14 Years of Parineeta (10/06/2005)

14 Years of Parineeta (10/06/2005)

Parineeta is a 2005 romantic drama film adaptation of the 1914 Bengali novella, Parineeta by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Directed by debutant Pradeep Sarkar, it was based upon a screenplay by the film’s producer, Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film featured Vidya Balan (In her Bollywood Debut), Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt in the lead roles. Raima Sen plays the supporting role of Lalita’s chirpy cousin. Sabyasachi Chakrabarty plays the pivotal role of Shekhar’s father. Diya Mirza, with a cameo appearance as Shekhar’s fiancé and Rekha, with a cameo performance of a night club (Moulin Rouge) singer, are other notable performances.

Parineeta primarily revolves around the lead characters, Lalita and Shekhar. Since childhood, Shekhar and Lalita have been friends and slowly this friendship blossoms into love. A series of misunderstandings surface and they are separated with the conniving schemes of Shekhar’s father. The plot deepens with the arrival of Girish, who supports Lalita’s family. Eventually, Shekhar’s love defies his father’s greed and he seeks Lalita.

The film has several notable allusions to the Indian literature and cinema. Despite the pre-release inhibitions, it received critical acclaim. It won the Filmfare Awards apart from several prominent awards. The director went on to win the National Award for Best Debut Film. Parineeta was showcased at prominent international film festivals.