Lafangey Parindey

This film truly surprised me. I was expecting one of the same old formula gangster cum romance film; but, surprise, it takes pot shots at life! It is definitely one of the most entertaining films of the year. Gopi Puthran the story/screenplay/dialogs writer is truly a great find and we will certainly hear more about him.

In the acting department, the entire cast surprises you by giving very competent performances. I really loved the Bhai, KK Menon makes a good guest appearance. Both Deepika and Neil surprised me with their performance! All the other goofy named characters were also good.

The story is extremely well written and the film is well directed. The dialogs are memorable and strong! Mumbaiya and tapori (rowdy) language rules! This film reminds you of the good old day films where story and entertainment was paramount. Basically, that formula has been worked out for today's audience.

The songs and music are quite good. The photography too is quite good.

What is outstanding is the skating choreography (Sandro Guerro)! Deepika and Neil really shine in the skating scenes!

The end is a little bit abrupt and predictable!

Will I watch it again? Yes, of course. There is a bit of violence and gangsterism is the backdrop, but this film is about life and love. Definitely worth a watch, if not more. Go for it! Finally, a truly entertaining film.

"Lafangey Parindey" is a delight to watch. No because of its two bold and beautiful lead, but because it tells a very good story of faith,survival,struggle and love in a very simple and elegant manner.

Cast wise,I can't expect more.Special mention for Deepika Padukone.This gorgeous gal is just perfect for the role of Pinky Palkar,a blind girl with big dreams,but demoralized by the unfortunate turn of events in her life. Neil Nitin Mukesh plays One Shot Nandu and does it good. Maybe his stylish clothes, neat and clean accent and fairer than fair complexion makes us question his selection for a Street Fighter role,but One Shot Nandu's inner conflict with his biggest regrets and fight to achieve redemption is beautifully portrayed by Neil. And Piyush Mishra is exceptional as always.

What separates "Lafangey Parindey" from rest is the narrative raw material has been primed to yield loads of drama, some dirty dancing and a bit of daredevilry.Pradeep Sarkar pans his camera on these gritty streets and gullies of Mumbai and tells a simple tale of two free-spirited youngsters who believe nothing is impossible.He does not get preachy or patronizing in his storytelling in spite of his story being predictable.High on emotions, the film is more of a drama but comedy and romance too have their prominence in the script.

Overall,"Lafangey Parindey" is a human tale of risk and loss, and emotional victories. It is a tribute to the indomitable spirit of Mumbai. Watch it for its earnest performances, real characters and sheer simplicity.

My Verdict: 8/10

What do you expect from a love story now-a-days? Should it be different? Should it be unique? Should it be one of a kind? But how many times have you come across a love story that is different or unique? You'd say none! I wouldn't disagree. But, Lafangey Parindey somehow doesn't go down as common love story. Okay, it's not different but it is not a million times seen love story..

She, a wannabe figure skater, cannot see. He, a bare-knuckles street- fighter, doesn't need to. But both Pinky Palkar(Deepika Padukone) and Nandan Kamtekar(Neil Nitin Mukesh) have their sights firmly set on a better life, a life beyond the mean backstreets of Mumbai. One Shot Nandu, as he is called, fights blindfolded every week for Satta King(Piyush Mishra) and lays his opponent low with one blow, always wins. Pinky, dreams of making it big by winning a reality show but an accident takes away her eye sight and then she is supported by Nandu to refocus her goal. Dekhne ko aankh nai keeda maangta hai. This is the lesson he gives to Pinky. She starts using her all sense organs to offset the absence of sight. Together they form an unlikely pair, but as fate had decided they fell in love and with predictable twists and turns they finally achieve their goals.

The movie is a predictable ride from the beginning, but the typical Mumbai lingo along with fine performances of specially supporting actors prevent you from looking at your watch and the ceiling. The first half is slow and little boring but the skate dancing in the second half is the saving grace. Many scenes do bring smiles and laughs during the movie.

Neil Nitin is evolving. He has done extremely well. Deepika is finally learning to act. This is her finest performance to date. Piyush Mishra is exceptional. As stated earlier, the supporting actors have done a brilliant job. Music by R. Anandh is good. Special note for the song Man Lafanga sung by Mohit Chauhan. Choreography is top notch. Bosco-Caeser are sure to get many accolades for the skate dancing in the climax of the movie. Dialogues by Gopi Puthran are hilarious. Action and cinematography are OK. Pradeep Sarkar of Parineeta and Laga Chunari Me Daag fame surely has attempted a very different genre this time. He doesn't succeed, nor he fails. The movie is perfect mixture of entertainment and boredom. Seldom you get bored and often you laugh.

To conclude, I would say go for it, if you are looking for a complete masala Bollywood flick and some brilliant skate dancing.

My Rating: 6/10

Thanks & Regards

The movie is good, something you could watch it with the entire family and get complete dose of entertainment. Sadly the title plays the spoilt-sport (wonder why the production house did not raise an objection). Niel's character has various shades to it and he attempts hard to bring out the guilt and redemption to the best of his abilities. He is good in his own right as an actor (ref. Johnny Gaddar) but here we wanted Shahid Kapoor who can elevate the character to a different level.

Deepika gives her best shot to the character. Had the movie worked it would have done what "Black" did for Rani. However the portrayal of her disability lacks screen time owing to which it the character fails to evoke compassion from the audience. Deepika's performance covers up the short-coming of her male counterpart. And the friends provide good relief moments with their authentic one-liners and goofs. More screen time was warranted from Kay Kay. Piyush Mishra has a strong screen presence. Kishor Ballal's role I guess got chopped on the editing table.

Songs hardly make any impact. The cinematography is good. Fight sequences are well shot and so are the skating sequences.

Not a bad watch when aired on telly, but certainly not a product you would expect from Yash Raj & Parineeta director.

The album 'Lafangey Pariendey' has seven songs written by Swanand Kirkire and composed by R.Anandh, the famous ad jingle composer.

The album opens with the song 'Lafangey Parindey' by Ronit Sarkar. The songs starts with an Arabian music and then the fast beat starts. It plays its role right as the title song. Then comes 'Man Lafanga' by Mohit Chouhan which has a soft track and is easy on ears. Mohit does his job very well. Next comes 'Dhatad Tatad' by Shail Hada and Anushka Manchanda. It is a dance music and the audience can not but stop tapping their foot with this cheerful song. After that there is a soft song 'Nain Parindey' by Shilpa Rao. Audience will feel calm hearing this song and probably it is the best song in the album. Shilpa's voice seems to have turned magical in this song. Then 'Rang Daalein' comes next by Suuraj Jagan. It is another song with hard music and the song is very youthful. Suraj does his job quite well. After that comes 'Born to fly' which is an instrumental and it is ideal for ballad dance. It has two parts. The first part has a slow, dreamy beat and the second part is a mixture of the beats of the other hard music of this album. The last song of the album is the club mix of 'Man lafanga' by Joshiley . It's first beat pleases the audience. The album will surely pass with the letter marks from the audience.