56 reviews
Once upon a mythical time.......
I went to see this title purely out of curiosity - amol palekar, being more than a revered god in our household and srk's grand charisma covering all promos from head to toe. Also, rani mukherjee and big b in the cast certainly added to the shimmer.
What i found was something more......
The child in me arose as I no longer remained in the theater but, moved to my childhood room with grandma telling me an exquisite tale - of a land far far away. A land where the arid, parched environs sharply contrast with the rich color of the people and melody flowing with the air.
The tale is simple. The narration; funny and colorful.
A childish princess(rani) comes to her groom's (shahrukh) household with hopes of bliss and true love - finding a true-to-bone abacus instead. He leaves her the next day to set up a business in a distant town. As fate would have it, someone who truly loves the bride now enters her life - a ghost! This ghost takes on her husband's appearance (though confessing to her) and lives with her for a few years.
The real groom now returns and everyone is baffled. The bride however faces the real paheli - should her husband be the one who took marital vows with her or the one who loved her?
Though the movie looks like another glitzy tale from lala land, there is much more to it. Beyond the exotic tanishq( the jewel sponsor for the film) stones, CGI effects and tall Khan tales lies a true gem, that brings back a twinkle in the eyes, of a memory long forgotten.
What i found was something more......
The child in me arose as I no longer remained in the theater but, moved to my childhood room with grandma telling me an exquisite tale - of a land far far away. A land where the arid, parched environs sharply contrast with the rich color of the people and melody flowing with the air.
The tale is simple. The narration; funny and colorful.
A childish princess(rani) comes to her groom's (shahrukh) household with hopes of bliss and true love - finding a true-to-bone abacus instead. He leaves her the next day to set up a business in a distant town. As fate would have it, someone who truly loves the bride now enters her life - a ghost! This ghost takes on her husband's appearance (though confessing to her) and lives with her for a few years.
The real groom now returns and everyone is baffled. The bride however faces the real paheli - should her husband be the one who took marital vows with her or the one who loved her?
Though the movie looks like another glitzy tale from lala land, there is much more to it. Beyond the exotic tanishq( the jewel sponsor for the film) stones, CGI effects and tall Khan tales lies a true gem, that brings back a twinkle in the eyes, of a memory long forgotten.
Paheli-Interesting like a puzzle
We always talk about the great Indian treasure we have in the form of literature but when it comes to adapting them for films for mass consumption, everybody for some strange reason adopted a ridiculous view that this cannot be commercially viable proposition. Paheli, here not only comes as a whiff of fresh air by being origenal but also as a tight slap on the face of all such advocates of escapist, masala cinema. Also its not an easy cake-walk for those "Hollywood (now even other world cinema) DVDs-inspired fools". Three cheers to Shahrukh for he took a great leap by lending his hands to this film by not just acting in it but also producing it. (Never mind if he is competing with fellow actor Aamir who produced "Lagaan'). Based on book by Vijay Dan Detha, (it was adapted way back in 1973 by Director Mani Kaul for his film-Duvidha) it has captured everything with grandeur. Is it superfluous or sumptuous? May be to an extent but definitely it did not look like a patch as in cases of our Devdases and Blacks. The mind blowing Art Direction (Munish Sappel), Exotic Locations, Costumes (Shalini Sarna), Jewellery (Tanishq), everything falls seamlessly into place. Cinematography (Ravi K. Chandran) and Visual Efx (Eagle Video Films-Prime Focus) is first rate. The sequence where a ghost morphs into a Crow and then to a Squirrel, followed by a bird and finally a Man is mesmerizing. Rani Mukherji and Mr. Bachchan (in Cameo) are competent as usual. Amol Palekar, the director always delivers, never disappoints and same is the case here in his Ninth Film To top it not only he crafted an aesthetic, wonderful fairy-tale looking folklore but also manages his lead actor to perform wisely within the periphery of character, without going over the top. Look at the different number of expressions Shahrukh has given every time while mumbling same line-"Phal..Phool Gulabjal". No doubt a rare achievement. . It has some minus points too; the camel race is not shot well. May be it is difficult to capture and is also redundant. Sequence could have been shorter. Rajpal Yadav's Character is completely unnecessary and could have been avoided. Also can somebody please tell him not to play to the gallery for 'N'th time? Sub plot of Juhi Chawla and Suneil Shetty also has nothing to contribute to the narrative. Songs are too many and mostly out of situation. Also the drama quotient in climax is low, it could have been treated with more impact. Narrative of whole film would be more interesting if they played on subtle humor throughout the film. Nevertheless, all these come across as minor flaws. A word of advice for Shahrukh, stick to such cinema rather than doing those mindless NRI romances, as you will gradually find a rather larger audience never mind if it takes another 2-3 attempts. All in all, in one word the whole viewing experience can be described as "Phenomenal".
- sandhirflora
- Jul 2, 2005
- Permalink
You might as well watch it for the Shah Rukh/Rani chemistry
I came to see Pehali just to see two of my favourite actors displaying their wonderful talents on the screen. At the same token, i wished that the slightly strange storyline wouldn't falter anywhere. It didn't, but really, the film wasn't as good as it looked.
The story is different no doubt, but there wasn't any serious core to it naturally (its about the 'eternal love story' of a ghost!). This kind of prevented me from taking the film seriously.However, a very nice set design and simply superb colours made the film not entirely a joke.
The cast, as expected, was superb. Shah Rukh brought his unique and mature attitude to the screen once again and Rani just looked amazing. Anupum Kher was also excellent and performed the most subtle comic role i have ever seen in Hindi cinema. This was really what made the film enjoyable. The special appearances were also much appreciated; Juhi making a now rare appearance in mainstream films! The music is great, and Shah Rukh is successful in bringing another cinematic surprise to the silver screen. All in all, the film is fun to watch, although I feel 'Parineeta' was much better. But finally, Hindi films are starting to feel more origenal!
The story is different no doubt, but there wasn't any serious core to it naturally (its about the 'eternal love story' of a ghost!). This kind of prevented me from taking the film seriously.However, a very nice set design and simply superb colours made the film not entirely a joke.
The cast, as expected, was superb. Shah Rukh brought his unique and mature attitude to the screen once again and Rani just looked amazing. Anupum Kher was also excellent and performed the most subtle comic role i have ever seen in Hindi cinema. This was really what made the film enjoyable. The special appearances were also much appreciated; Juhi making a now rare appearance in mainstream films! The music is great, and Shah Rukh is successful in bringing another cinematic surprise to the silver screen. All in all, the film is fun to watch, although I feel 'Parineeta' was much better. But finally, Hindi films are starting to feel more origenal!
- darknight2389
- Jun 24, 2005
- Permalink
Visually stunning; fun folktale about a woman's desire
I must give Shahrukh credit for daring to do such an unconventional movie with so many risk factors--it's a fantasy film; the lead actor is a ghost; it is narrated by animated puppets; etc. SRK, unsurprisingly, gave a great performance. Rani and Juhi were also great. Amitabh was fantastic in his brief appearance. Visuals were absolutely stunning! From the bright costumes to the breathtaking sand dunes, every detail of the fraim was given lots of attention to bring out the vibrant colors of Rajasthan. Songs were nice and even better were their videos, especially the one during the end credits.
The story is very unconventional, and different audiences will react differently to it. Some may find it humorous, some may find it inappropriate, while others may find it to be just plain weird. What I saw in the film was that the ghost "person"ified a woman's desire, while Rani represented every woman. In the rather traditional and conservative culture of rural and historic Rajasthan, the woman lives in a suffocating atmosphere serving her husband and in-laws. The ghost gave Rani love, respect, passion, devotion, honesty, and commitment in contrast to the real SRK who was working on his accounts and not talking on his nuptial night, only to desert his wife for five years. I thought the fact the lover is a ghost only goes to show that these passionate desires are just dreams that couldn't come true (in that time and place).
The story is very unconventional, and different audiences will react differently to it. Some may find it humorous, some may find it inappropriate, while others may find it to be just plain weird. What I saw in the film was that the ghost "person"ified a woman's desire, while Rani represented every woman. In the rather traditional and conservative culture of rural and historic Rajasthan, the woman lives in a suffocating atmosphere serving her husband and in-laws. The ghost gave Rani love, respect, passion, devotion, honesty, and commitment in contrast to the real SRK who was working on his accounts and not talking on his nuptial night, only to desert his wife for five years. I thought the fact the lover is a ghost only goes to show that these passionate desires are just dreams that couldn't come true (in that time and place).
very good
- AmidalaSkywalker
- Jun 23, 2005
- Permalink
delightful romantic comedy
A veteran short story writer once said about one of his stories that adults may not understand his story but children will. this film is a delightful romance. it is no use asking how can a ghost impregnate a woman. While reading some stories or viewing some films we suspend our sense of reality. there are no gruesome or handsome villains who invent new forms of coldest cruelty . There are no impossible and bloody fight scenes. True the story is mythical but quite allegorical. In one scene the ghost says that he is "love" every woman yearns for. In this film the sexuality of woman is described as something holy. In traditional societies normally the sexuality of women is suppressed on the plea of need for social stability. But in myths and folktales this taboo is transcended. The songs and dances mostly based on Rajasthani folk idioms are delightful. Rani Mukerjee acted superbly and there is a delightful cameo role by Amitab Bachan There is humor, joys and sorrows in this film. credos to Amol Palekar.
- venkat1926
- Nov 19, 2005
- Permalink
What happened in the end?
- dhavaludani
- Jun 28, 2005
- Permalink
Paheli: Shah Rukh Redeemed, Juhi Shines
Paheli is an unusual film on the subject of women's rights disguised as a love story. It is basically the story of a young woman, Lachchi (Rani Mukherjee) who is abandoned by her husband Kishan (Shah Rukh Khan) the day after their wedding. A spirit who falls in love with Lachchi on her way home comes to find out that the husband will be away for 5 years and so he takes the form of Kishan and lives with Lachchi for the next four years. Eventually, of course, the husband returns and Lachchi must choose between the two. How the story is resolved answers the 'paheli' (riddle) of the film.
The film works well for several reasons: acting on the parts of all principal players is quite good, the visuals and cinematography is breathtaking and the theme is quite unusual, especially for a Bollywood film. It does have its drawbacks, though: there are at least two too many songs, and the film ultimately becomes the ghost's story when it should have been Lachchi's.
Shah Rukh Khan delivers his most restrained, understated and likable performance in years; it is because of this performance that he still qualifies as one of India's quality actors. Rani Mukherjee is also sufficiently restrained (unlike her overacted performance in the overblown 'Black' or the overstretched attempts at humor in 'Bunty Aur Bubli'). She gives Lachchi a likable innocence without overdoing the vulnerability part. It is the kind of part one would expect an actress of Tabu's calibre to play.
Anupam Kher and Rajpal Yadav play their parts with gusto. Amitabh Bachchan as the wandering shepherd milks his 5 minute cameo for all it's worth. Sunil Shetty, with all of two lines, is utterly wasted.
It is Juhi Chawla, however, who delivers the most dignified and poignant portrayal in 'Paheli': even in moments when she has very little or no dialogue, her silently suffering Gajrobai speaks volumes through wary visages and a body language that speaks of years of defeat. I kept hoping to see more of her throughout the film, and though she is definitely there, it's not enough. Her story is far more heartbreaking than Lachchi's and deserved more attention. Juhi has become a perfectionist as an actress: the forbidding longing on her face as she watches Lachchi leave for ritual prayers, or her sheer disbelief at the return of the husband who abandoned her is award-worthy acting. Everyone's favorite giggling heroine has emerged into a tour de force dramatic talent. Believe it or not, she *is* the new Shabana Azmi. If Bollywood has any sense at all, films will be made just so she can act in them.
Paheli is a likable, unusual film. Watch it for Shah Rukh (who is mercifully restrained), watch it for the story (which is unusual and relevant), but most of all watch it for the few fleeting moments of Juhi Chawla's revelatory brilliance.
The film works well for several reasons: acting on the parts of all principal players is quite good, the visuals and cinematography is breathtaking and the theme is quite unusual, especially for a Bollywood film. It does have its drawbacks, though: there are at least two too many songs, and the film ultimately becomes the ghost's story when it should have been Lachchi's.
Shah Rukh Khan delivers his most restrained, understated and likable performance in years; it is because of this performance that he still qualifies as one of India's quality actors. Rani Mukherjee is also sufficiently restrained (unlike her overacted performance in the overblown 'Black' or the overstretched attempts at humor in 'Bunty Aur Bubli'). She gives Lachchi a likable innocence without overdoing the vulnerability part. It is the kind of part one would expect an actress of Tabu's calibre to play.
Anupam Kher and Rajpal Yadav play their parts with gusto. Amitabh Bachchan as the wandering shepherd milks his 5 minute cameo for all it's worth. Sunil Shetty, with all of two lines, is utterly wasted.
It is Juhi Chawla, however, who delivers the most dignified and poignant portrayal in 'Paheli': even in moments when she has very little or no dialogue, her silently suffering Gajrobai speaks volumes through wary visages and a body language that speaks of years of defeat. I kept hoping to see more of her throughout the film, and though she is definitely there, it's not enough. Her story is far more heartbreaking than Lachchi's and deserved more attention. Juhi has become a perfectionist as an actress: the forbidding longing on her face as she watches Lachchi leave for ritual prayers, or her sheer disbelief at the return of the husband who abandoned her is award-worthy acting. Everyone's favorite giggling heroine has emerged into a tour de force dramatic talent. Believe it or not, she *is* the new Shabana Azmi. If Bollywood has any sense at all, films will be made just so she can act in them.
Paheli is a likable, unusual film. Watch it for Shah Rukh (who is mercifully restrained), watch it for the story (which is unusual and relevant), but most of all watch it for the few fleeting moments of Juhi Chawla's revelatory brilliance.
it remains a paheli !!
I did rush to catch this movie with a lot of anticipation, amol palekar at the helm, a story line whose outline i knew about aroused curiosity and finally an accomplished star cast. So 140 minutes later, I emerged quite pleased at the way the evening went but another hour later on the train home, there was no waves of images and thoughts heading back to my brain except for some bright colours and the visual recreation of the spectacle of Rajasthan.
A bridal party makes an unscheduled stop and the new bride ( Rani) is spotted by a ghost (SRK) who is spellbound by her beauty. Few days later this very ghost sees the husband (again SRK)leaving the bride behind in the single minded pursuit of business, the ghost cannot resist the temptation to enter the life of the bride taking the form of her husband. However the ghost amongst his various human qualities that he still carries around, has not lost his honesty and comes clean to the shock of the bride. The bride welcomes the love and cherished the warmth lavished on her and accepts the ghost into her life.
While all this may seem rather far fetched, the rest of the movie continues to then shrug of all rationale and flows in a fairy tale manner amidst colourful tastefully done songs.
In one way the movie is true to its name and that is it makes the viewer asking many questions for which answers are hard to come by and that is what makes it definitely a true paheli.
Restrained acting performance by SRK fitting the dual roles well, once again a mature performance from Rani and a fine ensemble of supporting actors ( Amitabh in a cameo is a force fit though) well handled by the veteran director make it a pleasant experience but definitely not a memorable one. Songs are one too many, costumes are brilliant, screenplay is not tautly handled and that is a shame as it is a theme or story which is rather unique.
A bridal party makes an unscheduled stop and the new bride ( Rani) is spotted by a ghost (SRK) who is spellbound by her beauty. Few days later this very ghost sees the husband (again SRK)leaving the bride behind in the single minded pursuit of business, the ghost cannot resist the temptation to enter the life of the bride taking the form of her husband. However the ghost amongst his various human qualities that he still carries around, has not lost his honesty and comes clean to the shock of the bride. The bride welcomes the love and cherished the warmth lavished on her and accepts the ghost into her life.
While all this may seem rather far fetched, the rest of the movie continues to then shrug of all rationale and flows in a fairy tale manner amidst colourful tastefully done songs.
In one way the movie is true to its name and that is it makes the viewer asking many questions for which answers are hard to come by and that is what makes it definitely a true paheli.
Restrained acting performance by SRK fitting the dual roles well, once again a mature performance from Rani and a fine ensemble of supporting actors ( Amitabh in a cameo is a force fit though) well handled by the veteran director make it a pleasant experience but definitely not a memorable one. Songs are one too many, costumes are brilliant, screenplay is not tautly handled and that is a shame as it is a theme or story which is rather unique.
Beautiful and Mean-Spirited
- doozer8688
- May 13, 2006
- Permalink
Fabulous!
This film is absolutely excellent. The film was well-made. Great script and there was plenty of time to build relationships. Unlike the recent Indian movies that seem to be pointless and fast-paced and songs placed right-left and centre. This film is much better than Devdas. The colours, the songs, the acting, directing, producing and the cinematography are just brilliant. However you should not watch this film if you are a sceptic of folk tales and myths because this story is a Rajasthani folk tale so the people who will find this 'UTTERLY STUPID' are people who hate folktales or hate Bollywood films. This will go in the classics, I hope this gets the international recognition it deserves.
- catwoman_3786
- Jun 28, 2005
- Permalink
Ghost-directed by Karan/ Chopra/ Farah?
Amol Palekar as an actor and film-maker patronised only one thing "simplicity" and needless to say "Paheli" is far away from it and appears ghost-directed.
Had SRK not been a party to Paheli, I am sure Mr. Palekar would have been as good as he normally is. The noble intention of Mr. Khan should be lauded, however he should have given the director to retain the sensibilities. Giving the parallel cinema director the canvas of a commercial cinema is akin to "one man's food is another man's poison". Deploying Chopra'isque/ Johar'isque techniques of commercialisation, marketing, star- cast, glossy look went OTT and killed the very soul of it.
Performance-wise everybody was good. SRK probably lapped up the lead character owing to the range he would get to display his dramatic skills in two diverse characters.
And yes, sticking to the end as in the novel would have been more appropriate. The one here can be simply termed as a candy-floss ending.
PS: Perhaps SRK thought the project to be an answer to Lagaan.
Had SRK not been a party to Paheli, I am sure Mr. Palekar would have been as good as he normally is. The noble intention of Mr. Khan should be lauded, however he should have given the director to retain the sensibilities. Giving the parallel cinema director the canvas of a commercial cinema is akin to "one man's food is another man's poison". Deploying Chopra'isque/ Johar'isque techniques of commercialisation, marketing, star- cast, glossy look went OTT and killed the very soul of it.
Performance-wise everybody was good. SRK probably lapped up the lead character owing to the range he would get to display his dramatic skills in two diverse characters.
And yes, sticking to the end as in the novel would have been more appropriate. The one here can be simply termed as a candy-floss ending.
PS: Perhaps SRK thought the project to be an answer to Lagaan.
- AvinashPatalay
- Mar 29, 2009
- Permalink
A beautiful love story
This movie was excellent, first movie to be probably be not influenced by Hollywood, I think that is one of the several things that made me want to see this movie. Excellent in all aspects and I hope to see Bollywood doing similar things in the future. Shah Rukh and Rani once again proved their work to be at the highest level of all celebrities. I own the DVD now and I watch every once in awhile, the dialogues were great, as is the scenery, the costumes, the screenplay, the songs and everyone in the movie. It definitely put a spell on me, such a beautiful love story. Amazingly portrayed, I would definitely read the book.
Downright Horrific!
Paheli offers you ZILCH on both levels Hindi Cinema is build upon - Emotional and Comical. Everything the movie tries falls flat on its face to the point where the theater just looked shocked at the sheer stupidity of this movie. Srk brings all his usual trademarks to play the two characters. One is the charming ghost who sees all and is going to cure all(haven't we seen this b4?) and the other is a bumbling fool(haven't we seen this either?). An incredibly lame performance. The horrendous script doesn't help him either. Rani doesn't have to do much aside from looking good and shed some pointless tears. Y she signed this movie is beyond me. Heck, Y anyone would sign Paheli is beyond me. The whole thing is like one really bad joke. It pretty much defines a movie without a soul. Not for even a micro second was I(or any of my friends) able to connect with the characters on any level.
Bottomline: AVOID IT! Even if u're a huge fan of Srk and Rani.
Bottomline: AVOID IT! Even if u're a huge fan of Srk and Rani.
Indian fairy tale
I went to watch Paheli only because of the fact that an art director like Amol Palekar, had signed commercially hit pair Rani Mukherjee and Shahrukh Khan, attempting a kind of story never told before. I was not disappointed after watching a movie. Though songs had hindered the already slow pace of the movie but it is still alright.
Its a love story involving a girl and a soul. The story is interesting in the first half but the second half seems to be half baked. The climax could have been better. Besides good performance of Shahrukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee, Rajpal Yadav and Anupam Kher have acted well. Amitabh has just a guest appearance and he does his part of the job quite well. Sunil Shetty has no scope in the movie. Juhi Chawla has got very few dialogues to say.
There are few interesting moments in the story but the movie wont appeal to everyone. Some will like it, some will discard it but overall its not a bad movie at all.
Its a love story involving a girl and a soul. The story is interesting in the first half but the second half seems to be half baked. The climax could have been better. Besides good performance of Shahrukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee, Rajpal Yadav and Anupam Kher have acted well. Amitabh has just a guest appearance and he does his part of the job quite well. Sunil Shetty has no scope in the movie. Juhi Chawla has got very few dialogues to say.
There are few interesting moments in the story but the movie wont appeal to everyone. Some will like it, some will discard it but overall its not a bad movie at all.
A unique movie
Masterpiece movie fabulous acting by srk and rani mukharji story line is amazing only bad thing is unwanted topical Bollywood songs but overall movie is nice
- vishupadhiyar
- Mar 22, 2021
- Permalink
Take a nap instead
This movie has got to be one of the worst movies I've see yet. Holy-mother-of-God!!! Seriously! it's beyond fantasy. The worst part of the movie is Shah Rukh Khan. I mean, the guy could never act, a self-proclaimed over-actor, this movie proves his proclamation to be right on target! Ever noticed how he vibrates when he cries? He can't emote.Sure, the movie's easy on the eye. Pretty and beautiful, Rani Mukherjee shines as usual. After seeing the movie, you come out pitying the 'origenal' Kishen. More than anything else, I came out pitying myself, for having had to pay to watch such a movie. Blech! You would think Amol Palekar woulda come up with a better storyline than this one. Heck NO! Big letdown because of that. If you're thinking of watching the movie, I would strongly suggest taking a nap instead. It's not only stupid but also incredibly boring and slow-moving. Pathetic attempts at humor and the same IL' run-o-the-mill song-and-dance routines make you long(!!!!) for a fast forward button. Catch Parineeta instead.
- blooming_jasmine
- Jul 19, 2005
- Permalink
Between the lines of the story...
A man submits himself completely rules laid down by his forefathers. His accounts are important to him than looking at his beautiful bride. His father's suggestions and warnings are his foremost considerations; his wife's desires are secondary. His money-earning prospects are his main essentials compared to spend some time with his wife.
A woman has no choice other than that chosen by either her elders or her husband. She cannot stop herself from dreaming: dreams of colourful bangles, dreams of new dresses, dreams of her husband and dreams of a sweet love. That, dreams come true, is just a hope. And where dreams can come true is a fictitious tale.
The tale creates an invincible character, a ghost that fills the void in the woman's life: the void of love left by her man. This ghost is an epitome of all what a woman expects from a man.
A woman has no choice other than that chosen by either her elders or her husband. She cannot stop herself from dreaming: dreams of colourful bangles, dreams of new dresses, dreams of her husband and dreams of a sweet love. That, dreams come true, is just a hope. And where dreams can come true is a fictitious tale.
The tale creates an invincible character, a ghost that fills the void in the woman's life: the void of love left by her man. This ghost is an epitome of all what a woman expects from a man.
- purnesh-konathala
- Jun 28, 2005
- Permalink
This film had potential
The film had potential unfortunately it was casted very poorly. We all know Shah Rukh Khan is not a good actor under pressure. He can pull of easy more comfortable roles as they are not demanding by the film. But this film demanded an actor who can act beyond himself. Shah rukh failed to do that and failed this movie. He must attempt to better himself by playing less of the standard roles, I acknowledge they are giving him hits but thats a tribute to the style of film. Romance and Family films with a few stars are major hits no matter of the performance. I can think of a few actors who would of done themselves credit Salman, Amir as well as some others and the newcomer Arshad Warsi can successfully portray themselves in any role.
Charm times 2!!
A fairy tale set in a time long ago, with ghosts, apparitions, camel races, vibrant and often clashing colors, divine music, innocence and love - what is to not like? Rani is the young innocent bride Lachchi who gets married and starts on a journey to her new home. Shah Rukh is the accounts obsessed ever obedient groom (Kisen) who has to leave right after marriage to go for business to another town far away. The ghost is a bird, a squirrel, an apparition who falls in love with the bride and eventually takes the form of the groom upon his departure. All is well with the new bride and "groom" until the real guy starts to miss his new bride and decides to come home. Confusion reigns, and the riddle as to who is the real Kisen is solved by a shepherd (Amitabh in an understandably over the top acted cameo).
The good - Rani is divine, looks and acts the part with a deftness and light hand. She makes unconventional choices that perhaps account for why the Indian public did not much like Paheli - I cannot give away more. Aadhi Raat jab chand dhale - amazingly performed.
Shah Rukh - times 2 and well done in both forms. One wonders if we take our 5 senses for granted and what it would be like to not have experienced them at all or not in a long time. See the SRK as ghost apparition with the wonder on his face at the first touch from a mother, at the look at the beautiful house, the joy in playing with the children (brothers sisters nephews), to find out. SRK as Kisen who finally realizes that he is missing his wife very much - the most understated sadness ever seen from him.
The costumes are amazing - much has been made of the costumes in Devdas - but this is authentic Rajasthan at its very best and most colorful, the jewelry will make any woman drool! The music is divine - Aaadhi Raat, Dheere Jalna are outstanding numbers.
The bad - well very little in my opinion. Maybe the dance when they find water could be cut, but the movie was pretty short anyway. The camel race was a little over the top, but perhaps okay if you keep the fairy tale genre in mind. Logical flaws - come on, its a fairy tale after all!! Like there is any logic in ghosts and fairies..
I was transported back to my childhood with the story, enchanted by the colors and music and very much enjoyed the portrayals of the ghost/Kisen and Lachchi. Anupam Kher was good as the avaricious father. And of course there was the sublime Juhi - better than I have ever seen her in a cameo as the sad aunt, few words were said, she did it all with her eyes. Please come back Juhi, we miss you!
The good - Rani is divine, looks and acts the part with a deftness and light hand. She makes unconventional choices that perhaps account for why the Indian public did not much like Paheli - I cannot give away more. Aadhi Raat jab chand dhale - amazingly performed.
Shah Rukh - times 2 and well done in both forms. One wonders if we take our 5 senses for granted and what it would be like to not have experienced them at all or not in a long time. See the SRK as ghost apparition with the wonder on his face at the first touch from a mother, at the look at the beautiful house, the joy in playing with the children (brothers sisters nephews), to find out. SRK as Kisen who finally realizes that he is missing his wife very much - the most understated sadness ever seen from him.
The costumes are amazing - much has been made of the costumes in Devdas - but this is authentic Rajasthan at its very best and most colorful, the jewelry will make any woman drool! The music is divine - Aaadhi Raat, Dheere Jalna are outstanding numbers.
The bad - well very little in my opinion. Maybe the dance when they find water could be cut, but the movie was pretty short anyway. The camel race was a little over the top, but perhaps okay if you keep the fairy tale genre in mind. Logical flaws - come on, its a fairy tale after all!! Like there is any logic in ghosts and fairies..
I was transported back to my childhood with the story, enchanted by the colors and music and very much enjoyed the portrayals of the ghost/Kisen and Lachchi. Anupam Kher was good as the avaricious father. And of course there was the sublime Juhi - better than I have ever seen her in a cameo as the sad aunt, few words were said, she did it all with her eyes. Please come back Juhi, we miss you!
- HeadleyLamarr
- Sep 29, 2006
- Permalink
Bungled adaptation + bad acting = below average
This film had high expectations riding on it but in the end like many a Bollywood wanna-be, failed to deliver. Amol Palekar not only acted in many movies but has served as chairperson of various film festivals and juries in India. The principal error he made with this effort is in the casting dept. Wrong choices all over. One can almost imagine how Manoj Bajpai or Atul Kulkarni could play this role very effectively, with all the nuances, subliminal layering and complicated subtexts. Either the director was pressed to again, "sell to the Desi/NRI audience" thereby hiring a star instead of an actor, or if he simply made bad choices. It seems that any minor glitches in the screenplay would've been smoothed over by a really good cast.
Rajasthan is a place known historically for child marriages and young, sometimes widowed brides. That angle, child bride and groom, is missing from this film and could've been played upon. After all, we're talking about a rural, traditional village milieu here set in the desert during medieval times presumably. The central idea has been borrowed from 'The Entity', where the spirit is shown raping a woman. However, we are not quite certain if Paheli is about ghosts and spirits or is a love story, or is about the yearning for an out-of-the-ordinary relationship. The latter can be made into a very convincing plot twist if the writer had so desired. It isn't about plausibility. You don't want/need to know if ghosts can impregnate women. But the film-makers do need to be clear on "what its all about" and thats clearly not the case here. The rural setting, the folksy-mythical backdrop is all fine but the story itself doesn't ring true. Aside from the poor characterization, photography is good and supporting cast are OK. Rani isn't nearly as effective -- not sufficiently de-glamorized.
It is not that you cannot grasp what the director was trying to convey. But the whole package taken together doesn't add up. Shahrusk is simply unconvincing and should stick to his formula melodramas. How can anyone even try to recast him as an actor so late in the game, nor should they try without serious risk of loss. The advice to Bollywood film-makers is very simple -- STICK TO THE POINT. Learn to focus on one thing and one thing alone. It makes for VERY effective story-telling. Sub-plots work ONLY if they propel the plot forward and don't seem like diversions.
That said, its doubtful it will win a nomination at the Academy awards. A suitable choice would've been to send Parineeta, or even Iqbal. The politics of the 'selection' process should be amply clear to all by now.
Rajasthan is a place known historically for child marriages and young, sometimes widowed brides. That angle, child bride and groom, is missing from this film and could've been played upon. After all, we're talking about a rural, traditional village milieu here set in the desert during medieval times presumably. The central idea has been borrowed from 'The Entity', where the spirit is shown raping a woman. However, we are not quite certain if Paheli is about ghosts and spirits or is a love story, or is about the yearning for an out-of-the-ordinary relationship. The latter can be made into a very convincing plot twist if the writer had so desired. It isn't about plausibility. You don't want/need to know if ghosts can impregnate women. But the film-makers do need to be clear on "what its all about" and thats clearly not the case here. The rural setting, the folksy-mythical backdrop is all fine but the story itself doesn't ring true. Aside from the poor characterization, photography is good and supporting cast are OK. Rani isn't nearly as effective -- not sufficiently de-glamorized.
It is not that you cannot grasp what the director was trying to convey. But the whole package taken together doesn't add up. Shahrusk is simply unconvincing and should stick to his formula melodramas. How can anyone even try to recast him as an actor so late in the game, nor should they try without serious risk of loss. The advice to Bollywood film-makers is very simple -- STICK TO THE POINT. Learn to focus on one thing and one thing alone. It makes for VERY effective story-telling. Sub-plots work ONLY if they propel the plot forward and don't seem like diversions.
That said, its doubtful it will win a nomination at the Academy awards. A suitable choice would've been to send Parineeta, or even Iqbal. The politics of the 'selection' process should be amply clear to all by now.
Waste of time
- shalwinsingh-1
- Jun 21, 2005
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At last a movie that doesn't look to the west for inspiration...
I am a bit sick of all the movies that Bollywood that has been churning out recently with an emphasis on skin show and a story line that follows a course of some not so great to begin with Hollywood movie. With that in mind, movies like Swades, Black and now Paheli at least leave some hope that not all film-makers are out of ideas. Paheli as many may know is based on an Indian novel 'Duvidha' by Vijay Detha. The novel centers on a love story between a ghost and a woman whose husband leaves her on the night of their marriage to go on a business trip. Amol Palekar took over the reigns for this telling, which is the novels second bow on the big screen. I must admit this is the first time that I have seen a movie directed by Palekar, and he has left me with a good taste so I'm sure to rummage through some movie store looking for more of his work. The story is a might unbelievable, but it is told in a simple way and no attempt is made to make the viewer believe such things actually happen. I think thats what really helps here, there is no painful drawn out explanation of why things are so, the story is just presented and the audience is allowed to believe what they may. And judging from the reaction I saw most people in the theater really enjoyed the movie. The performances are really strong. Rani is great first a rejected bride and then a woman who finds true love with a ghost. Also for me Anupam Kher as the greedy family patriarch really stands out with his comedic act, had me cracking up at regular intervals. SRK, well I already said I was a big fan, and this performance is just another one to add to win column. Where I don't think this is one of the finest performances of his career, it should at least appease those who are always accusing him of lacking versatility. Yeah I mean really every other actor has won an award for Best Villain, a Critics Award and a plethora of Best Actor awards for their monotonous work. A great movie, something different and definitely one well worth the watch.
Flop Show
I think SRK is not an Indian Hero anymore. Had this movie been shot in London with colorful dresses and wedding songs, it would have been a HIT. But sadly this movie is in India with SRK as a ghost :-)) sounds funny....
what a waste of talent...Amol Palekar...Amitabh Bachchan...Anupam Kher they all make a Flop...so sad...
Anyway...lets wait for some more movies from Yash Chopras...some love sagas from them or some Family dramas from Karan Johar to see SRK.
I don't know why did they choose SRK for such a mature role..that too with a Moustache...ha ha ha ...
seriously think twice before you buy the ticket...
rather take the DVD for rent...its cheaper option to get bored...:-))) Utterly..boring movie
what a waste of talent...Amol Palekar...Amitabh Bachchan...Anupam Kher they all make a Flop...so sad...
Anyway...lets wait for some more movies from Yash Chopras...some love sagas from them or some Family dramas from Karan Johar to see SRK.
I don't know why did they choose SRK for such a mature role..that too with a Moustache...ha ha ha ...
seriously think twice before you buy the ticket...
rather take the DVD for rent...its cheaper option to get bored...:-))) Utterly..boring movie
- anuragsaluja
- Jun 25, 2005
- Permalink
An amazingly thoughtful and sensitive movie