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Parineeta (2005 film)
Encyclopedia
Parineeta is a Bollywood
musical film adaptation of the 1914 Bengali
novella, Parineeta
by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Directed by debutant Pradeep Sarkar
, the film was based upon a screenplay by the film's producer, Vidhu Vinod Chopra
. The film featured Vidya Balan
, Saif Ali Khan
and Sanjay Dutt
in the lead roles. Raima Sen
plays supporting role of Lalita's chirpy cousin. Sabyasachi Chakravarthy playing the pivotal role of Shekhar's father, Diya Mirza with a cameo appearance as Shekhar's fiancé and Rekha, a yesteryear actress from Bollywood, with a cameo performance of a night club (Moulin Rouge
) singer are other notable performances from the film.
The film 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 both of them 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 and. It won the Filmfare Awards
apart from several prominent awards. The director went on to win the National Award
for Best First Film
. The film was also showcased at prominent International film festivals.
. As the credits roll, scenes from the erstwhile Calcutta are displayed along with the narrator's (Amitabh Bachchan
) introduction of the era. The narration focuses on the night of the marriage of Shekhar and Gayatri Tantiya, a rich industrialist's daughter. The audience is introduced to Navin Rai as Shekhar's father while we see Shekhar readying himself for the occasion. While he is doing that, images of Lalita calling him by his name flash through his mind. Downstairs, musical celebrations begin as Shekhar meets Vasundhara, a widow from his neighborhood, who is thankful to her son-in-law, Girish (Sanjay Dutt
), for supporting their family after the death of her husband, Gurcharan. Lalita, who is present there, playfully confronts Shekhar as to why he is being indifferent to her. Shekhar admonishes her for speaking so in spite of being married.
An angry Shekhar comes back home to play a favorite tune from the past on his piano. The flashback shows a young Shekhar playing the Rabindranath Tagore
’s tune on his piano while young Lalita and Koel are around. Lalita, with her parents having died in a car accident, lives with Gurcharan’s family with Koel as her cousin whereas Charu is her neighbor. As this scene flashes across Shekhar’s mind, he sings a song full of sadness and loss. As time flies, they grow up to become close friends. A rebellious and musically inclined Shekhar, spends his days playing the music of Rabindranath Tagore
or Elvis Presley
and composing his own songs with Lalita, rather than becoming part of his shrewd father's world of profit and business. Part of this rebellion involves resistance to meeting Gayatri Tantia, the beautiful but devious daughter of a wealthy industrialist, whom his father would like Shekhar to marry into. Meanwhile, Girish, a steel tycoon from London, makes a dramatic entry into Charu’s house. Girish seems smitten by Lalita whereas Koel is by Girish. Shekhar is visibly jealous of Lalita’s close friendship with Girish.
One day, a shocked Lalita, who’s employed at the Ray’s office, realises of a hotel project from Gurcharan’s ancestral haveli (palatial house). On an earlier occasion, Gurcharan had borrowed money from Navin Ray after putting his haveli on mortgage. She understands that if the money is not be repaid in a few months, Navin Ray would take over the property. She immediately thinks of asking Shekhar for monetary help. Unforeseen circumstances prevent this and Girish upon realising this, alleviates their problem by making Gurcharan his business partner. Gurcharan repays the debt and the turn of events prompts Shekhar to think why Lalita chose to ask Girish for money instead of him. On one auspicious night, Shekhar and Lalita exchange garlands and consummate their "marriage" unbeknownst to anyone else.
While Shekhar is off to Darjeeling on a business trip, Navin Ray violently thunders on Lalita about the loss of his hotel project embarrassing and humiliating her. Ray gets a wall built between his and Gurcharan’s house symbolizing the end of their association. Gurcharan unable to digest this faces a heart attack. Upon Shekhar’s return, Ray informs him of the ill-health of his mother and Gurcharan and viciously adds a note of Lalita and Girish’s marriage. Shekhar is disgusted to hear of the marriage and in the anger he scowls at Lalita, humiliating her like his father. In the meanwhile, Girish assists the Gurcharan family and takes them to London for the heart treatment. Misunderstandings follow and upon the family’s return from London, Shekhar assumes that Girish and Lalita are married and agrees to marry Gayatri. The film returns to the night of Shekhar’s marriage when Girish hands him the ownership papers of Gurcharan’s haveli. He shocks Shekhar by telling him that he got married to Koel because Lalita denied his marriage proposal. As a conclusion, Shekhar confronts his father and symbolically breaks down the wall separating the two families. He then brings Lalita to his home as his bride much to the delight of his mother.
was a well-known personality in the area of advertisements. With 17 years in mainstream advertising and 7 years of advertisement film-making and commercial cinema, he completed about 1000 commercials
and 15 music videos. Vidhu Vinod Chopra
, the film's producer, took notice of his music videos and contacted Sarkar to direct some of the music videos of the film, Mission Kashmir
(2000). After carving a niche in filming music videos, Sarkar gave the thought of filming Parineeta to Chopra. There began the making of the film.
About the film's comparison with the novel, Chopra said in an interview that, as compared to its 1953 namesake film
by Bimal Roy, the film's story was based in the year 1962. He said that it took them one and a half years to script the film, with them adding new characters and emphasizing under-represented characters from the novel. In a separate interview, Chopra admitted that he was actively involved with the screenplay because the film was an adaptation of the novel. When speaking about cinematic adaptation, Chopra gave due credit to Sarkar, and Natarajan Subramaniam (the film's cinematographer), for providing the vintage visuals in the film. Saif Ali Khan
once said that the film was initially attempted to be made in a contemporary way. When the film's crew did not find the depiction appealing, the filming began with the 60's look.
Chopra once cited an interesting anecdote about his belief in Sarkar's film making abilities. He said that he never personally signed the cheques for the film's expenditure. He transferred money into Sarkar's bank account and the cheques were eventually signed by Sarkar and his spouse.
and Vidya Balan
were not the first choices for the lead roles in Parineeta. This fact was corroborated by Saif in an interview when he said that even though Sarkar had faith in his abilities, Chopra was not too keen on having him.
The choice of Vidya Balan came with Sarkar's prior work experience with her in three music videos. Chopra said that Vidya was screen-tested for a period of 6 months and only then they were sure of her acting abilities. Saif once said that he was not convinced of Vidya's abilities, since Parineeta was to be her first film. He instead hoped to work with established actresses like Aishwarya Rai
or Rani Mukherjee. However, after seeing Vidya portray the character of Lalita, he was thoroughly appreciative of her performance. Getting an opportunity to debut with big names from the industry along with a lovely character to enact made Vidya accept the role of Lalita.
The choice of Sanjay Dutt
was because of his versatility, said Chopra in an interview. He also said that the affable nature of Sanjay was a plus during film making.
Diya Mirza liked the script so well that she chose to play the role of the devious Gayatri in spite of it being a short role. Raima Sen
had a similar story with her want to work with the duo of Chopra and Sarkar. The cameo of the veteran actress, Rekha was purely out of her interest in the song, Kaisi Paheli Zindgani
.
Since Sarkar knew the city of Kolkata
very well, the film was primarily shot there. While most of the film was made in Kolkata, a small portion was shot in Darjeeling.
To re-create the 60s era, lot of efforts were made by the producers. For instance, Chopra said that it cost them money and difficulty to procure the green colored car which was driven by Shekhar in the film. Chopra confirmed the authenticity of the piano used in the song, Piyu Bole and of the toy train used in a song (Kasto Mazza
). About the look of the characters, Mirza said that the 60s look was well captured by the make-up artist, Vidyadar. The song Kaisi Paheli Zindagani was based on the tune to Louis Armstrong
's A Kiss to Build a Dream on
.
Critics had high expectations from Parineeta's music because of the award-winning music that was provided in (some of) Chopra's previous films (1942: A Love Story
(1993), Mission Kashmir
(2000)). Shantanu Moitra
, Parineeta's music director composed hundreds of tunes before six of them got finalised after a year's effort. After finalising the soundtrack, Chopra was appreciative of the musician's abilities when he said that Moitra has the potential to become another R. D. Burman, a yesteryear Bollywood
music director.
, was a contemporary of Rabindranath Tagore
; both authors documented Bengali life and social issues at the turn of the century. The 2005 cinematic version of Parineeta pays homage
to this relationship by referencing Satyajit Ray
's film Charulata
, which itself is based upon Tagore's noted novella, Nashtanir. Lalita (Parineeta) is dressed to resemble Nashtanir / Charulata 's Charu (Madhabi Mukherjee
), particularly during the song "Soona Man Ka Aangan
", which incorporates Tagore's song "Phoole Phoole Dhole Dhole." In both Parineeta and Charulata, "Phoole Phoole Dhole Dhole" is sung while Lalita and Charu are each on a swing. The film continues the above connection by placing Saif Ali Khan
on the same train used in the film Aradhana which featured his mother, Sharmila Tagore
.
This film was the third one to bear resemblance to the novella, the other two being its 1953 namesake film
and the 1976 film, Sankoch.
206 million in India at the end of 2005. Its overseas success was notable as well with gross collections of Rs. 36 million in the United Kingdom, Rs. 35 million in North America, and Rs 15 million in the rest of the overseas.
, the preview suggested that debutant director, Sarkar's inexperience in film making, the probable inability of debutant actress, Balan to portray Lalita's character appropriately, suitable 1960s depiction by contemporary actors and musician, Shantanu Moitra's until then unimpressive soundtracks, could be impediments for the film to be a successful adaptation.
Post-release, the same critic said "Vidhu Vinod Chopra's "Parineeta" - a remake of an old classic of the same name...(had) the love story (which) was received well by the younger generation and it went on to become the biggest hit of the year." The film was generally well-received by the critics, with one of them terming the film as "...a beautiful story, beautifully told. It approximates what most of us expect, and increasingly yearn for, in vain, our cinematic experience." A reviewer from About.com said that it is "contemporary retelling of...(an) engaging and timeless tale rich with human emotion and universal drama". The reviewer appreciates the film in most of the nuances of film making saying that this is "enhanced by a brilliant musical score, and accentuated by superb performances by Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Raima Sen, Diya Mirza and debutante Vidya Balan in the lead role of Lalita". 3000 copies of the novella were sold within weeks of the films release, owing to the film's good reception.
About the film, Derek Elley from Variety
said "A character-driven meller that's a treat for the eyes, with performances to match, "Parineeta" is high-end Bollywood near its best". He also says that, "... though the climax is still emotionally powerful, it comes over as overcooked." A mixed review from Mid-Day
that says "Pradeep Sarkar weaves the story like magic, especially in the first half ... excelling in the detailing ... the vintage look of the film (that stood out) with authentic costumes, props and the roads of Kolkata". However, the review criticised the film's climax terming it as amateur, thereby diluting the whole film's impact. Another such review came from The Hindu
which begins by saying "A simple enough story, but Sarkar tells it well, with some great shots of Shekhar and Lalita together. The review eventually says "Except for the end ... where it is too much to bear."
The issue of piracy cropped up when a news article published in The Indian Express
exposed the dark side of the film market. Hardly into weeks of the film's release, CDs were being sold at as low as Rs. 40. Another blemish for the film was that Soumitra Dasgupta, a writer and close associate of Sarkar alleged that, the film's story had a striking resemblance to his parallel work on the novella.
walk when it was the "World Premiere Film" at the International Indian Film Awards (IIFA) weekend in Amsterdam. Owing to this European premiere, Sarkar said that the film had a great opening in the American and English box-offices. The film was on the UK Top Ten films for four consecutive weeks.
The film was chosen among 15 debut works for the 2006 Berlin Film Festival. It received enthusiastic reception from the audience as it ran to packed houses to the Chopra's surprise. Expecting an audience of about 100 Westerners, a critic visiting the festival was surprised to see the cinema hall full and people jostling for seats even on the steps.
At the 24th Annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival
held in April 2006, Parineeta was the only Indian mainstream cinema to feature among 135 films from 40 countries.
In 2006, the film featured in the Palm Springs International Film Festival
, 24th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, Helsinki Film Festival
and the International Film Festival of Marrakech
.
. Best Art Direction
to Keshto Mondal, Tanushree Sarkar and Pradeep Sarkar
, Best Choreography
to Howard Rosemayer, Best Debut
to Vidya Balan
, RD Burman Award
to Shantanu Moitra and Best Sound Recording
to Bishwadeep Chatterjee. It was also nominated for an additional nine awards, for the categories Best Film and Best Director, three for actors portraying Lalita, Shekhar and Girish and four nominations for the soundtrack.
The film also won a prominent awards in the form of two Star Screen Awards
, three Zee Cine Awards
among a notable awards. Apart from these, the film was nominated for an eclectic mix of awards.
2006 Filmfare Awards
2006 Zee Cine Awards
2006 Screen Awards
2006 IIFA Awards
on 30 October 2006. It has subtitle options in English, Arabic, Spanish, German, Italian, Malay, and French. An additional disc includes interviews with the actors and a behind the scenes look at the making of the film. It is available in 16:9 Anamorphic widescreen
, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, progressive
24 FPS
, widescreen
and NTSC
format.
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
musical film adaptation of the 1914 Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
novella, Parineeta
Parineeta
Parineeta is a 1914 Bengali language novella written by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay and is set in Calcutta, India during the early part of the 20th century. It is a novel of social protest which explores issues of that time period related to class and religion.-Title:The word Parineeta is...
by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Directed by debutant Pradeep Sarkar
Pradeep Sarkar
Pradeep Sakar is a writer and director who works in the Bollywood industry.He began his career with Vinod Chopra Productions, the production company of acclaimed director Vidhu Vinod Chopra....
, the film was based upon a screenplay by the film's producer, Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Vidhu Vinod Chopra is an Indian director and producer. Chopra is the head of his own company, Vinod Chopra Productions, and is particularly known for producing the Munna Bhai films and 3 Idiots.-Early life:Born in a Punjabi family of Kashmir,...
. The film featured Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan is an Indian actress, who appears in Hindi films. After graduating with a degree in sociology, she started her career starring in music videos, television shows and commercials, before appearing in feature films....
, Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
and Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt is an Indian Hindi film actor and politician. Dutt, son of Hindi film actors Sunil and Nargis Dutt, made his acting debut in 1981.-Personal life:...
in the lead roles. Raima Sen
Raima Sen
-Early life:She is the daughter of Moon Moon Sen and the granddaughter of legendary actress Suchitra Sen. Her sister, Riya Sen, is also in the Bollywood industry. Their father Bharat Dev Varma is a member of the royal family of Tripura. Her paternal grandmother, Ila Devi, was the princess of Cooch...
plays supporting role of Lalita's chirpy cousin. Sabyasachi Chakravarthy playing the pivotal role of Shekhar's father, Diya Mirza with a cameo appearance as Shekhar's fiancé and Rekha, a yesteryear actress from Bollywood, with a cameo performance of a night club (Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge is a cabaret built in 1889 by Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.The Moulin Rouge is...
) singer are other notable performances from the film.
The film 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 both of them 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
Indian literature
Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Republic of India has 22 officially recognized languages....
and cinema. Despite the pre-release inhibitions, it received critical acclaim and. It won the Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
apart from several prominent awards. The director went on to win the National Award
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it is administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.Every year, a national panel...
for Best First Film
Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director
The Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director is a National Film Award - Golden Lotus Award, given to a feature film director's first film.The National Film Award - Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director winners:...
. The film was also showcased at prominent International film festivals.
Plot
The film places the story in KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. As the credits roll, scenes from the erstwhile Calcutta are displayed along with the narrator's (Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
) introduction of the era. The narration focuses on the night of the marriage of Shekhar and Gayatri Tantiya, a rich industrialist's daughter. The audience is introduced to Navin Rai as Shekhar's father while we see Shekhar readying himself for the occasion. While he is doing that, images of Lalita calling him by his name flash through his mind. Downstairs, musical celebrations begin as Shekhar meets Vasundhara, a widow from his neighborhood, who is thankful to her son-in-law, Girish (Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt is an Indian Hindi film actor and politician. Dutt, son of Hindi film actors Sunil and Nargis Dutt, made his acting debut in 1981.-Personal life:...
), for supporting their family after the death of her husband, Gurcharan. Lalita, who is present there, playfully confronts Shekhar as to why he is being indifferent to her. Shekhar admonishes her for speaking so in spite of being married.
An angry Shekhar comes back home to play a favorite tune from the past on his piano. The flashback shows a young Shekhar playing the Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
’s tune on his piano while young Lalita and Koel are around. Lalita, with her parents having died in a car accident, lives with Gurcharan’s family with Koel as her cousin whereas Charu is her neighbor. As this scene flashes across Shekhar’s mind, he sings a song full of sadness and loss. As time flies, they grow up to become close friends. A rebellious and musically inclined Shekhar, spends his days playing the music of Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
or Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and composing his own songs with Lalita, rather than becoming part of his shrewd father's world of profit and business. Part of this rebellion involves resistance to meeting Gayatri Tantia, the beautiful but devious daughter of a wealthy industrialist, whom his father would like Shekhar to marry into. Meanwhile, Girish, a steel tycoon from London, makes a dramatic entry into Charu’s house. Girish seems smitten by Lalita whereas Koel is by Girish. Shekhar is visibly jealous of Lalita’s close friendship with Girish.
One day, a shocked Lalita, who’s employed at the Ray’s office, realises of a hotel project from Gurcharan’s ancestral haveli (palatial house). On an earlier occasion, Gurcharan had borrowed money from Navin Ray after putting his haveli on mortgage. She understands that if the money is not be repaid in a few months, Navin Ray would take over the property. She immediately thinks of asking Shekhar for monetary help. Unforeseen circumstances prevent this and Girish upon realising this, alleviates their problem by making Gurcharan his business partner. Gurcharan repays the debt and the turn of events prompts Shekhar to think why Lalita chose to ask Girish for money instead of him. On one auspicious night, Shekhar and Lalita exchange garlands and consummate their "marriage" unbeknownst to anyone else.
While Shekhar is off to Darjeeling on a business trip, Navin Ray violently thunders on Lalita about the loss of his hotel project embarrassing and humiliating her. Ray gets a wall built between his and Gurcharan’s house symbolizing the end of their association. Gurcharan unable to digest this faces a heart attack. Upon Shekhar’s return, Ray informs him of the ill-health of his mother and Gurcharan and viciously adds a note of Lalita and Girish’s marriage. Shekhar is disgusted to hear of the marriage and in the anger he scowls at Lalita, humiliating her like his father. In the meanwhile, Girish assists the Gurcharan family and takes them to London for the heart treatment. Misunderstandings follow and upon the family’s return from London, Shekhar assumes that Girish and Lalita are married and agrees to marry Gayatri. The film returns to the night of Shekhar’s marriage when Girish hands him the ownership papers of Gurcharan’s haveli. He shocks Shekhar by telling him that he got married to Koel because Lalita denied his marriage proposal. As a conclusion, Shekhar confronts his father and symbolically breaks down the wall separating the two families. He then brings Lalita to his home as his bride much to the delight of his mother.
Main Cast
- Vidya BalanVidya BalanVidya Balan is an Indian actress, who appears in Hindi films. After graduating with a degree in sociology, she started her career starring in music videos, television shows and commercials, before appearing in feature films....
as Lalita. A woman of dignity with unflinching love for Shekhar. A lovely singer, who's resigned to the circumstances, upholding her respect when she faces insult. - Saif Ali KhanSaif Ali KhanSaif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
as Shekhar Rai. Shows a balance of love for Lalita and jealousy towards Girish. Egoistic, yet towards to end has utter hatred of himself for transforming into such a cold and bitter person. - Sanjay DuttSanjay DuttSanjay Dutt is an Indian Hindi film actor and politician. Dutt, son of Hindi film actors Sunil and Nargis Dutt, made his acting debut in 1981.-Personal life:...
as Girish. Simple and straightforward character who plays Lalita's moral support with warmth and compassion. - Raima SenRaima Sen-Early life:She is the daughter of Moon Moon Sen and the granddaughter of legendary actress Suchitra Sen. Her sister, Riya Sen, is also in the Bollywood industry. Their father Bharat Dev Varma is a member of the royal family of Tripura. Her paternal grandmother, Ila Devi, was the princess of Cooch...
as Koel. Lalita's playful, mischievous and cheerful cousin who's lively, peppy and lives every moment. - Diya Mirza as Gayatri. Short but a devious character who longs for Shekhar with her charm and beauty.
- Sabyasachi ChakrabortySabyasachi ChakrabortySabyasachi Chakraborty is a Bengali Indian male actor of TV and films. Sabyasachi Chakraborty is one of the most talented and prolific actors of Bengal whose acting prowess is well known all over India.-Early life:...
as Navin Ray. Cold at heart, a shrewd and a conniving businessman who even places human values and relationships below his greed for money.
The key elements
Prior to Parineeta, Pradeep SarkarPradeep Sarkar
Pradeep Sakar is a writer and director who works in the Bollywood industry.He began his career with Vinod Chopra Productions, the production company of acclaimed director Vidhu Vinod Chopra....
was a well-known personality in the area of advertisements. With 17 years in mainstream advertising and 7 years of advertisement film-making and commercial cinema, he completed about 1000 commercials
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
and 15 music videos. Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Vidhu Vinod Chopra is an Indian director and producer. Chopra is the head of his own company, Vinod Chopra Productions, and is particularly known for producing the Munna Bhai films and 3 Idiots.-Early life:Born in a Punjabi family of Kashmir,...
, the film's producer, took notice of his music videos and contacted Sarkar to direct some of the music videos of the film, Mission Kashmir
Mission Kashmir
Mission Kashmir is a 2000 Bollywood film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and starring Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta and Jackie Shroff as the main characters. Mission Kashmir follows the life and tragedy of a young boy named Altaaf after his entire family gets killed by...
(2000). After carving a niche in filming music videos, Sarkar gave the thought of filming Parineeta to Chopra. There began the making of the film.
About the film's comparison with the novel, Chopra said in an interview that, as compared to its 1953 namesake film
Parineeta (1953 film)
Parineeta is a 1953 film based upon the 1914 novel by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The film was directed by Bimal Roy. This version of the film is considered by many to be the most faithful adaptation of the novella, particularly due to Meena Kumari's interpretation of the role of...
by Bimal Roy, the film's story was based in the year 1962. He said that it took them one and a half years to script the film, with them adding new characters and emphasizing under-represented characters from the novel. In a separate interview, Chopra admitted that he was actively involved with the screenplay because the film was an adaptation of the novel. When speaking about cinematic adaptation, Chopra gave due credit to Sarkar, and Natarajan Subramaniam (the film's cinematographer), for providing the vintage visuals in the film. Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
once said that the film was initially attempted to be made in a contemporary way. When the film's crew did not find the depiction appealing, the filming began with the 60's look.
Chopra once cited an interesting anecdote about his belief in Sarkar's film making abilities. He said that he never personally signed the cheques for the film's expenditure. He transferred money into Sarkar's bank account and the cheques were eventually signed by Sarkar and his spouse.
Casting
Chopra said in an interview that Saif Ali KhanSaif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
and Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan is an Indian actress, who appears in Hindi films. After graduating with a degree in sociology, she started her career starring in music videos, television shows and commercials, before appearing in feature films....
were not the first choices for the lead roles in Parineeta. This fact was corroborated by Saif in an interview when he said that even though Sarkar had faith in his abilities, Chopra was not too keen on having him.
The choice of Vidya Balan came with Sarkar's prior work experience with her in three music videos. Chopra said that Vidya was screen-tested for a period of 6 months and only then they were sure of her acting abilities. Saif once said that he was not convinced of Vidya's abilities, since Parineeta was to be her first film. He instead hoped to work with established actresses like Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is an Indian film actress. She worked as a model before starting her acting career, and ultimately won the Miss World pageant in 1994...
or Rani Mukherjee. However, after seeing Vidya portray the character of Lalita, he was thoroughly appreciative of her performance. Getting an opportunity to debut with big names from the industry along with a lovely character to enact made Vidya accept the role of Lalita.
The choice of Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt is an Indian Hindi film actor and politician. Dutt, son of Hindi film actors Sunil and Nargis Dutt, made his acting debut in 1981.-Personal life:...
was because of his versatility, said Chopra in an interview. He also said that the affable nature of Sanjay was a plus during film making.
Diya Mirza liked the script so well that she chose to play the role of the devious Gayatri in spite of it being a short role. Raima Sen
Raima Sen
-Early life:She is the daughter of Moon Moon Sen and the granddaughter of legendary actress Suchitra Sen. Her sister, Riya Sen, is also in the Bollywood industry. Their father Bharat Dev Varma is a member of the royal family of Tripura. Her paternal grandmother, Ila Devi, was the princess of Cooch...
had a similar story with her want to work with the duo of Chopra and Sarkar. The cameo of the veteran actress, Rekha was purely out of her interest in the song, Kaisi Paheli Zindgani
Kaisi Paheli Zindgani
"Kaisi Paheli Zindgani" is a song from Bollywood movie Parineeta directed by Pradeep Sarkar.This song stars Rekha as the item number .-About the song:...
.
Filming and music
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
very well, the film was primarily shot there. While most of the film was made in Kolkata, a small portion was shot in Darjeeling.
To re-create the 60s era, lot of efforts were made by the producers. For instance, Chopra said that it cost them money and difficulty to procure the green colored car which was driven by Shekhar in the film. Chopra confirmed the authenticity of the piano used in the song, Piyu Bole and of the toy train used in a song (Kasto Mazza
Kasto Mazza
"Kasto Mazza" is a song from Bollywood movie Parineeta directed by Pradeep Sarkar.- About the song :This song was composed by Swanand Kirkire and sung by Sonu Nigam , Shreya Ghoshal and voices of children on a train.This song features Shekhar travel by train and miss his beloved Lolita .- Music...
). About the look of the characters, Mirza said that the 60s look was well captured by the make-up artist, Vidyadar. The song Kaisi Paheli Zindagani was based on the tune to Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
's A Kiss to Build a Dream on
A Kiss To Build a Dream On
"A Kiss to Build a Dream On" is a song composed by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby and Oscar Hammerstein II in 1935. It was recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1951 . It was also performed by Armstrong as well as by Mickey Rooney and William Demarest in the 1951 film "The Strip," and was a sort of recurring...
.
Critics had high expectations from Parineeta's music because of the award-winning music that was provided in (some of) Chopra's previous films (1942: A Love Story
1942: A Love Story
1942: A Love Story is a 1994 Bollywood film starring Anil Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff, Anupam Kher, Danny Denzongpa, and Pran. The film was the first ever to be given a U/A rating while featuring a scene, previously considered inappropriate for young children, showing the actors kissing...
(1993), Mission Kashmir
Mission Kashmir
Mission Kashmir is a 2000 Bollywood film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and starring Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta and Jackie Shroff as the main characters. Mission Kashmir follows the life and tragedy of a young boy named Altaaf after his entire family gets killed by...
(2000)). Shantanu Moitra
Shantanu Moitra
Shantanu Moitra is an Indian music director who has composed music for the Hindi film industry, and is most known for his score in films Parineeta , Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi , "Lage Raho Munnabhai" and 3 Idiots , and private albums, Mann ke Manjeere and Ab ke Saawan sung by Shubha Mudgal.-Early...
, Parineeta's music director composed hundreds of tunes before six of them got finalised after a year's effort. After finalising the soundtrack, Chopra was appreciative of the musician's abilities when he said that Moitra has the potential to become another R. D. Burman, a yesteryear Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
music director.
Cultural and cinematic allusions
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, the author of ParineetaParineeta
Parineeta is a 1914 Bengali language novella written by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay and is set in Calcutta, India during the early part of the 20th century. It is a novel of social protest which explores issues of that time period related to class and religion.-Title:The word Parineeta is...
, was a contemporary of Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
; both authors documented Bengali life and social issues at the turn of the century. The 2005 cinematic version of Parineeta pays homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to this relationship by referencing Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
's film Charulata
Charulata
Charulata is a 1964 film by Bengali director Satyajit Ray, based upon the novella Nastanirh by Rabindranath Tagore...
, which itself is based upon Tagore's noted novella, Nashtanir. Lalita (Parineeta) is dressed to resemble Nashtanir / Charulata 's Charu (Madhabi Mukherjee
Madhabi Mukherjee
Madhabi Mukherjee née Chakraborty is a reputed Bengali actress who has acted in some of the most critically acclaimed films in Bengali cinema.Her major role was the title role of Charu in Satyajit Ray's masterpiece Charulata...
), particularly during the song "Soona Man Ka Aangan
Soona Man Ka Aangan
"Soona Man Ka Aangan" is a song from Bollywood movie Parineeta directed by Pradeep Sarkar and stars Saif Ali Khan and Vidya Balan.- About the song :...
", which incorporates Tagore's song "Phoole Phoole Dhole Dhole." In both Parineeta and Charulata, "Phoole Phoole Dhole Dhole" is sung while Lalita and Charu are each on a swing. The film continues the above connection by placing Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
on the same train used in the film Aradhana which featured his mother, Sharmila Tagore
Sharmila Tagore
Sharmila Tagore is an Indian film actress. She has won National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards for her performances.She has led the Indian Film Censor Board from October 2004 till March 2011...
.
This film was the third one to bear resemblance to the novella, the other two being its 1953 namesake film
Parineeta (1953 film)
Parineeta is a 1953 film based upon the 1914 novel by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The film was directed by Bimal Roy. This version of the film is considered by many to be the most faithful adaptation of the novella, particularly due to Meena Kumari's interpretation of the role of...
and the 1976 film, Sankoch.
Box-office and ratings
Parineeta notched up Rs.Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
206 million in India at the end of 2005. Its overseas success was notable as well with gross collections of Rs. 36 million in the United Kingdom, Rs. 35 million in North America, and Rs 15 million in the rest of the overseas.
Reviews, critiques and controversies
Prior to the film's release on 10 June 2005, one preview wondered how the film would fare at the box office. Citing comparisons with the 1953 versionParineeta (1953 film)
Parineeta is a 1953 film based upon the 1914 novel by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The film was directed by Bimal Roy. This version of the film is considered by many to be the most faithful adaptation of the novella, particularly due to Meena Kumari's interpretation of the role of...
, the preview suggested that debutant director, Sarkar's inexperience in film making, the probable inability of debutant actress, Balan to portray Lalita's character appropriately, suitable 1960s depiction by contemporary actors and musician, Shantanu Moitra's until then unimpressive soundtracks, could be impediments for the film to be a successful adaptation.
Post-release, the same critic said "Vidhu Vinod Chopra's "Parineeta" - a remake of an old classic of the same name...(had) the love story (which) was received well by the younger generation and it went on to become the biggest hit of the year." The film was generally well-received by the critics, with one of them terming the film as "...a beautiful story, beautifully told. It approximates what most of us expect, and increasingly yearn for, in vain, our cinematic experience." A reviewer from About.com said that it is "contemporary retelling of...(an) engaging and timeless tale rich with human emotion and universal drama". The reviewer appreciates the film in most of the nuances of film making saying that this is "enhanced by a brilliant musical score, and accentuated by superb performances by Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Raima Sen, Diya Mirza and debutante Vidya Balan in the lead role of Lalita". 3000 copies of the novella were sold within weeks of the films release, owing to the film's good reception.
About the film, Derek Elley from Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
said "A character-driven meller that's a treat for the eyes, with performances to match, "Parineeta" is high-end Bollywood near its best". He also says that, "... though the climax is still emotionally powerful, it comes over as overcooked." A mixed review from Mid-Day
Mid-day
Mid Day is an afternoon daily Indian compact newspaper. Editions in various languages are published in Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Pune .-Establishment:...
that says "Pradeep Sarkar weaves the story like magic, especially in the first half ... excelling in the detailing ... the vintage look of the film (that stood out) with authentic costumes, props and the roads of Kolkata". However, the review criticised the film's climax terming it as amateur, thereby diluting the whole film's impact. Another such review came from The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
which begins by saying "A simple enough story, but Sarkar tells it well, with some great shots of Shekhar and Lalita together. The review eventually says "Except for the end ... where it is too much to bear."
The issue of piracy cropped up when a news article published in The Indian Express
The Indian Express
The Indian Express is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. It is published in Mumbai by Indian Express Group. After Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split in 1999 among his family members into two with the southern editions taking the name The New Indian Express, while the old...
exposed the dark side of the film market. Hardly into weeks of the film's release, CDs were being sold at as low as Rs. 40. Another blemish for the film was that Soumitra Dasgupta, a writer and close associate of Sarkar alleged that, the film's story had a striking resemblance to his parallel work on the novella.
Screenings at film festivals
In 2005, Parineetas cast got a red carpetRed carpet
A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.- History :...
walk when it was the "World Premiere Film" at the International Indian Film Awards (IIFA) weekend in Amsterdam. Owing to this European premiere, Sarkar said that the film had a great opening in the American and English box-offices. The film was on the UK Top Ten films for four consecutive weeks.
The film was chosen among 15 debut works for the 2006 Berlin Film Festival. It received enthusiastic reception from the audience as it ran to packed houses to the Chopra's surprise. Expecting an audience of about 100 Westerners, a critic visiting the festival was surprised to see the cinema hall full and people jostling for seats even on the steps.
At the 24th Annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival
The Minneapolis–St. Paul International Film Festival is a springtime film festival in the U.S. state of Minnesota that has been held since the early 1980s. Known as the largest film event in the Upper Midwest, the festival invites numerous films from all corners of the globe, and attracts a large...
held in April 2006, Parineeta was the only Indian mainstream cinema to feature among 135 films from 40 countries.
In 2006, the film featured in the Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January...
, 24th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival presented every March is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 130 works in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose, USA...
, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, Helsinki Film Festival
Helsinki Film Festival
The Helsinki International Film Festival - Love & Anarchy is a non-competitive film festival held since 1988 in Helsinki, Finland, yearly in September. The festival promotes the artistry of filmmaking, the inventive, visually stunning and controversial new films, revealing the promising talents of...
and the International Film Festival of Marrakech
International Film Festival of Marrakech
The International Film Festival of Marrakech is an international film festival held annually in Marrakech, Morocco.-Overview:Since its inaugural year in 2000, the FIFM has been one of the biggest events devoted to Moroccan cinema...
.
Awards
Apart from winning the National Award for the Best First Film Director, Parineeta won five Filmfare AwardsFilmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
. Best Art Direction
Filmfare Best Art Direction
The Filmfare Best Art Direction Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Although the awards started in 1953, awards for the best art direction category started only in 1955.-Superlatives:-Awards:...
to Keshto Mondal, Tanushree Sarkar and Pradeep Sarkar
Pradeep Sarkar
Pradeep Sakar is a writer and director who works in the Bollywood industry.He began his career with Vinod Chopra Productions, the production company of acclaimed director Vidhu Vinod Chopra....
, Best Choreography
Filmfare Best Choreography Award
The Filmfare Best Choreography Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Although the awards started in 1953, the best choreography category did not start until 1989.-Superlatives:Most Awards...
to Howard Rosemayer, Best Debut
Filmfare Best Debut Award
The Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut is given at the annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films to recognise a performance by a male actor in his debut role.-1990s:*1990Salman Khan - Maine Pyar Kiya*1991Not awarded...
to Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan is an Indian actress, who appears in Hindi films. After graduating with a degree in sociology, she started her career starring in music videos, television shows and commercials, before appearing in feature films....
, RD Burman Award
Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music Talent
The Filmfare R.D. Burman Award for New Music Talent is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.The award is named after late R.D. Burman...
to Shantanu Moitra and Best Sound Recording
Filmfare Best Sound
The Filmfare Best Sound is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Here is a list of some of the award winners and the films for which they won.-List:-External links:*...
to Bishwadeep Chatterjee. It was also nominated for an additional nine awards, for the categories Best Film and Best Director, three for actors portraying Lalita, Shekhar and Girish and four nominations for the soundtrack.
The film also won a prominent awards in the form of two Star Screen Awards
Star Screen Awards
The Star Screen Awards is an annual awards ceremony in India honoring professional excellence in film. The nomination and award selection is done by a panel of distinguished professional from the industry itself.- History :...
, three Zee Cine Awards
Zee Cine Awards
The Zee Cine Awards or "ZCA" for short is an awards ceremony for the Hindi film industry. It was first held in 1998 in Mumbai. Since then, it has gained substantial popularity as a notable awards ceremony to the Indian population as well as to the viewers of Zee Network.In 2004, the ZCA went...
among a notable awards. Apart from these, the film was nominated for an eclectic mix of awards.
2006 Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
- Best Debut (Female) - Vidya Balan
- Best Choreography - Howard Rosemeyer
- Best Sound - Bishwadeep Chatterjee
- Best Art Director - Pradeep Sarkar, Tanushree Sarkar
- R D Burman Award - Shantanu Moitra
2006 Zee Cine Awards
Zee Cine Awards
The Zee Cine Awards or "ZCA" for short is an awards ceremony for the Hindi film industry. It was first held in 1998 in Mumbai. Since then, it has gained substantial popularity as a notable awards ceremony to the Indian population as well as to the viewers of Zee Network.In 2004, the ZCA went...
- Best Dialogue - Rekha Nigam, Vidhu Vinod Chopra
- Best Costume Design - Subarna Ray Chadhuri
2006 Screen Awards
- Best Playback Singer (Female) - Shreya Ghosal
- Best Debut (Female) - Vidya Balan
2006 IIFA Awards
- Best Screenplay – Vidhu Vinod Chopra & Pradeep Sarkar
- Best Art Direction – Pradeep Sarkar, Tanushree Sarkar
- Best Sound Recording - Bishwadeep Chatterjee
- Best Costume Designing – Subarna Ray Chadhuri
- Best Makeup – Vidyadhar Bhatte
DVD
The first version of the DVD version of Parineeta was released by UTV Motion PicturesUTV Motion Pictures
UTV Motion Pictures Plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Software Communications Ltd. , based in London media and entertainment production company...
on 30 October 2006. It has subtitle options in English, Arabic, Spanish, German, Italian, Malay, and French. An additional disc includes interviews with the actors and a behind the scenes look at the making of the film. It is available in 16:9 Anamorphic widescreen
Anamorphic widescreen
Anamorphic widescreen, when applied to DVD manufacture, is a video process that horizontally squeezes a widescreen image so that it can be stored in a standard 4:3 aspect ratio DVD image frame. Compatible playback equipment can then re-expand the horizontal dimension to show the original widescreen...
, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, progressive
Progressive scan
Progressive scanning is a way of displaying, storing, or transmitting moving images in which all the lines of each frame are drawn in sequence...
24 FPS
Frame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
, widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
and NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
format.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack to Parineeta was released in April 2005 to positive reviews.External links
- Parineeta at Rediff.comRediff.comRediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....
- Parineeta at Bollywood HungamaBollywood HungamaBollywood Hungama is a leading Bollywood entertainment website, owned by hungama.com....