|
By Judi Silva ©2005 Bollyvista.com |
|
|
Shah Rukh Khan and Rani in 'Paheli' |
One may question though, as to whether 'Paheli' is just a remake of the 1973 Mani Kaul film entitled ' Duvidha'. Amol assures us that his 'Paheli' and Kaul's 'Duvidha' are as different from each other as are the directors themselves. Anyone who knows Palekar knows that he loves to experiment with various themes, so a year of research between he and the film's scriptwriter Sandhya Gokhale took place even before the early stages of the 'Paheli' had their start. In fact, the name of the film had been changed several times before the name 'Paheli' (riddle) was finalized. “Each subject demands it's own parameters and treatment. I don’t want to make films based on a calculated formulae or preset proposals ruled by market demands,” he says
The basic storyline (since neither Palekar nor Khan understandable want to reveal any major details) is how a ghost (not the scary kind but a rather romantic one) played by Shah Rukh (who is sporting a Rajasthani pagdi and a moustache), impersonates the husband of a village girl named Lachchi (Rani). Lachchi finds out, all too soon (the day after they are married) that her ideas about love, marriage and commitment are very different than those of the man she married. What Palekar will divulge is that "It's about a woman's right to choose—a recurring theme in my films."
There are certain beliefs that are purposefully interjected throughout the story as well. The portrayal of the irony of human life through the complexities of the situations, which the various characters find themselves in, stands out the most. Life cannot be taken at face value. In other words, just because something is socially acceptable, doesn’t make it right or fair. We can’t always have what we want in life and reality hits hard when what we think should be the outcome in any given situation isn’t how things necessarily play out. |
SEARCH
