Parineeta is a recent Bollywood movie with good performances and an emotionally compelling, if almost overwrought ending.
The main flaw is that its plot is old-fashioned in that it depends too much on misunderstandings and assumptions, with no attempt to communicate between the characters. It reminds me of old Edgar Rice Burroughs novels, where the hero would be heartbroken to see the heroine kiss another man, not to learn until the final chapter that was her brother.
Lalita's parents die, so she goes to live with her cousin's family. They live next door to a wealthy businessman with a son played (as an adult) by Saif Ali Khan. Unlike his father, his main interest in life is music. Soon he is playing music for Lalita.
The two families apparently get along. Khan's father even gives Lalita a job at his firm. One day, however, she comes across a secret file she's not supposed to see. It's a plan for her family's home to be developed into a hotel.
This is possible because her uncle borrowed some money from Khan's father, and now is unable to pay it back, but is confident his long time friend and neighbor would never evict him for such a small (to him) sum of money.
Khan's father wants him to marry the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, but unknown to anyone else, he and Lalita marry by exchanging garlands and consummating the union.
Then Girish shows up at Lalita's family's house. He's been making a fortune for himself in steel in England, and he falls in love with Lalita.
When Lalita realizes that her family will lose the house if the loan to Khan's father is not repaid soon, tries to ask Khan for it, but cannot get in to see him. She accepts the money Girish.
After Lalita's father pays off the loan, Khan's father is enraged. Apparently he has a lot of money riding on the hotel deal, and now that he can't go through with it, is losing money and his reputation.
He yells at Lalita, using inappropriate language, and then orders that a wall be built between the two houses.
Meanwhile, Khan gets word that Girish has married, and is led to believe it was to Parineeta. His dreams of sharing his life with her shattered, he tells his father he agrees to the marriage to the industralist's daughter. He gives up music and begins to take up the family business.
However, as Khan's house and family are celebrating his marriage the next day, Girish comes to give Khan the deed to the house, in return for all the money he gave Lalita as a child. They're going away. And he informs Khan -- the first time that anybody has bothered to mention this to him (what did I say about misunderstandings and poor communication) -- he did not marry Lalita, but her cousin. He asked Lalita, but she told him she was already married. Girish thinks Khan is a stupid louse for choosing this new woman over Lalita.
Enraged, Khan goes out and starts hitting the wall between their houses. Rather incredibly, without even a sledge hammer, he starts to break it down. The crowd at his house start to cheer him on, including his own mother, who is finally standing up to her husband.
So he takes Lalita as his wife in front of the world. She is indeed the married woman, but to him, not to Girish.
The story is set in Calcutta about 1962. The city depicted is clean and fresh. We're shown the Howrah Bridge with traffic actually moving at a speedy clip. That must have been done with either ancient stock footage or computer graphics. When I crossed it in 1995 it took at least half an hour. Traffic is not just bumper to bumper, because it's all kinds of vehicles besides cars. It's not considered the busiest bridge in the world for nothing.
It's interesting in its depiction of wealth and business. Khan is certainly considered a person more important than his father, because he's devoted to music. And the father is certainly greedy and repugnant for trying to take the family's house for a hotel. However, although we don't see him doing business, Girish made a lot of money through business, and he is willing to use it to help the family he cares about.
All in all, a good Bollywood movie to spend a few hours watching.
The main flaw is that its plot is old-fashioned in that it depends too much on misunderstandings and assumptions, with no attempt to communicate between the characters. It reminds me of old Edgar Rice Burroughs novels, where the hero would be heartbroken to see the heroine kiss another man, not to learn until the final chapter that was her brother.
Lalita's parents die, so she goes to live with her cousin's family. They live next door to a wealthy businessman with a son played (as an adult) by Saif Ali Khan. Unlike his father, his main interest in life is music. Soon he is playing music for Lalita.
The two families apparently get along. Khan's father even gives Lalita a job at his firm. One day, however, she comes across a secret file she's not supposed to see. It's a plan for her family's home to be developed into a hotel.
This is possible because her uncle borrowed some money from Khan's father, and now is unable to pay it back, but is confident his long time friend and neighbor would never evict him for such a small (to him) sum of money.
Khan's father wants him to marry the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, but unknown to anyone else, he and Lalita marry by exchanging garlands and consummating the union.
Then Girish shows up at Lalita's family's house. He's been making a fortune for himself in steel in England, and he falls in love with Lalita.
When Lalita realizes that her family will lose the house if the loan to Khan's father is not repaid soon, tries to ask Khan for it, but cannot get in to see him. She accepts the money Girish.
After Lalita's father pays off the loan, Khan's father is enraged. Apparently he has a lot of money riding on the hotel deal, and now that he can't go through with it, is losing money and his reputation.
He yells at Lalita, using inappropriate language, and then orders that a wall be built between the two houses.
Meanwhile, Khan gets word that Girish has married, and is led to believe it was to Parineeta. His dreams of sharing his life with her shattered, he tells his father he agrees to the marriage to the industralist's daughter. He gives up music and begins to take up the family business.
However, as Khan's house and family are celebrating his marriage the next day, Girish comes to give Khan the deed to the house, in return for all the money he gave Lalita as a child. They're going away. And he informs Khan -- the first time that anybody has bothered to mention this to him (what did I say about misunderstandings and poor communication) -- he did not marry Lalita, but her cousin. He asked Lalita, but she told him she was already married. Girish thinks Khan is a stupid louse for choosing this new woman over Lalita.
Enraged, Khan goes out and starts hitting the wall between their houses. Rather incredibly, without even a sledge hammer, he starts to break it down. The crowd at his house start to cheer him on, including his own mother, who is finally standing up to her husband.
So he takes Lalita as his wife in front of the world. She is indeed the married woman, but to him, not to Girish.
The story is set in Calcutta about 1962. The city depicted is clean and fresh. We're shown the Howrah Bridge with traffic actually moving at a speedy clip. That must have been done with either ancient stock footage or computer graphics. When I crossed it in 1995 it took at least half an hour. Traffic is not just bumper to bumper, because it's all kinds of vehicles besides cars. It's not considered the busiest bridge in the world for nothing.
It's interesting in its depiction of wealth and business. Khan is certainly considered a person more important than his father, because he's devoted to music. And the father is certainly greedy and repugnant for trying to take the family's house for a hotel. However, although we don't see him doing business, Girish made a lot of money through business, and he is willing to use it to help the family he cares about.
All in all, a good Bollywood movie to spend a few hours watching.
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