My most forward-looked to Bollywood movie of the year

[dangermousie]

Is "Parineeta-The Married Woman." I guess, unlike Lucky she had Time for Love. I love the visual look (set in the 60s), the cast, and the fact that it seems a bit arthousy. (Btw, for anyone on my flist who doesn't care for BW, I am returning to scheduled ratio of posting as of tomorrow)

Plot (from RS site):
They: The film is an adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya’s classic novel
Me: I haven't read it, but he wrote Devdas so it can't be bad.

They: This story focuses on the differences of man and woman’s perception of love and commitment
Me: Is this an Indian version of Persuasion?

They: Orphaned at an early age, the young Lolita (Vidya Balan) finds security with a young boy Shekhar (Saif Ali Khan).
Me: The author seems to be very fond of childhood sweathearts-soulmates plot. See Devdas.

They: Lolita is very strong, flexible, innocent and blessed with an intuitive wisdom whereas Shekhar is flawed and victim of his own ego.
Me: See Devdas. Again. Also, this description is turning Lolita into a Mary Sue, which I hope she is not. And if she is all that and a bag of chips, why does she want this flawed guy?

They: Both share joys and sorrows together through childhood and adolescence. Amidst all this happening, an intense love develops between the two, which they cannot sense at all.
Me:And here Dev and Paro have one up on them.

They: Girsih (Sanjay Dutt) enters the picture as a suave, lively, chivalrous and above all sensitive man, who is also a self-made person. Then there is Koel (Raima Sen) who is carefree, free-spirited young lady.Through Grirish’s presence Shekhar and Lolita realize that there exists something between them.
Me: Girsih and Koel and Lolita and Shekhar? You mean there are BW movies where no one is named Raj, Rohit, Pooja or Priya? Wow...

They: Their love sizzles and glitters but the twists and turns of the story spin them into a web of suspicion and misunderstandings finally tearing them apart.
Me: This writer loves ornate verbs.

They:What follows next is an interesting love story knitted with classic dimensions.
Me: Gaaaah. This better not be another Devdas. If there is death and despair at the end, I'll scream. Loud. In the theater.

Pictures behind the cut. The visual look is absolutely amazing:


Poster. Why has her dot slid off?


I love the retro-chic:


Is he juggling? Well, that dishes his chances with the girl. Unless you are Shah Rukh Khan, intense always wins over goofy:


Love the symmetry:


BW movies should stick to traditional clothes:



Unless they go into retro-chic. Even the guy's shirt is not making me cringe as it's the 60s:


Angst:


More angst:


Eeee, outfits! Will it be that rare BW movie without a single fashion faux-pas?


I love all the shots through obstructions this cinematographer does:


And his fascination with mirror images:


I love her earrings:


Mush. Yay:


Angst. Good. Smoking. Bad.


My favorite shot:

Comments

[linaerys.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the update. Yeah, it does sound a bit like Devdas only with a different style of characters influencing the couple.

Unless you are Shah Rukh Khan, intense always wins over goofy.

Hah! SRK often has got intense AND goofy going on, which beats everything every time.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I've read a bit more on the story, and it's more different from Devdas than the write-up will indicate. Also, no alcoholics or courtesans which is good for the moral fiber. Or something :)

The writer does seem to have a thing for better women loving flawed men. Hmm.

SRK often has got intense AND goofy

True. It's this instantaneous switch from goofy to intense that is one of the most appealing things about his on-screen persona.

[wasabi-girl1.livejournal.com]

Wow, I knew nothing about the plot of the movie before, but it IS a lot like Devdas! Yay! :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Though hopefully with a happier ending.

[wasabi-girl1.livejournal.com]

Actually, I wouldn't mind either way, I have never seen Saif die in a movie...

[ayn-rand-fan-13.livejournal.com]

I've never really seen any Bollywood movies, but the shots are beautiful.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Bloodthirsty one! :) He died in that movie with Kajol. (But they got reincarnated).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

You should check some out. They can be awful, but they can be really good too. Netflix has quite a few and my neighborhood blockbuster at least some, so they are pretty easy to find :)

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

Saif is looking especially cool in that last picture :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Anf for once I approve of all the clothes.

[wasabi-girl1.livejournal.com]

Lol, no I don't mean to be evil against Saify, but we've seen SRK die so many times, it's time for someone else to die and to surprise us! :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh, and he also died in Ek hasina thi and in LOC (but then everyone died in that one and I only wish the director did the same, BEFORE creating that monstrocity).

[wasabi-girl1.livejournal.com]

But in Ek Hasina Thi, he was the bad guy, they ALWAYS have to die.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah...but then I don't like Urmilla so I was all dissapointed she didn't do a Madhuri in Anjaam and keeled over herself.

[jonaki.livejournal.com]

The pictures look gorgeous, I am really hyped about the movie too. I wasn't expecting much until I saw the pictures.

I must say Saif Ali Khan has at least two interesting projects lined up for release, 2005 might just be his year.

[dawntreader717.livejournal.com]

The picture look great!! I forwarded the link to this post to my sister. She's become a big Saif fan heh ;-)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Slowly, the whole world will be draaaaaawn....

[monimala.livejournal.com]

I still have a rampant smoking-kink, so that first shot of Saif all shadowed and angsty and smoky...God, it screams "iconify me!"

This movie looks beautiful and lush and I have no idea what Sarat Chandra Chattopadhay's fixation with childhood sweethearts and upper class angst was, but it always makes for pretty cinema, so I can't complain.

Plus, a big fat "WORD!" on the hope that somebody besides Shah gets to kick the bucket for once. It's about time I got to see somebody else pull off a death scene. And, ten to one, Saif won't say "ro math!"

[thelana.livejournal.com]

They: Lolita is very strong, flexible, innocent and blessed with an intuitive wisdom whereas Shekhar is flawed and victim of his own ego.

Is it just me or is there an invisible emphasis on "flexible" ;)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

ROFL! I don;t think it's THAT kind of a movie :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Angst is always good, but I am beginning to wonder about the author...

I don't want Saif to die! I don't want SRK to die. Govinda however, can die in everyone of his movies. Hopefully, previously he would have murdered Uday Chopra and Esha Deol.

[malisita.livejournal.com]

Govinda is still making films? I thought he finally lost steam and went the way of Rishi Kapoor and Mithun!

I don't have to wonder about the author. He's Bengali. We're a bunch of over-intellectual nutjobs. I bet he smoked a lot of opium and had issues with his mother. LOL.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Hee.

I don't think Govinda is still making films (unlike Rishi and Mithun :)), but due to being in development hell, some of them are supposed to hit the screen this year.