Paheli (2005) Review by Stephen Bourne, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. http://www.geocities.com/iamstephenbourne/moviequips.html
Synopsis:
Only the parched desert breeze that caresses Centuries of unfulfilled desires can explain what possessed him to materialize. This is a story as old as time. In a time that has long since passed. On a long journey by caravan through the wilds of Sapta-Sindhu, when the bright henna patterns on young Lachchi's (Rani Mukherjee) slender hands were already beginning to fade along with her memories of marrying the handsomely rich merchant Kishanlal Seth (Shahrukh Khan) earlier that day. This was Lachchi's first time away from her parents' sanctuary, but this freedom held no excitement for her. The sweet berries plucked from the roadside bushes quickly soured on her lips from Kishanlal's scolding words. He wasn't a cruel man. He was kind hearted and a little shy, but the facts and figures of a well struck ledger were Kishanlal's first true loves, affording his serious mind little tolerance for the girlish whimsy of his beautiful new bride. His wedding was an obligation now transacted. The ornate trinkets of gold and pearls that dripped from her wrists and ankles squeezed tighter. Their wagon stopping midway was a refreshing reprieve. The gnarled skeleton of that well's ancient baobab tree strangely populated by small, colourful dolls cast a welcoming shadow that cooled Lachchi's silent regrets. One hundred and twenty-eight ghosts were said to haunt this resting place, but only the pure songs of a curious bird followed her lone path down the crude stone steps to the water's edge. It was there that he knew what he needed to do. Suddenly, she felt a presence that chilled her and she ran away. These few fleeting glances of Lachchi's immeasurable beauty could have lasted him a thousand more years locked in limbo without reason for human form or the soft taste of a lover's kiss. They wouldn't be enough, but the slow convoy carrying this new found treasure into the distance signalled that they would have to be enough. Desire now haunted this ghost. Day after agonizing day crept by, until Kishanlal once again passed through this forsaken spot, this time on an auspicious business trip that would leave his bride without him for five years. Hope blossomed where none but the spirits of men could see. But, how could the ghost's undying yearning be sated? He could return to the guise of that blue feathered admirer, finding and serenading Lachchi with his songs from any ledge that might bring him closer to her, but what good is a small bird to that vision of loveliness when her thoughts still cry out for her husband and not for him? Fifteen lonely nights after she had cried herself to sleep on her honeymoon, Lachchi could hardly contain her overwhelming joy at finding herself warmly wrapped in the soft words and uncharacteristically adoring arms of her husband Kishanlal Seth, who has unexpectedly materialized...
Review:
This apparently unintended remake of the acclaimed Hindi ghost romance 'Duvidha' (1973) - itself adapted from East Indian novelist Vijayadhan Dehta's classic reportedly based on the Rajasthani folk tale - is a pleasantly satisfying Period love story beautifully highlighted with delicately unobtrusive CGI effects. Director Amol Palekar skilfully allows cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran a free hand to dazzle a paying audience with wonderfully crisp, colour-saturated images that truly electrify this hundred and forty-minute feature. It's a fabulous-looking film from beginning to closing credits, frankly. It's also a real treat to see Bollywood powerhouses Shahrukh Khan ('Devdas' (2002), 'Swades' (2004)) and Amitabh Bachchan ('Amar Akbar Anthony' (1977), 'Black' (2005)) back together on the same screen, even though those scenes are painfully brief. The astounding balance of intensity and playfulness that these two immensely talented superstars effortlessly realize here make 'Paheli' well worth the price of admission alone. You already knew that, though. What raises the bar of excellence even further is the actual star of this oftentimes heartbreaking, subtitled tale, Rani Mukherjee ('Chalte Chalte' (2003), 'Veer-Zaara' (2004)), who manages to consistently instil a contemporary feminine strength in her bygone abandoned bride character Lachchi, from under the clearly overwhelming shadow of Khan's captivating dual role as her awkwardly estranged new husband and his affectionate stand-in doppelganger. The resulting friction caused by you wanting to see more of Mukherjee's character development materialize over the years depicted in this movie as Khan's sub story of clever trickery and precocious flirting steal the foreground does get in the way at times. However, Mukherjee's obviously formidable acting style and natural screen presence still manage to take the reigns where ever Sandhya Gokhale's slightly sappy screenplay fails to substantially put her to work. In this case, regardless of whatever egos might have been bruised in the process, the final cut proves that's a good thing. Other memorable highlight include Rajpal Yadav's ('Waqt' (2005)) absolutely hilarious cameos as the continually freaked out messenger Bhoja, and Juhi Chawla's insightfully forelorned Gajrobai pining for her own long lost husband. Awesome. The songs in this Masala aren't the greatest, but definitely check out this inspired romantic drama for the incredible camera work and thoroughly outstanding acting from this impressive cast.
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