Wow! Such a good movie.

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Every now and then along comes a story that touches you, a story so vivid that it takes on a life and history of its' own. In the genre of love stories, this is one of them.If I would have to sum up the main issue of the story, I would have to say the loyalty of a woman. Of a lover, a parent or a friend, of feelings.In the case of the movie I would have to add the honest belief in this piece of literature. Judging from three film adaptations, it is obviously a much admired story in India.Let me just say that I was impressed by the whole romantic setting and the subdued, peaceful quality of it, which probably serves to underscore the harmonious character, and the quiet dignity and virtue of Lolita (the irony of a name). However and more importantly, I was amazed, and gladly so, by the emotional pull between the main actors. Saif Ali Khan has shown his best (I didn't believe he had it in him to portray this type of character). And as for Vidya Balan, I believe she steals the show. Except for being radiantly beautiful, she manages to express a great subtlety of emotion, and in a debut role, at that. She understands her character, and embodies it to perfection.This film is worlds apart from your typical shallow masala entertainment which in many a case insults the intelligence of the public.I've seen Parineeta twice so far, and it's done wonders for my perception of what great Hindi cinema is. And now, excuse me, I'm off to see about the book.

Parineeta is an enjoyable, almost Chekovian tale about the age-old tensions between individuality and family. The plot of the film, set in the early 1960's, is based on the fateful consequences of a misunderstanding that spirals out of control between a young man, Saif Ali Khan's spoilt but earnest Shekhar, and a girl, Vidya Balan's spirited orphan Lolita, who live next to each other in Havelis(large Indian houses) which belong to connected Calcutta families.The script is well written, with lively dialogue, three-dimensional characters and an intriguing plot. The splendour and beauty of the sets cannot be questioned, and Pradeep Sarkar's direction is assured. As a viewer should come to expect from Indian cinema, the music and songs are melodious and memorable, and half-justified in Parineeta as Shekhar is something of a songsmith.The acting of the leads is very good. Saif Ali Khan gives a studied, understated performance, showing well the fraught circumstances his character feels himself in, and Vidya Balan brings out a good sense of pathos to her role while managing to show strength and avoid sentiment. The surrounding cast lends good support, especially Sanjay Dutt's wonderfully contained comic performance as a businessman returning from England.The only problem with Parineeta is its smallness in scope. The story the film is based on has been updated to Calcutta in the 1960's, and not up to the present day, presumably to avoid it seem antediluvian. This is telling and, despite attempts to have the characters spend some time away from the narrow range of their lives in the Havelis, Calcutta, which at the beginning of the film is described as a vibrant, multitudinous city in foment, seems virtually absent. This makes Parineeta, an otherwise engaging film, seem a little fey.

A Classic from Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Though the movie has been made earlier but this was my favorite. This Pradeep Sircar directed movie is one of the best movie made in recent times. He has carefully given a old touch to a movie made in modern times which is not very easy. Photography, music, presentation, acting everything is at par. The new comer VIdya Balan has done a tremendous job and Saif for once has shown that he is improving as a great actor. No one can say after watching the movie that Vidya Balan was a débutante actress. Saif's portrayal as Shekhar and Vidya as Lalita have justified their casting by the director.Sanjay Dutt as Girish also left a mark in the viewer's mind. He is simply awesome. he justifies himself even in the smallest roles. Kolkata has been presented nicely. Look of the city has been shown dramatically accurate.Lolita is an orphan staying with her uncle. She develops a fondness with her neighbour Shekhar which grows to love. Though love always comes with problems, but true love overcomes all.

Shekhar and Lolita seem destined for each other from childhood, but we know from the first scene that something is amiss, as the film begins with Shekhar about to marry another woman and Lolita already wed... after which the film goes back in time to show us their meeting and growing up together, to explain how the first scene was reached.PARINEETA is based on a 1924 novel by the guy that wrote Devdas, but moved relocated to 1960's Calcutta, which forms a gorgeous backdrop for the story. The production design and cinematography are luscious, and the soundtrack equally beautiful. There are times when PARINEETA has the feel of a classic and classy melodrama, beautiful and romantic... but there are others when it is so corny it shoots itself in the foot... or blows half its leg off.The leads Saif Ali Khan and Vidja Balan (her first movie) are suitably beautiful and do a pretty good job with the acting. But what gives with casting Sanjay Dutt as a romantic rival to Saif? Or to anyone human (and some of the more attractive mammals) for that matter. The idea that he is a "handsome" and debonair rival for Lolita's affections is absurd - the audience quite literally burst out laughing at the suggestion. And he's not even much of an actor - I'm fine with him when he's busting heads, but he was not right for this part at all (IMHO).Whilst the direction by Pradeep Sarkar (another first-timer) is mostly assured and accomplished, there are other times when it is excessively heavy handed - particularly some of the shots + sound cues used to imply the onset of melodramatic conflict - again, the audience were reduced to laughter when that was clearly not the intent.As such, PARINEETA veers between really rather good and really rather bad, with me contemplating scores anywhere between 9/10 and 3/10 at various points. Unfortunately the ending is one of the weaker parts, leaving the film on a lower score than it would probably have had if it had resolved itself in a less corny and unbelievable way... last impressions count, kids! So I think I'm going to settle on... 6/10.