Paheli

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.