The narration focuses on the night of the marriage of Shekhar (Saif Ali Khan) and Gayatri Tantya (Diya Mirza), a rich industrialist's daughter. The audience is introduced to Navin Rai (Sabyasachi Chakravarthy) as Shekhar's father while we see Shekhar readying himself for the occasion. While he is doing that, images of Lolita calling him by his name flash through his mind. Downstairs, musical celebrations begin as Shekhar meets Vasundhara, a widow from his neighborhood, who is thankful to her son-in-law, Girish (Sanjay Dutt), for supporting their family after the death of her husband, Gurcharan. Lolita, who is present there, playfully confronts Shekhar as to why he is being indifferent to her. Shekhar admonishes her for speaking so in spite of being married.
An angry Shekhar comes back home to play a favorite tune from the past on his piano. The flashback shows a young Shekhar playing the Rabindranath Tagore’s tune on his piano while young Lolita and Koel are around. Lolita, with her parents having died in a car accident, lives with Gurcharan’s family whereas Koel and Charu are her neighbors. As this scene flashes across Shekhar’s mind, he sings a song full of sadness and loss. As time flies, they grow up to become close friends. A rebellious and musically inclined Shekhar, spends his days playing the music of Rabindranath Tagore or Elvis Presley and composing his own songs with Lolita, rather than becoming part of his shrewd father's world of profit and business. Part of this rebellion involves resistance to meeting Gayatri Tantia (Diya Mirza), the beautiful but, devious daughter of a wealthy industrialist, whom his father would like Shekhar to marry into. Meanwhile, Girish, a steel tycoon from London, makes a dramatic entry into Koel’s house. Girish seems smitten by Lolita whereas Koel is by Girish. Shekhar is visibly jealous of Lolita’s close friendship with Girish.
One day, a shocked Lolita, who’s employed at the Rai’s office, realises of a hotel project from Gurcharan’s ancestral haveli (palatial house). On an earlier occasion, Gurcharan had borrowed money from Navin Rai after putting his haveli on mortage. She understands that if the money is not be repayed in a few months, Navin Rai would take over the property. She immediately thinks of asking Shekhar for monetary help. Unforeseen circumstances prevent this and Girish upon realising this, alleviates their problem by making Gurcharan his business partner. Gurcharan repays the debt and the turn of events prompts Shekhar to think why Lolita chose to ask Girish for money instead of him. On one auspicious night, Shekhar and Lolita apparently get married without anyone’s knowledge.
While Shekhar is off to Darjeeling on a business trip, Navin Rai violently thunders on Lolita about the loss of his hotel project embarrassing and humiliating her. Rai gets a wall built between his and Gurcharan’s house symbolizing the end of their association. Gurcharan unable to digest this faces a heart attack. Upon Shekhar’s return, Rai informs him of the ill-health of his mother and Gurcharan and viciously adds a note of Lolita and Girish’s marriage. Shekhar is digusted to hear of the marriage and in the anger he scowls at Lolita, humiliating her like his father. In the meanwhile, Girish assists the Gurcharan family and takes them to London for the heart treatment. Misunderstandings follow and upon the family’s return from London, Shekhar assumes that Girish and Lolita are married and agrees to marry Gayatri. The film returns to the night of Shekhar’s marriage when Girish hands him the ownership papers of Gurcharan’s haveli. He shocks Shekhar by telling him that he got married to Koel because Lolita denied his marriage proposal. As a conclusion, Shekhar confronts his father and symbolically breaks down the wall separating the two families. He then brings Lolita to his home as his bride much to the delight of his mother.
[edit] Cast
- Saif Ali Khan as Shekhar Rai. Shows a balance of love for Lolita and jealousy towards Girish. Egoistic, yet towards to end has utter hatred of himself for transforming into such a cold and bitter person.
- Sanjay Dutt as Girish. Simple and straightforward character who plays Lolita's moral support with warmth and compassion.
- Vidya Balan as Lolita. A woman of dignity with unflinching love for Shekhar. A lovely singer, who's resigned to the circumstances, upholding her respect when she faces insult.
- Diya Mirza as Gayatri. Short but a devious character who longs for Shekhar with her charm and beauty.
- Raima Sen as Koel. Lolita's playful, mischievous and cheerful cousin who's lively, peppy and lives every moment.
- Sabyasachi Chakravarthy as Navin Rai. Cold at heart, a shrewd and a conniving businessman who even places human values and relationships below his greed for money.
[edit] Production
[edit] The key elements
Prior to Parineeta, Pradeep Sarkar was a well-known personality in the area of advertisements. With 17 years in mainstream advertising and 7 years of advertisement film-making and commercial cinema, he completed about 1000 commercials and 15 music videos.[3] Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the film's producer, took notice of his music videos and contacted Sarkar to direct some of the music videos of the film, Mission Kashmir (2000).[2] After carving a niche in filming music videos, Sarkar gave the thought of filming Parineeta to Chopra.[2] There began the making of the film.
About the film's comparison with the novel, Chopra said in an interview that, as compared to its 1953 namesake film by Bimal Roy, the film's story was based in the year 1962. He said that it took them one and a half years to script the film, with them adding new characters and emphasizing under-represented characters from the novel.[4][5] In a separate interview, Chopra admitted that he was actively involved with the screenplay because the film was an adaptation of the novel. When speaking about cinematic adaptation, Chopra gave due credit to Sarkar, and Natarajan Subramaniam (the film's cinematographer), for providing the vintage visuals in the film.[1] Saif Ali Khan once said that the film was initially attempted to be made in a contemporary way. When the film's crew did not find the depiction appealing, the filming began with the 60's look.[6]
Chopra once cited an interesting anecdote about his belief in Sarkar's film making abilities. He said that he never personally signed the cheques for the film's expenditure. He transferred money into Sarkar's bank account and the cheques were eventually signed by Sarkar and his spouse.[4]
[edit] Casting
Chopra said in an interview that Saif Ali Khan and Vidya Balan were not the first choices for the lead roles in Parineeta.[1] This fact was corroborated by Saif in an interview[6] when he said that even though Sarkar had faith in his abilities, Chopra was not too keen on having him.
The choice of Vidya Balan came with Sarkar's prior work experience with her in three music videos.[7] Chopra said that Vidya was screen-tested for a period of 6 months and only then they were sure of her acting abilities.[1] Saif once said that he was not convinced of Vidya's abilities, since Parineeta was to be her first film.[8] He instead hoped to work with established actresses like Aishwarya Rai or Rani Mukherjee. However, after seeing Vidya portray the character of Lolita, he was thoroughly appreciative of her performance.[6] Getting an opportunity to debut with big names from the industry along with a lovely character to enact made Vidya accept the role of Lolita.[7]
The choice of Sanjay Dutt was because of his versatility, said Chopra in an interview. He also said that the affable nature of Sanjay was a plus during film making.[1]
Diya Mirza liked the script so well that she chose to play the role of the devious Gayatri in spite of it being a short role.[9] Raima Sen had a similar story with her want to work with the duo of Chopra and Sarkar.[9] The cameo of the veteran actress, Rekha was purely out of her interest in the song, Kaisi Paheli Zindgani.[1]
[edit] Filming and music
Since Sarkar knew the city of Kolkata very well, the film was primarily shot there.[10] While most of the film was made in Kolkata, a small portion was shot in Darjeeling.[5]
To re-create the 60s era, lot of efforts were made by the producers. For instance, Chopra said that it cost them money and difficulty to procure the green colored car which was driven by Shekhar in the film. Chopra confirmed the authenticity of the piano used in the song, Piyu Bole[1] and of the toy train used in a song (Kasto Mazza).[1][7] About the look of the characters, Mirza said that the 60s look was well captured by the make-up artist, Vidyadar.[9]
Critics had high expectations from Parineeta's music[11] because of the award-winning music that was provided in (some of) Chopra's previous films (1942: A Love Story (1993),[12] Mission Kashmir (2000)[13]). Shantanu Moitra, Parineeta's music director composed hundreds of tunes before six of them got finalised after a year's effort. After finalising the soundtrack, Chopra was appreciative of the musician's abilities when he said that Moitra has the potential to become another R. D. Burman, a legendary Bollywood music director.[14]
[edit] Cultural and cinematic allusions
Cinematic works by Vidhu Vinod Chopra such as Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) and Eklavya: The Royal Guard (2007)[15] contain allusions to important figures (Mahatma Gandhi, Eklavya) from Indian history and literature. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, the author of Parineeta, was a contemporary of Rabindranath Tagore; both authors documented Bengali life and social issues at the turn of the century. The 2005 cinematic version of Parineeta pays homage to this relationship by referencing Satyajit Ray's film Charulata, which itself is based upon Tagore's noted novella, Nashtanir. Lalita (Parineeta) is dressed to resemble Nashtanir/Charulata 's Charu (Madhabi Mukherjee), particularly during the song "Soona Man Ka Aangan", which incorporates Tagore's song "Fule Fule Dhole Dhole." In both Parineeta and Charulata, "Fule Fule Dhole Dhole" is sung while Lalita and Charu are each on a swing.[16][17] The film continues the above connection by placing Saif Ali Khan on the same train used in the film Aradhana which featured his mother, Sharmila Tagore (a relative of Rabindranath Tagore and a favorite actress of Satyajit Ray).[18]
This film was the third in the list of movies that bore resemblance to the novella, the other two being its 1953 namesake film and the 1976 film, Sankoch.[19]
[edit] Reception
| Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Australia: | PG[20] |
| Canada: | PG[21] |
| India: | U[22] |
| Malaysia: | U[21] |
| United Kingdom: | 12A[23] |
[edit] Box-office and ratings
Released with a "U" (Universal: Suitable for all ages) certification by the Central Board of Film Certification of India,, Parineeta notched up Rs. 206 million in India at the end of 2005.[24] Its overseas success was notable as well with gross collections of Rs. 36 million in the United Kingdom, Rs. 35 million in North America, and Rs 15 million in the rest of the overseas.[25]
[edit] Reviews, critiques and controversies
Prior to the film's release on June 10, 2005, one preview wondered how the film would fare at the box office. Citing comparisons with the 1953 version, the preview suggested that debutant director, Sarkar's inexperience in film making, the probable inability of debutant actress, Balan to portray Lolita's character appropriately, suitable 1960s depiction by contemporaries, Sanjay Dutt and Saif Ali Khan, and musician, Shantanu Moitra's until then unimpressive soundtracks, could be impediments for the film to be a successful adaptation.[26]
Post-release, the same critic said "Vidhu Vinod Chopra's "Parineeta" - a remake of an old classic of the same name...(had) the love story (which) was received well by the younger generation and it went on to become the biggest hit of the year."[27] The film was generally well-received by the critics,[28] with one of them terming the movie as "...a beautiful story, beautifully told. It approximates what most of us expect, and increasingly yearn for, in vain, our cinematic experience."[29] A reviewer from About.com said that it is "contemporary retelling of...(an) engaging and timeless tale rich with human emotion and universal drama". The reviewer appreciates the film in most of the nuances of film making saying that this is "enhanced by a brilliant musical score, and accentuated by superb performances by Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Raima Sen, Diya Mirza and debutante Vidya Balan in the lead role of Lolita".[30] A news report from The Times of India states that 3000 copies of the novella were sold within weeks of the films release, owing to the film's good reception.[31]
About the movie, Derek Elley from Variety said "A character-driven meller that's a treat for the eyes, with performances to match, "Parineeta" is high-end Bollywood near its best". He also says that, "... though the climax is still emotionally powerful, it comes over as overcooked."[32] A mixed review from Mid-Day that says "Pradeep Sarkar weaves the story like magic, especially in the first half ... excelling in the detailing ... the vintage look of the film (that stood out) with authentic costumes, props and the roads of Kolkata". However, the review criticised the film's climax terming it as amateur, thereby diluting the whole film's impact.[33] Another such review came from The Hindu which begins by saying "A simple enough story, but Sarkar tells it well, with some great shots of Shekhar and Lolita together. The review eventually says "Except for the end ... where it is too much to bear."[34]
The issue of piracy cropped up when a news article published in The Indian Express exposed the dark side of the film market. Hardly into weeks of the film's release, CD's were being sold at as low as Rs. 40.[35] Another blemish for the film was that Soumitra Dasgupta, a writer and close associate of Sarkar alleged that, the film's story had a striking resemblance to his parallel work on the novella.[36]
[edit] Awards
Apart from winning the National Award for the Best First Film Director,[37] Parineeta won five Filmfare Awards. Best Art Direction to Keshto Mondal, Tanushree Sarkar and Pradeep Sarkar, Best Choreography to Howard Rosemayer, Best Debut to Vidya Balan, RD Burman Award to Shantanu Moitra and Best Sound Recording to Bishwadeep Chatterjee. It was also nominated for an additional nine awards which ranged from the categories for Best Film, Best Director, three for actors portraying Lolita, Shekhar and Girish to four nominations for the soundtrack.
The film also won a prominent awards in the form of two Star Screen Awards, three Zee Cine Awards among a notable awards. Apart from these, the film was nominated for an eclectic mix of awards.[38]
[edit] Screening at Film Festivals
In 2005, Parineeta's cast got a red carpet walk when it was the 'World Premiere Film' at the International Indian Film Awards (IIFA) weekend in Amsterdam.[39] Owing to this European premiere, Sarkar said that the film had a great opening in the American and English box-offices.[39] True to his word, the movie was on the UK Top Ten films for four consecutive weeks.[40]
The film was chosen among 15 debut works for the 2006 Berlin Film Festival.[41][42] The film received enthusiastic reception from the audience as it ran to packed houses to the Chopra's surprise. Expecting an audience of about 100 Westerners, a critic visiting the festival was surprised to see the cinema hall full and people jostling for seats even on the steps.[43]
At the 24th Annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival held in April 2006, Parineeta was the only Indian mainstream cinema to feature among 135 films from 40 countries.[44]
In 2006, the film featured in the Palm Springs International Film Festival,[45] 24th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival,[46] Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles,[47] Helsinki Film Festival[48] and the International Film Festival of Marrakech.[49]
[edit] DVD and Soundtrack
[edit] DVD
The first version of the DVD version of Parineeta was released by UTV Motion Pictures on October 30, 2006. It has subtitle options in English, Arabic, Spanish, German, Italian, Malay, and French. An additional disc includes interviews with the actors and a behind the scenes look at the making of the film. It is available in 16:9 Anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, progressive 24 FPS, widescreen and NTSC format.[50][51]
[edit] Soundtrack
The soundtrack to Parineeta was released in April 2005 to positive reviews.[52]
- Piyu Bole (4:21) sung by Sonu Nigam & Shreya Ghoshal. This song come when Shekhar asks Lolita to put some words in the tune he composed.
- Kasto Mazza (4:43) sung by Sonu Nigam & Shreya Ghoshal. Shekhar sings while traveling by train when he misses his beloved Lolita.
- Soona Man Ka Aangan (4:20) sung by Sonu Nigam & Shreya Ghoshal. A mellifluous and an emotional song sung by Shekhar, when he remembers his lifelong friendship with Lolita.
- Kaisi Paheli Zindgani (4:03) sung by Sunidhi Chauhan. A vibrant and pacy song which is about riddle of love which is complicated and painful and sometime happy.
- Raat Hamari Toh (5:19) sung by Chitra & Swanand. A soulful song sung by Lolita about her loneliness for a situation in the darkness of night.
- Dhinak Dhinak Dha (3:53) sung by Rita Ganguly. A song sung during Shekhar and Gayatri's wedding, shown once at the beginning and again when the film completes a full circle.
- Hui Main Parineeta (2:32) sung by Sonu Nigam & Shreya Ghoshal. Similar music to Piyu Bole, but a slow and a smooth version picturized on Shekhar and Lolita's secret marriage and eventual lovemaking.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Small people with big egos, not for me!" - Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Indiainfo.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
- ^ a b c d Kumar, Anuj. A debut at 52!. Hindu.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
- ^ "Pradeep Sarkar profile". Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ a b Nanda, Tanmaya Kumar. 'Judge me by the highest standards'. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ a b Kumar, Anuj. A maverick, period!. Hindu.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ a b c Saif Ali Khan spills Parineeta secrets!. Indiainfo.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ a b c Kulkarni, Ronjita. How it began for Vidya?. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
- ^ Kulkarni, Ronjita. Meet the new girl in Saif's life!. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
- ^ a b c Interview - Diya Mirza and Raima sen. Indiainfo.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
- ^ Bhandari, Rohini. Interview - Pradeep Sarkar. Businessofcinema.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
- ^ Tuteja, Joginder. Music Review: Parineeta. Indiafm.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ 1942: A Love Story (1993) - Awards. IMDB. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ Mission Kashmir (2000) - Awards. IMDB. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ Gangadhar, V.. An entertainer par excellence. The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ Vidhu Vinod Chopra. IMDB. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
- ^ Parineeta breathes Bengal among the tulips.
- ^ Something new, something old.
- ^ Saif rides Sharmila's train!.
- ^ N, Patcy. The different faces of Parineeta. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
- ^ "Office of Film and Literature Classification, Australia", Office of Film and Literature Classification, Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ a b Parineeta (2005). Title. Internet Movie Database Inc.. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ Movie Rating - Parineeta. iTalkies.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ Parineeta (2005). British Board of Film Classification (07 June 2006). Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ "International Business Overview Standard". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ "BoxOfficeIndia.com - Overseas". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ Jha, Subhash K.. "'Parineeta could rekindle soft, nostalgic feelings...'". Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ Indo-Asian News Service, Arpana. "Why is Bollywood obsessed with remakes". Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ Kumar, Alok. "Film Review - Parineeta". Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ Raheja, Dinesh. "Parineeta is a must watch". Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ Das, Subhamoy. "Parineeta, The Married Woman". Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ Ghosh, Avijit. "'Parineeta': the hot new bestseller". Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ Elley, Derek. "Parineeta: Film Review". Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ Tanvar, Sarita. "Film Review: Parineeta". Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ Muthalaly, Susan. "Parineeta: Sensuous and crisp". Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ "National awards: Big B, Sarika win top honours". Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ Dubey, Bhaarati K.. "Writer claims credit for Parineeta". Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ "National awards: Big B, Sarika win top honours". Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
- ^ "Parineeta (2005): Awards & Nominations". Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
- ^ a b Muthalaly, Susan. "Bollywood's mark on the tulip fields". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ Rangaraj, R. "IIFA to showcase South films in Dubai". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ "Parineeta chosen for Berlin Film Festival". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ "Press Release - Jan 20, 2006". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ John, Preeti. "Parineeta chosen for Berlin Film Festival". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ "24th Annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ Hayes, Therese. "2006 Palm Springs International Film Festival". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ "24th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ "2006 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ "2006 Helsinki Film Festival". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ "6th International Film Festival of Marrakech". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ "Parineeta DVD - Nehaflix.com". Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
- ^ "Parineeta DVD - Amazon.co.uk". Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
- ^ "Music Review - Parineeta". Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
[edit] External links
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||||||||


