Article Updated 10 June, 2005 11:27:35 AM IST   Parineeta By Prema K. ©2005 Bollyvista.com   'Parineeta' adapted from Saratchandra Chatterjee's classic novel of the same name is truly a labour of love. The love and passion that has gone into its making is clearly visible. It is a love story set in the 60s and beautifully told. Director Pradip Sarkar couldn't have thought of a more suitable cast. It's just perfect! Saif Ali Khan is exactly like the character, Shekhar. He is a rich man's son and lives a comfortable life. He pursues his love for music. He plays the piano. Girish (Sanjay Dutt) is a hero who has made it on his own after going through difficult patches in his life. So true to Dutt's life. Vidya Balan (Lolita) is the typical Indian woman - breathtakingly beautiful and with lot of passion, love, empathy, and strength. 'Parineeta' is Shekhar and Lolita's love story. They are childhood friends and have been very close ever since Lolita comes to live at her maternal uncle's house (Shekhar's neighbours) when she is orphaned. She has a cousin, Koyal (Raima Sen). The two sisters develop a deep bond and so do Shekhar and Lolita. She means everything to him and does everything that a wife or girlfriend would, right from drawing the curtains of his room in the morning to finding the right shirt for him. Shekhar's mother adores her but there is no hint of any love happening. It's the done thing for Lolita to visit his house every morning and evening since childhood. Now she works in Shekhar's father's firm who is quite a terror in his own way. He has designs on Lolita's palatial mansion. One day when Lolita's uncle takes seriously ill, his wife was forced to borrow one and a half lakh of rupees from Shekhar's father. She also promises him their house in case they fail to pay it up by a particular date. The greedy father has already made plans to convert it into a sprawling hotel and sell it to a foreigner. Enter Girish. He puts a spanner in his plans and is like a Godsend to Lolita's family. He falls in love with Lolita at first sight. His close association with Lolita and her family makes Shekhar very jealous and insecure. Guess that's the point when he also realizes how madly in love he is with Lolita. After a rough patch between the two things are sorted out. Just when everything seems perfect, calamity strikes and the lovers are separated. Lolita is to marry Girish. In a fit of rage, Shekhar decides to marry Gayatri (Dia Mirza). His father is very keen on the match as she belongs to a rich, influential family. True love triumphs in the end. The climax is interesting. A couple of scenes in the film stand out the most. The love making scene between Shekhar and Lolita is beautifully shot. There is lot of passion and love but the expressions on the lovers says it more than anything else. Also the scene in the beginning of the film in which Lolita pulls Shekhar towards her physically and he slaps her. The film is full of great moments and every scene is well thought out and brilliantly framed. The performances of the main cast is superb especially Saif and Vidya. Vidya is a real discovery and an asset to Bollywood. She is ethereal looking and looks like a complete woman. A real breath of fresh air after those semi clad and near nude women one sees on screen these days. Another interesting character is Koyal. Raima Sen seems to be making a place for herself slow and steady. Cinematography is first rate. So is the music. A film definitely worth viewing. It's a film that will really make Indian cinema proud. ***** (FIVE STARS) *poor; **average; ***good; ****very good; *****excellent   close   Print this Article http://www.bollyvista.com   http://www.bollyvista.com/article/a/29/5024